Wander Beauty Drift Away Cleanser Versus Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser

See how these products line up with your preferences

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Wander Beauty Drift Away Cleanser versus Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser .

Last updated on July 18, 2023. Published on July 31, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe face cleansers. They have a total of 5 ingredients in common

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, fragrances, parabens or silicones

What's Inside

They both contain oils

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Try a different comparison

Wander Beauty Drift Away Cleanser

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser

Face Cleanser Brand

Face Cleanser American Brand United States

Face Cleanser

Face cleansers are used to remove makeup, dead skin cells, pollutants, oil, dirt, and/or clean out pores on the skin. Face cleansers may specialize in having one function (exa. just removing makeup) or may have multiple functions (exa. Removing makeup and cleaning pores).

Face Cleanser

Price

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.

Wander Beauty Drift Away Cleanser 28 ingredients

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser 27 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

Wander Beauty Drift Away Cleanser 28 ingredients

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser 27 ingredients

Notable Ingredients

Exfoliators

Concerns

Drying

May Worsen Oily Skin (2)

Acne Trigger (3)

Rosacea (2)

Eczema (3)

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin C

Vitamin E

Benefits

Hydrating (2)

Brightening (3)

Concerns

Drying (3)

Acne Trigger

Rosacea

Eczema

Join our community

Build your routine, track which ingredients work for you, and much more with your free account.

Join SkinSort

Ingredients Compared

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

Wander Beauty Drift Away Cleanser 28 ingredients

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser 27 ingredients

Water • Lauryl Hydroxysultaine • Propylene Glycol • Myristic Acid • Lauric Acid • Potassium Hydroxide • Cocamidopropyl Betaine • Sodium Chloride • Lavandula Angustifolia Oil • Polyquaternium-7 • Chlorphenesin • Phenoxyethanol • Peg-90m • Ethylhexylglycerin • Caprylyl Glycol • Disodium EDTA • Palmitic Acid • Sodium Benzoate • Silica • Butylene Glycol • Sea Water • Cocos Nucifera Water • Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate • Lactobacillus/Kelp Ferment Filtrate • Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract • 1,2-Hexanediol • Fucus Vesiculosus Extract • Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract

Water • Sodium Laureth Sulfate • Decyl Glucoside • Glycerin • Cocamidopropyl Betaine • Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate • Acrylates Copolymer • Lauryl Glucoside • Peg-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate • Triethanolamine • Sodium Chloride • Pentylene Glycol • Phenoxyethanol • Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate • Sodium Hydroxide • Citric Acid • Hexylene Glycol • Behenyl Alcohol • Distearyl Ether • Sodium Benzoate • Laureth-2 • Squalane • Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil • Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil • Tocopherol • Ascorbyl Glucoside • Persea Gratissima Oil

Ingredients Side-by-side

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

Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are

Loading ingredients...

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Water

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

Wander Beauty Drift Away Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 1.

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

Cocamidopropyl Betaine

What it does: Cleansing

Community Rating: Disliked

Cocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine. Dimethylaminopropylamine is a diamine, an amine with two amino groups.

Cocamidopropyl Betaine is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.

Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.

While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.

Learn more about Cocamidopropyl Betaine

Wander Beauty Drift Away Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 7.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 5.

Sodium Chloride

What it does: Masking

Community Rating: Very Disliked

Chances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt.

This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.

You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.

There is much debate on whether this ingredient is comedogenic. The short answer - comedogenic ratings don't tell the whole story. Learn more about comegodenic ratings here.

The concensus about this ingredient causing acne seems to be divided. Research is needed to understand if this ingredient does cause acne.

Scrubs may use salt as the primary exfoliating ingredient.

Learn more about Sodium Chloride

Wander Beauty Drift Away Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 8.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 11.

Phenoxyethanol

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.

Wander Beauty Drift Away Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 12.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 13.

Sodium Benzoate

What it does: Masking, Preservative

Community Rating: Disliked

Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.

Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.

Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.

Sodium Benzoate is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.

Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.

We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.

Learn more about Sodium Benzoate

Wander Beauty Drift Away Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 18.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 20.

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