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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA 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 13 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

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 Canadian Brand Canada
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.

Price

Shop

Buy Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA

Starts at $6.50
Shop

Buy Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane

Starts at $23.99

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

Vitamin E
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating (4)
Redness Reducing
Reduces Irritation
Skin Texture
Anti-Aging
Scar Healing (2)
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin (4)
Acne Trigger (3)
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (2)
Eczema

Notable Ingredients

BHA
Vitamin E
Ceramides

Benefits

Hydrating (5)
Anti-Aging
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting
Brightening (3)

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin (3)
Acne Trigger (2)
Irritating
Rosacea
Eczema
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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 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 Water

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA contains this as ingredient number 1.

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

2
What it does: Emollient, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Masking
Community Rating: Very Disliked

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.

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA contains this as ingredient number 3.

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

3
What it does: Emollient, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Masking
Community Rating: Very Disliked

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 Alcohol

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA contains this as ingredient number 5.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane contains this as ingredient number 7.

4
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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 Glycerin

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA contains this as ingredient number 6.

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

5
What it does: Emollient, Emulsifying
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Palmitic Acid is a fatty acid found in our skin. In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It is a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.

As an emollient, it helps hydrate the skin. The emulsifying properties keep ingredients together in a product.

Palmitic Acid may not be fungal-acne safe. It can worsen oily skin and cause breakouts due to its emollient nature.

Learn more about Palmitic Acid

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA contains this as ingredient number 31.

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

6
What it does: Cleansing, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Masking
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Stearic Acid is a fatty acid. It is an emollient, emulsifier, and texture enhancer.

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.

This ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis, or fungal-acne safe.

Learn more about Stearic Acid

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA contains this as ingredient number 32.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane contains this as ingredient number 18.

7
What it does: Antioxidant, Masking, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

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 Tocopherol

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA contains this as ingredient number 35.

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

8
What it does: Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming
Community Rating: Disliked

Carbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create gel consistency within products.

Carbomer is commonly found in many types of cosmetics products. It is found to be safe in concentrations up to 15%. However, a high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Most products contain 1% of less of carbomer.

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA contains this as ingredient number 36.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane contains this as ingredient number 20.

9
What it does: Buffering, Masking
Community Rating: Disliked

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 Acid

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA contains this as ingredient number 40.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane contains this as ingredient number 35.

10
What it does:
Community Rating: Liked

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate is used to help stabilize a product.

It is a chelating agent, meaning it helps prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This prevents unwanted reactions in products. Metal ions can come into a product via the water ingredient. They are found in trace amounts and are not known to be harmful.

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA contains this as ingredient number 41.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane contains this as ingredient number 22.

11
What it does: Buffering
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.

Learn more about Sodium Hydroxide

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA contains this as ingredient number 44.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane contains this as ingredient number 26.

12
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Very 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.

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA contains this as ingredient number 45.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane contains this as ingredient number 11.

13
What it does: Antimicrobial, Preservative
Community Rating: Disliked

Chlorphenesin is a synthetic preservative. It helps protect a product against bacteria in order to extend shelf life. In most cases, Chlorphenesin is paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol and caprylyl glycol.

Chlorphenesin is a biocide. This means it is able to help fight the microorganisms on our skin. It is also able to fight odor-releasing bacteria.

Chlorphenesin is soluble in both water and glycerin.

Studies show Chlorphenesin is easily absorbed by our skin. You should speak with a skincare professional if you have concerns about using Chlorphenesin.

Learn more about Chlorphenesin

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA contains this as ingredient number 46.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane contains this as ingredient number 17.

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

52% are loved or liked
11% have mixed ratings
35% are disliked or very disliked
2% have no rating yet
23% are loved or liked
11% have mixed ratings
60% are disliked or very disliked
6% 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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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA 46 ingredients

3.3 /5
from 19 reviews
starstellastar_407's Avatar'
Dec 5, 2023

You want acne? Try this!

You want acne? Try this!

Broke Me Out
Heavy
Mac_R's Avatar'
Apr 27, 2023

Nice feel, but not for sensitive skin
You cant go wrong with the price point of this moisturizer. I have the self-proclaimed most sensitive skin on the planet and found that this left a burning sensation for minutes after application....

Nice feel, but not for sensitive skin
You cant go wrong with the price point of this moisturizer. I have the self-proclaimed most sensitive skin on the planet and found that this left a burning sensation for minutes after application. tried a few times before giving up but still burning continued.

kawaiidesuwu_683's Avatar'
Mar 23, 2023

burned tf outta my face
i used this thinking it would be good for my skin after my face got super sensitive from bha, but nopeee it burned tf outta my face bruh

burned tf outta my face
i used this thinking it would be good for my skin after my face got super sensitive from bha, but nopeee it burned tf outta my face bruh

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane 35 ingredients

3.9 /5
from 8 reviews
mrobsss's Avatar'
Jul 23, 2023

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!

abby_834's Avatar'
Aug 30, 2023

Deeply moisturizing & hydrating

Deeply moisturizing & hydrating

Arilena's Avatar'
Feb 10, 2024

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.

Great Value
Hydrating
Light
Absorbs Well
No Scent
Works Well

Alternatives

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