Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream for oily acne-prone skin
Micronized Amino Acid
Glacial Glycoprotein
Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract
Glycerin
Salicylic Acid
High
- SuperiorOily Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
A great choice for oily acne-prone skin; a few moisturizers fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily acne-prone skin: shine, breakouts, blemishes, and enlarged pores. 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
- Offers excellent moisturizing and moderate exfoliation for your oily, acne-prone skin, as glycerin and sodium hyaluronate provide superior hydration while salicylic acid effectively unclogs pores and reduces excess sebum.
- Alcohol denat and Menthoxypropanediol further support oil control and a refreshing feel, complementing the humectant actions for balanced skin.
- The product is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing agents like Cucumis Sativus Cucumber Fruit Extract Juice.
How to apply
- Use this AM and PM routine every day to help clear your skin. Always remember to finish with SPF in the morning.
- Apply the moisturizer after your cleanser and toner, right before your SPF during the day.
- Gently press a small amount into your skin and avoid rubbing to keep pores clear.
- Apply on clean, slightly damp skin to help the product absorb better and control oil.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and do a simple patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 500+ reviewsThis lightweight gel moisturizer is highly recommended for oily and combination skin, providing hydration without greasiness or pore-clogging. Users frequently praise its oil control and refreshing feel, making it ideal for warmer weather. However, individuals with dry skin often find it lacks sufficient moisture, and a small number of sensitive users have reported stinging or a sticky residue.
Highlights
Lightweight & non-greasy Mostly Mentioned
- “absorbs instantly without residue”
- “feels like water on skin”
- “super light gel texture”
- “doesn't feel heavy at all”
Excellent oil control Often Mentioned
- “keeps my T-zone matte”
- “no midday grease”
- “controls oil all day”
- “shine-free finish”
Hydrating for oily Often Mentioned
- “perfect balance of moisture”
- “hydrated but not oily”
- “doesn't clog my pores”
- “great summer moisturizer”
Insufficient for dry Often Mentioned
- “skin felt tight after an hour”
- “not enough for winter”
- “dry patches remained”
- “need to layer it”
Alcohol-free formula Sometimes Noted
- “no longer smells like alcohol”
- “doesn't dry me out like the old one”
- “gentler on my barrier”
- “improved ingredient list”
Cooling & refreshing Sometimes Noted
- “feels cool on contact”
- “refreshing burst of hydration”
- “great for hot summers”
- “soothes heated skin”
High price point Sometimes Noted
- “way too pricey for a basic gel”
- “jar is too small for the cost”
- “expensive for what it is”
- “good but not worth $38”
Sticky/tacky finish Sometimes Noted
- “leaves a tacky film”
- “feels sticky to the touch”
- “hair sticks to face”
- “takes a while to dry down”
Pilling issues Rarely Noted
- “pills under my makeup”
- “rolls off when I rub my face”
- “doesn't play well with sunscreen”
- “clumps up”
Stinging sensation Rarely Noted
- “burned my cheeks”
- “stung upon application”
- “caused redness and heat”
- “irritated my sensitive skin”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, ulta.com, kiehls.com, reddit.com, lookfantastic.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream a great fit for oily acne-prone skin?
This moisturizer is a great fit because glycerin and sodium hyaluronate keep your skin soft with superior hydration while salicylic acid clears out pores and cuts down on extra oil. Ingredients like cucumber extract help soothe your skin and keep irritation away.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Glycerin and sodium hyaluronate provide balanced hydration, while salicylic acid unclogs pores and controls excess oil to keep your skin clear and smooth. Alcohol denat and cucumber fruit extract help refresh the skin safely without causing irritation.
BioMed Research International, 2020Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
What does Micronized Amino Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?
Micronized Amino Acid helps balance oily skin and may reduce acne and inflammation by improving skin condition. This type of skin needs ingredients that regulate oil and calm breakouts, such as L-carnitine and niacinamide, to keep the face clear and smooth.
Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery, 2026Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2004
What does Glacial Glycoprotein do for oily acne-prone skin?
Glacial Glycoprotein helps keep oily, acne-prone skin hydrated without feeling heavy or greasy. It supports the skin barrier so your face stays smooth and comfortable.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This moisturizer goes as the final step of your evening routine, after cleansing and your treatment. It helps keep your oily, acne-prone skin balanced and hydrated without clogging pores.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2020BioMed Research International, 2020
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream alongside retinol by applying the moisturizer first to help keep your skin comfortable and reduce dryness. Using a hydrating moisturizer with retinol may improve your skin's tolerance and help you stick to your routine without extra irritation.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this moisturizing treatment twice a day as part of your morning and evening routine. Regular daily application helps keep your skin hydrated while managing excess oil and pores without causing irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This cream is a great fit for oily acne-prone skin because it uses salicylic acid to unclog pores and reduce excess oil while keeping your face feeling fresh and balanced. It is unlikely to cause irritation or breakouts, as it avoids harsh ingredients and includes soothing cucumber fruit extract.
BioMed Research International, 2020Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
This cream is a great fit for your oily, acne-prone skin because it offers balanced hydration and oil control, but its safety and suitability for the very thin skin around the eyes or on the body depend on individual sensitivity. The delicate eye area and body skin have different thicknesses compared to facial skin, so a targeted eye or body product may be needed if you experience any irritation.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no fragrance and contains drying alcohol (alcohol denat).
What the research says
A moisturizer containing licochalcone A, 1,2-decanediol, L-carnitine, and salicylic acid significantly reduced noninflammatory, inflammatory, and total acne lesion counts compared to a vehicle control in Thai patients during a 12-week maintenance phase.
BioMed Research International, 2020Twice daily application of a multitargeted dermocosmetic cream provided comparable efficacy to benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in reducing inflammatory, non-inflammatory, and total lesions in 150 Caucasian subjects with mild-to-moderate acne over 56 days, while demonstrating superior skin tolerability.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024A 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, 2017Transgenic cucumber expressing poly-γ-glutamic acid synthesis genes increased water content by 6-14%, reduced water loss by 11-12%, decreased facial wrinkles and roughness by 19.58% and 24.97%, decreased skin melanin by 5.27%, and improved facial elasticity in human skin and zebrafish compared to controls.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2024The 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, 2012Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen achieved a higher cure rate (39%) than salicylic acid (24%) and a wait-and-see approach (16%) for cutaneous warts at 13 weeks in primary care patients.
CMAJ, 2010Treatment with 2% supramolecular salicylic acid hydrogel resulted in a regression and markedly improvement rate of 51.01% compared to 43.10% for Adapaline gel in patients with mild to moderate facial acne vulgaris, showing no significant difference in efficacy.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Topical 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid achieved the greatest lesion reduction at early 2 to 4 week time points compared to benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin, and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin, while 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin showed similar efficacy at 10 to 12 weeks in acne patients.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2010
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat, Dimethicone, Isononyl Isononanoate, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Butylene Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Caprylyl Glycol, Dimethiconol, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Tetrasodium Edta, Tocopheryl Acetate, Menthoxypropanediol, Pseudoalteromonas Extract Ferment, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Sarcosine, Salicylic Acid, Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract, Propanediol, Cucumis Sativus Cucumber Fruit Extract Juice, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citric Acid, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
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.