Skincare Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream versus First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair® Cream Intense Hydration .

  • these products are both general moisturizers that both contain ceramides.
  • they both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, parabens or sulfates.
  • they both contain fragrances and silicones.
  • they are reef safe.
  • these products have a total of 9 ingredients in common.
General Moisturizer American Brand United States
General Moisturizer American Brand United States

General Moisturizer

All-purpose moisturizers hydrate the top layer of skin cells.

General Moisturizer

All-purpose moisturizers hydrate the top layer of skin cells.

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

AHA
BHA
Vitamin E
Ceramides

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin
Reduces Large Pores (2)
Acne Fighting
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying (2)
May Worsen Oily Skin (2)
Acne Trigger (2)
Irritating (2)
Eczema

Notable Ingredients

Exfoliators
Ceramides

Benefits

Redness Reducing
Anti-Aging

Concerns

Acne Trigger

Ingredients Compared

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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's there to help 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!

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream contains this as ingredient number 1.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair® Cream Intense Hydration contains this as ingredient number 2.

Learn more about Water
2
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin and helps moisturize and protect your skin. A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

Glycerin is a humectant, helping the skin retain moisture by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin. Having moisturized skin helps improve the skin barrier. Your skin barrier protects against skin 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, animal sources include tallow. It is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English while British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream contains this as ingredient number 2.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair® Cream Intense Hydration contains this as ingredient number 4.

Learn more about Glycerin
3
What it does: Emollient, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Squalane is an emollient that helps the skin hold onto moisture. It's an oily liquid that occurs naturally in certain types of fish and plant oils.

Because Squalane boosts hydration in the skin, it also comes with plenty of benefits. Squalane is an antioxidant and can help fight free radicals and skin damage. Squalane is also found to have a detoxifying effect when applied.

Squalane comes from squalene, which occurs naturally within the sebum of our skin. It is one of the oils our skin produces to keep itself hydrated. Squalane is the hydrogenated version of squalene and has a longer shelf life.

Research shows that Squalane is non-irritating (even at 100% concentration).

In general, it's a fantastic ingredient. It does a great job at hydrating the skin, and it's suitable for those with sensitive skin.

Read more about squalene with an "e".

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream contains this as ingredient number 4.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair® Cream Intense Hydration contains this as ingredient number 12.

Learn more about Squalane
4
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Disliked

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.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream contains this as ingredient number 12.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair® Cream Intense Hydration contains this as ingredient number 13.

Learn more about Phenoxyethanol
5
What it does: Emollient, Emulsifying
Community Rating: Disliked

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.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream contains this as ingredient number 14.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair® Cream Intense Hydration contains this as ingredient number 7.

Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate
6
What it does: Cleansing, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Masking
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Stearic Acid is a fatty acid that has many roles within cosmetic products.

As an emollient, stearic acid helps soften skin. It aids the skin's protective barrier by preventing water loss. It also provides a gentle cleansing effect without stripping away natural oils.

Stearic acid may also be used to enhance the texture of products. It can add volume and stabilize ingredients such as water and oil. This can help water and oil ingredients from separating.

Sources of stearic acid include animal or vegetable fats/oils such as coconut or shea. It can be naturally found in butter, cocoa butter, shea butter, vegetable fats, and animal tallow.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream contains this as ingredient number 19.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair® Cream Intense Hydration contains this as ingredient number 3.

Learn more about Stearic Acid
7
What it does:
Community Rating: Disliked

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives. It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.

Disodium EDTA is a salt of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and are found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream contains this as ingredient number 21.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair® Cream Intense Hydration contains this as ingredient number 18.

Learn more about Disodium EDTA
8
What it does: Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Disliked

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream contains this as ingredient number 25.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair® Cream Intense Hydration contains this as ingredient number 16.

Learn more about Xanthan Gum
9
What it does:
Community Rating: Mixed

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream contains this as ingredient number 27.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair® Cream Intense Hydration contains this as ingredient number 17.

Learn more about Sodium Hydroxide

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

23% are loved or liked
20% have mixed ratings
40% are disliked or very disliked
17% have no rating yet
43% are loved or liked
13% have mixed ratings
30% are disliked or very disliked
13% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Ratings

Here's what our community thinks

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream 35 ingredients

Ultra Facial Cream hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair® Cream Intense Hydration 23 ingredients

4.5 /5
Cannot Say Enough Good Things

This is my all time favourite moisturizer. i use it anywhere needed and never feels oily or too heavy. absorbs right into the skin and feels hydrated, soft and clean. if you want to lessen steps in your skin care routine, this is an awesome one to use instead of two face/body moisturizers

from Mac_R

Nothing too special, it's not hydrating enough for super dry skin and it pills sometimes. It doesn't irritate my skin tho

from Y

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