Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream versus Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane .
Last updated on February 19, 2024. Published on December 05, 2021
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe . They have a total of 10 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain Vitamin E
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin and scar healing
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, parabens or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain fragrances, oils and silicones
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.
Day Moisturizer
Day Moisturizers are marketed to hydrate the skin during the daytime.
General Moisturizer
All-purpose moisturizers hydrate the top layer of skin cells.
Price
Ingredient Info
Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream 42 ingredients
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane 35 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream 42 ingredients
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane 35 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 5 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream 42 ingredients
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane 35 ingredients
Water • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Propanediol • Glycerin • Silica • Cetearyl Alcohol • Dipentaerythrityl Tetrahydroxystearate/Tetraisostearate • Glyceryl Stearate • Peg-100 Stearate • Phenoxyethanol • Cetearyl Glucoside • Cetyl Alcohol • Perilla Ocymoides Seed Oil • Stearyl Alcohol • Dimethicone • Xylitylglucoside • Parfum • Polyacrylamide • Anhydroxylitol • C13-14 Isoparaffin • Ethylhexylglycerin • Xylitol • Butylene Glycol • Dimethiconol • Tocopherol • Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer • Decylene Glycol • Disodium EDTA • Laureth-7 • Diospyros Mespiliformis Leaf Extract • Glucose • Maltodextrin • Kalanchoe Pinnata Leaf Extract • Sanicula Europaea Extract • Tromethamine • Citric Acid • Lapsana Communis Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract • Furcellaria Lumbricalis Extract • Sodium Benzoate • Potassium Sorbate • Maris Sal • Callicarpa Japonica Fruit Extract
Water • Glycerin • Dimethicone • Squalane • Bis-Peg-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane • Sucrose Stearate • Stearyl Alcohol • Peg-8 Stearate • Myristyl Myristate • Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil • Phenoxyethanol • Persea Gratissima Oil • Glyceryl Stearate • Cetyl Alcohol • Oryza Sativa Bran Oil • Olea Europaea Fruit Oil • Chlorphenesin • Stearic Acid • Palmitic Acid • Carbomer • Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer • Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate • Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil • Xanthan Gum • Ethylhexylglycerin • Sodium Hydroxide • Tocopherol • Glycine Soja Oil • Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract • Myristic Acid • Hydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine • Salicylic Acid • Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil • Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract • Citric Acid
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterClarins Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream contains this as ingredient number 1.
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane contains this as ingredient number 1.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinClarins Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream contains this as ingredient number 4.
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane contains this as ingredient number 2.
Glyceryl Stearate is a mix of glycerin and stearic acid.
Glyceryl Stearate is used to stabilize the mixing of water and oil ingredients. By preventing these ingredients from separating, it can help elongate shelf life. It can also help thicken the product's texture.
As an emollient, it helps soften skin and supports barrier-replenishing ingredients.
In cosmetics, Glyceryl Stearate is often made from vegetable oils or synthetically produced. The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateClarins Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream contains this as ingredient number 8.
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane contains this as ingredient number 13.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream contains this as ingredient number 10.
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane contains this as ingredient number 11.
Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Cetyl Alcohol is not related to SD alcohol, denatured alcohol, or ethyl alcohol. The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Its main roles are:
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholClarins Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream contains this as ingredient number 12.
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane contains this as ingredient number 14.
Stearyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol from stearic acid. It is a white, waxy compound used to emulsify ingredients.
Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product. Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.
They are usually derived from natural fats and oils and therefore do not have the same drying or irritating effect as solvent alcohols. FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Stearyl AlcoholClarins Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream contains this as ingredient number 14.
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane contains this as ingredient number 7.
Dimethicone is a silicone used for making products smooth and silky. It also has the added benefit of sealing in hydration. The amount of dimethicone found in beauty products is considered safe and non-comedogenic, meaning it won't clog pores.
Dimethicone has been found increase absorption in skin, boosting the benefits of other ingredients. While there is concern for the safety of dimethicone, the levels used in skincare are safe for use.
Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream contains this as ingredient number 15.
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane contains this as ingredient number 3.
Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.
You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.
Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream contains this as ingredient number 21.
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane contains this as ingredient number 25.
Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about TocopherolClarins Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream contains this as ingredient number 25.
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane contains this as ingredient number 27.
Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).
If you spot Citric Acid near the end of an ingredient list, it's likely there as a pH adjuster rather than an active ingredient.
As an AHA, Citric Acid removes the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and look more even.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidClarins Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream contains this as ingredient number 36.
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane contains this as ingredient number 35.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream 42 ingredients
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane 35 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream 42 ingredients
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane 35 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream 42 ingredients
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane 35 ingredients
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream.
See 50 alternativesOur Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane.
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