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Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturizer Spf 30

Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturizer Spf 30

68/100 overall score

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Ingredient & SPF scores

☀️

UV protection

Good 60
  • +30 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #1, UV filter (UVA1 +16)
  • +12 Homosalate at #2, UV filter
  • +8 Ethylhexyl Salicylate at #3, UV filter
  • +15.2 Octocrylene at #4, UV filter
  • ×0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
  • +1 Label claims (SPF 30)
How we rate uv protection →
☢️

Health safety

Medium 46
  • +100 Starting score
  • −40 Homosalate at #2 (regulatory/evidence concern)
  • −10.5 Octocrylene at #4, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
  • −3.5 Avobenzone at #1, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
How we rate health safety →
🤧

Allergens

Low 97
  • +100 Starting score
  • −3 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene)
How we rate allergens →
👻

White cast

Low 100
  • +100 Starting score
How we rate white cast →
🔥

Eye sting

Medium 43
  • +100 Starting score
  • −24 Avobenzone at #1, migrates into eyes with sweat
  • −15 Octocrylene at #4, migrates into eyes with sweat
  • −9 Homosalate at #2, migrates into eyes with sweat
  • −9 Octisalate at #3, migrates into eyes with sweat
How we rate eye sting →
🪨

Heavy feel

Low 95
  • +100 Starting score
  • −2 Cera Alba at #18, wax film
  • −3 Hydrogenated Polyisobutene at #12, heavy oil
How we rate heavy feel →
🔴

Comedogenic

Low 99
  • +100 Starting score
  • −1 Persea Gratissima Oil at #25, moderate comedogenic signal
How we rate comedogenic →
🍄

Fungal acne

High 31
  • +100 Starting score
  • −12 1 polysorbate/sorbitan emulsifiers that feed Malassezia (Sorbitan Oleate)
  • −27 3 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Persea Gratissima Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Oil)
  • −28 2 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate)
  • −2 1 ubiquitous fatty ingredients (Stearic Acid), weak Malassezia signal
How we rate fungal acne →
👕

Fabric stains

High 25
  • +100 Starting score
  • −50 Avobenzone at #1, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
  • −15 Octocrylene at #4, co-stains alongside avobenzone
  • −10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
How we rate fabric stains →
💧

Moisture

Hydrating
LightNourishing
  • → 4 Glycerin at #8, the anchor humectant
  • → 1 Humectant polyols
  • → 5 4 emollient lipids (Squalane, Persea Gratissima Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, …)
How we rate moisture →

Finish

Balanced
MatteDewy
  • ← 2 1 dry-touch emollients reduce greasy shine (Dicaprylyl Ether)
  • → 6 4 emollient lipids (Squalane, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Oil, …)
How we rate finish →
💄

Makeup base

Okay
PillsPrimer
  • ← 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer)
  • ← 2 Occlusives/waxes float the foundation
How we rate makeup base →
🌊

Water resistance

Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
  • +2 1 water-locking waxes
How we rate water resistance →

Full ingredient list (25)

What each ingredient does and how it moves each rating: green helps, red hurts, ↑ / ↓ give the direction, and ← / → shift a slider toward its ends (finish, moisture, makeup base). Auto-derived from our scoring rules and the ingredient's position.

  1. Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone), high in the list, a primary filter

    • ↑ 30 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
    • ↓ 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
    • ↑ 24 migrates into eyes with sweat
    • ↑ 50 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
  2. 2 Homosalate

    Legacy UV filter (Homosalate), high in the list, a primary filter

    • ↑ 12 UV protection
    • ↑ 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
  3. Legacy UV filter (Octisalate), high in the list, a primary filter

    • ↑ 8 UV protection
    • ↑ 9 migrates into eyes with sweat
  4. 4 Octocrylene

    Legacy UV filter (Octocrylene)

    • ↑ 15.2 UV protection
    • ↓ 10.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
    • ↑ 15 migrates into eyes with sweat
    • ↑ 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
  5. 5 Water

    Solvent base, the water phase

  6. Humectant, pulls water into the skin

    • 1 → nourishing humectant polyol
  7. Emollient, softens and smooths skin

    • matte ← 2 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
  8. 8 Glycerin

    Humectant, pulls water into the skin

    • 4 → nourishing the anchor humectant
  9. Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended

    • ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
  10. Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended

    • ↑ 14 feeds malassezia
  11. 11 Squalane

    Emollient, softens and smooths skin

    • 2 → nourishing emollient lipid
    • 3 → dewy emollient lipid
  12. Emollient, softens and smooths skin

    • ↑ 3 heavy oil
  13. 13 Phenoxyethanol

    Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling

  14. 14 Sorbitan Oleate

    Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended

    • ↑ 12 feeds malassezia
  15. 15 Caprylyl Glycol

    Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling

  16. Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream

  17. 17 Triethanolamine

    pH adjuster

  18. 18 Cera Alba

    Occlusive, seals moisture into the skin

    • ↑ 2 wax film
    • ↑ 2 wax water lock
  19. 19 Tocopherol

    Antioxidant, protects the formula and skin

  20. 20 Disodium EDTA

    Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable

  21. 21 Stearic Acid

    Emollient, softens and smooths skin

    • ↑ 2 minor malassezia feeder
  22. Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind

  23. Plant oil, an emollient

    • 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
    • 1 → dewy emollient lipid
    • ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
  24. Plant oil, an emollient

    • 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
    • 1 → dewy emollient lipid
    • ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
  25. Plant oil, an emollient

    • ↑ 1 moderate comedogenic signal
    • 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
    • 1 → dewy emollient lipid
    • ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
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