Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel US versus Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane .
Last updated on February 19, 2024. Published on October 30, 2020
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe general moisturizers. They have a total of 6 ingredients in common
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for 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 silicones
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.
General Moisturizer
All-purpose moisturizers hydrate the top layer of skin cells.
General Moisturizer
All-purpose moisturizers hydrate the top layer of skin cells.
Price
Ingredient Info
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel 34 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:
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
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
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel 34 ingredients
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane 35 ingredients
Benefits
This product contains 4 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient 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:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel 34 ingredients
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane 35 ingredients
Water • Glycerin • Dimethicone • Cetearyl Olivate • Sorbitan Olivate • Sodium Hyaluronate • Serine • Glycine • Alanine • Threonine • Arginine • Proline • Lysine Hcl • Glutamic Acid • Sodium PCA • PCA • Sodium Lactate • Urea • Sodium Chloride • Citric Acid • Betaine • Allantoin • Fructose • Maltose • Trehalose • Glucose • Pentylene Glycol • Synthetic Beeswax • Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6 • Dimethicone Crosspolymer • Dimethiconol • Ethylhexylglycerin • Caprylyl Glycol • Sodium Hydroxide
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 WaterNeutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel US 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 GlycerinNeutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel US contains this as ingredient number 2.
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane contains this as ingredient number 2.
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.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel US contains this as ingredient number 3.
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane contains this as ingredient number 3.
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 AcidNeutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel US contains this as ingredient number 20.
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane contains this as ingredient number 35.
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.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel US contains this as ingredient number 32.
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane contains this as ingredient number 25.
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.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideNeutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel US contains this as ingredient number 34.
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane contains this as ingredient number 26.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel 34 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
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel 34 ingredients
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane 35 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel 34 ingredients
Great mosturizer!
Tried this out of curiosity with my mom, both of us were pleased with our results. She has normal to dry skin and I have combo skin with fungal acne. She uses this everyday as soon as she gets out of the shower; without...
Great mosturizer!
Tried this out of curiosity with my mom, both of us were pleased with our results. She has normal to dry skin and I have combo skin with fungal acne. She uses this everyday as soon as she gets out of the shower; without it her skin would feel dry as a desert. In my case, I put this on after using the Cetaphil daily facial cleanser. I know this product isn't fungal acne safe but I have combo skin, so I put it on the areas of my face that instead of having fungal acne, are kind of dry (mostly my cheeks, nose and neck). This moisturizer makes my skin feel refreshed, hydrated and healthy. It definitely has fragrance, but It's nice and light. I won't give it 5 stars just because it isn't fungal acne safe:)
Overrated moisturizer and it's expensive
I've used three tubs of this and my skin has gotten worse. The first two I noticed my skin gotten oilier than usual, but I want to trust the process like any other people. But I got a breakout on...
Overrated moisturizer and it's expensive
I've used three tubs of this and my skin has gotten worse. The first two I noticed my skin gotten oilier than usual, but I want to trust the process like any other people. But I got a breakout on my third tub so I switched to other products and my skin has gotten so much better. This is definitely not for oily skin that needs sebum control..
I want to say I love it
This moisturizer isn’t even that bad, in fact it’s the first moisturizer that made my skin feel like a baby’s bum when I first got into the skincare world. It made my skin smooth within a month or so. It’s very...
I want to say I love it
This moisturizer isn’t even that bad, in fact it’s the first moisturizer that made my skin feel like a baby’s bum when I first got into the skincare world. It made my skin smooth within a month or so. It’s very lightweight and looks clear when you put it on. When you apply it, you might have to protect your face because it does take a couple of minutes to absorb into your skin. Though it was formulated for dry/extremely dry skin, I bought this product even though I have oily skin because I’ve seen many dermatologists recommend it to those with dehydrated oily skin or just oily skin in general. It smells good, but since it does have fragrance I would not recommend this to those with sensitive skin. I love the way it feels on my face but I feel like it just doesn’t pair with the other skincare products I own. I only use this occasionally when my skin feels a little dehydrated. Other than that, I’d totally recommend this to those with dehydrated oily skin and extremely dry skin!
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane 35 ingredients
This not only is super hydrating but it’s cooling on the face. It’s the only thing that can keep my face moisturizer all day!
This not only is super hydrating but it’s cooling on the face. It’s the only thing that can keep my face moisturizer all day!
Deeply moisturizing & hydrating
Deeply moisturizing & hydrating
Now, this is not really the best choice for me since I have combination skin - it gives me a little amount of fungal acne, but it's much better than a full breakout. Except from that I really like this face cream. It hydrates my skin,...
Now, this is not really the best choice for me since I have combination skin - it gives me a little amount of fungal acne, but it's much better than a full breakout. Except from that I really like this face cream. It hydrates my skin, doesn't make it glossy and it doesn't clog my pores. I only use a very tiny amount of it when I use it. A good alternative when I yet have to discover the one moisturizer that works best for me.
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel US.
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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