Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer for sensitive skin
Squalane
Glycerin
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Avocado Oil
Butylene Glycol
Average
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for sensitive skin; other moisturizers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with sensitive skin: redness, stinging, and reactions to new products. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Suitable for normal skin, this moisturizer provides excellent hydration and barrier support with squalane and glycerin, which are beneficial for maintaining overall skin health.
- While it offers general skincare benefits, it lacks specialized ingredients to directly address your concerns of redness and irritation.
- The formula is safe for your sensitive skin, as it contains no harsh or prohibited ingredients that could cause irritation.
How to apply
- Use this soothing AM and PM routine every day to keep your normal skin calm. Always remember to apply SPF in the morning after your moisturizer.
- Apply your moisturizer after your toner in the morning, and after your serum in the evening. This step locks in hydration and protects your skin.
- Gently press a small amount of the moisturizer evenly across your face. Avoid rubbing to keep your sensitive skin happy and calm.
- You can apply this gentle formula on dry or slightly damp skin for the best comfort. It works wonderfully on clean skin to soothe redness and irritation.
- Do a patch test before your very first use to check your skin's reaction. Avoid getting the product directly into your eyes .
People Say
★4.4Overall rating based on 200+ reviewsUsers find this moisturizer to be a rich, fragrance-free lotion that deeply hydrates, benefiting dry, combination, and sensitive skin, especially in winter. Many appreciate its ability to repair the skin barrier. However, a notable number of reviewers mention it can leave a greasy or sticky residue if not fully absorbed, making it less ideal for very oily or acne-prone skin.
Highlights
Deeply hydrating Mostly Mentioned
- “Saved my dry winter skin”
- “keeps flakes away”
- “rich and nourishing”
Gentle and fragrance-free Often Mentioned
- “No strong smell”
- “doesn't sting sensitive areas”
Greasy or sticky Often Mentioned
- “Takes too long to sink in”
- “leaves face shiny”
- “feels tacky under makeup”
Key ingredients Sometimes Noted
- “Love the squalane”
- “ingredients feel premium”
- “simple but effective mix”
Value and longevity Sometimes Noted
- “Bottle lasts forever”
- “only need a pea size”
- “good value for size”
Not for oily Sometimes Noted
- “Caused breakouts”
- “too heavy for summer”
- “made my T-zone oily”
Expensive price Rarely Noted
- “Pricey for a basic lotion”
- “good but expensive”
- “waited for a sale”
Texture issues Rarely Noted
- “More liquid than expected”
- “sits on top of skin”
- “prefer the jar cream texture”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.co.uk, ulta.com, kiehls.com, makeupalley.com, amazon.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer work for sensitive skin?
This moisturizer is safe for sensitive skin and provides general hydration, but it may lack the specialized ingredients needed to directly calm redness and irritation. A product of this type needs soothing ingredients like fermented Centella Asiatica and Cica Ceramide to properly calm sensitive skin.
Which ingredients make this moisturizer a good fit for sensitive skin?
Squalane and glycerin make this moisturizer a safe fit for sensitive skin by providing gentle hydration, though this product needs soothing ingredients like fermented Centella Asiatica and Cica Ceramide to properly calm redness and irritation.
What does Squalane do for sensitive skin?
Squalane helps calm sensitive skin by defending against everyday irritation and keeping it smooth and soft. It is unlikely to cause irritation and supports your skin barrier so it stays comfortable and hydrated.
What does Glycerin do for sensitive skin?
Glycerin helps keep sensitive skin soft and deeply hydrated while supporting the skin barrier. It is unlikely to cause irritation and may protect against dryness and roughness.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008Acta Dermato-venereologica, 1999
Where does this moisturizer go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This moisturizer goes in the evening routine as the final step after your treatment, and for weekly care after your nourishing mask. While the formula is safe and hydrating for sensitive skin, it lacks specialized ingredients for redness and irritation, so sensitive skin needs a moisturizer with soothing plant extracts and calming agents.
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this moisturizer with retinol by applying it after your retinol treatment in the evening routine. Using a barrier-enhancing moisturizer helps keep sensitive skin comfortable and reduces dryness when using strong active ingredients.
How often should I use this moisturizer?
You can use this moisturizer daily in your morning and evening routines. Daily application helps keep your skin hydrated and supports its natural barrier.
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This moisturizer is unlikely to cause breakouts for sensitive skin because it is safe and free of harsh irritants. However, it lacks specialized ingredients to directly soothe redness and irritation, so a product for this skin type needs calming plant extracts or anti-inflammatory ingredients to properly calm flare-ups.
Can I use it around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this moisturizer around the eyes and on the body because its formula is safe for sensitive skin and contains no harsh ingredients. However, because it lacks specialized ingredients for redness and irritation, sensitive skin types need a product with soothing plant extracts and gentle barrier-repairing ingredients for these delicate areas.
Is this moisturizer fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Myristyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
What the research says
A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.
Antioxidants, 2025The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012Topical cream containing saffron extract and avocado oil improved wrinkle grading, reduced nasolabial fold area and volume, and increased skin elasticity in twenty healthy volunteers over 12 weeks without allergic reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Topical treatment with SSFAO 50% or avocado oil increased wound contraction, reepithelialization, collagen density, and tensile strength while showing anti-inflammatory activity compared to petroleum jelly in rats.
Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2013
Why other moisturizers fit sensitive skin better
A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Topical dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002A dexpanthenol-containing cream accelerated skin barrier repair, increased stratum corneum hydration, reduced skin roughness, and decreased skin redness compared to vehicle and untreated controls in sodium lauryl sulphate-irritated skin.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2002
Ingredients
Water, Squalane, Glycerin, Peg-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Butylene Glycol, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbitan Oleate, Carbomer, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Stearic Acid, Alba Beeswax Cera, Myristyl Alcohol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Sweet Almond Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Apricot Kernel Oil, Tocopherol, Persea Gratissima Avocado Oil
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.