U.S. Beauty & Cosmetics — Single-Product Analysis
An evidence-based teardown of the formula, what buyers report, what is inside, and what it has cost over time. Market snapshot captured 30 October 2026; all prices are native U.S. dollars for a New York 10001 delivery address. Every chart reads from collected data — no figure is estimated.
1. Product Information
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Product | Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser (5 fl oz / 150 ml) |
| Brand | Kiehl's (Kiehl's Since 1851) |
| ASIN | B00BBFU9TU |
| Item model | S12431XX |
| Category path | Beauty & Personal Care > Skin Care > Face > Cleansers > Washes |
| Best Sellers Rank | #1,498 in Beauty & Personal Care; #31 in Facial Cleansing Washes |
| Skin type / Scent | All skin types (incl. sensitive, dry, oily, acne-prone) / Unscented |
| Size | 5 Fluid Ounces (150 ml); 1.88 × 2.96 × 6.2 in |
| Availability | In Stock; sold by Kiehl's Since 1851, ships from Amazon |
What the brand says
- Gentle hydrating face wash: pH-balanced, dermatologist-tested, formulated with Squalane, Avocado Oil and Glycerin; suitable for all skin types.
- Non-comedogenic: the brand states the formula will not clog pores.
- Fragrance-free: also paraben-free, mineral oil-free and dye-free; recyclable packaging.
- Effective cleansing: removes makeup, dirt and oil without over-drying or stripping essential oils.
- Everyday use: use morning and night as the first step of a routine; follow with serum and moisturizer.
2. Product Rating & Customer Sentiment
4.7 / 5 across 3,481 global ratings. The distribution is heavily weighted to the top end, with an 82% five-star share and only a 3% combined one- and two-star tail.
| Stars | Share | Approx. ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 5 star | 82% | ~2,854 |
| 4 star | 11% | ~383 |
| 3 star | 4% | ~139 |
| 2 star | 1% | ~35 |
| 1 star | 2% | ~70 |
| Total | 100% | 3,481 |
What customers say
Customers find this facial cleanser effective, noting it keeps their face feeling clean and fresh without drying out their skin. They appreciate its gentle formula for sensitive skin, creamy texture, and silky smooth application, making it a perfect daily cleanser for most skin types. The product lasts long and customers consider it worth the money, though opinions on value are mixed. The fragrance receives mixed reactions, with some appreciating its clean scent.
| Aspect | Mentions | Positive | Negative | Positive share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effectiveness | 295 | 256 | 39 | 87% |
| Moisturizing | 163 | 129 | 34 | 79% |
| Value for money | 77 | 45 | 32 | 58% |
| Daily use | 68 | 66 | 2 | 97% |
| Gentle | 67 | 49 | 18 | 73% |
| Consistency | 64 | 54 | 10 | 84% |
| Fragrance | 49 | 30 | 19 | 61% |
| Duration | 26 | 24 | 2 | 92% |
Aspect mentions overlap and are not additive. The "Customers liked" module was not rendered for this ASIN, so it is omitted rather than reconstructed. No individual review text loaded at capture; the aggregate sentiment above is Amazon's own AI summary.
3. Product Ingredients
The formula carries 26 named ingredients. COSDNA was unreachable at capture (Cloudflare interstitial), so this analysis merges the Skinsort full ingredient table with the brand's published claims. Skinsort is a community aggregator; its ratings are small-sample references, not compliance conclusions.
What's inside — claim matrix
| Claim | Result | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Alcohol-free | Yes | Alcohol Free |
| EU-allergen-free | Yes | EU Allergen Free |
| Fragrance-free | Yes | No fragrance ingredients found |
| Paraben-free | Yes | Paraben Free |
| Silicone-free | Yes | Silicone Free |
| Sulfate-free | Yes | Sulfate free |
| Reef-safe | Yes | Nothing fails reef standards |
| Oil-free | No | 4 oil ingredients |
| Cruelty-free | No | Not cruelty-free |
| Fungal-acne-safe | No | 7 flagged ingredients |
| Pore-clogger-free | No | 4 flagged ingredients |
| Vegan | No | Not vegan |
Concerns flagged by Skinsort
These are class-level ingredient warnings, not a verdict on the product or on any individual:
- May Trigger Acne — can clog pores or trigger breakouts.
- May Worsen Eczema — may worsen itching or irritation for eczema.
- May Worsen Dryness — can strip moisture and worsen dryness.
- May Worsen Irritation — may cause stinging, redness, or sensitivity.
- May Worsen Oily Skin — may increase shine or excess oil.
- May Worsen Rosacea — can trigger flare-ups in rosacea-prone skin.
Benefits & key ingredient groups
| Benefit | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| Hydrating | 7 |
| Barrier Repair | 4 |
| Anti-Aging | 3 |
| Brightening | 2 |
| Scar Healing | 2 |
| Dark Spots | 2 |
| Reduces Irritation | 1 |
| Redness Reducing | 1 |
Key groups: Antioxidants (3 ingredients), Vitamin C (1), Vitamin E (1).
Ingredient classification by function
The 26 ingredients group into functional classes as shown below. Cleansing surfactants dominate the formula (6 of 26), followed by skin-conditioning and masking agents.
| Function | Count |
|---|---|
| Cleansing | 6 |
| Skin Conditioning | 4 |
| Masking | 4 |
| Emollient | 3 |
| Antioxidant | 3 |
| Buffering | 2 |
| Humectant | 1 |
| Preservative | 1 |
| Emulsifying | 1 |
| Unspecified | 1 |
Comedogenic risk level
Of the 26 rows, 20 carry no comedogenic rating (unrated — missing data, not "safe"). Among the 6 rated rows, five fall into the medium band (upper bound 2–3) and one is low. The two plant oils (Glycine Soja Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil) and the avocado/persea oils drive the fungal-acne and pore-clogger flags.
| Risk level (comedogenic, upper bound) | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| Unrated | 20 |
| Low (0–1) | 1 |
| Medium (2–3) | 5 |
Full ingredient table (26 of 26)
Ratings read low = safer. EM = unrated (missing data). A range such as 0-3 is reproduced as printed; risk judgement uses the upper bound.
| # | Ingredient | Function | Comedogenic | Irritancy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Water | Skin Conditioning | Unrated | Unrated |
| 2 | Glycerin | Humectant | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Decyl Glucoside | Cleansing | Unrated | Unrated |
| 4 | Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate | Cleansing | Unrated | Unrated |
| 5 | Acrylates Copolymer | — | Unrated | Unrated |
| 6 | Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate | Cleansing | Unrated | Unrated |
| 7 | Lauryl Glucoside | Cleansing | Unrated | Unrated |
| 8 | PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate | Cleansing | Unrated | Unrated |
| 9 | Cocamidopropyl Betaine | Cleansing | Unrated | Unrated |
| 10 | Glycol Distearate | Emollient | Unrated | Unrated |
| 11 | Pentylene Glycol | Skin Conditioning | Unrated | Unrated |
| 12 | Phenoxyethanol | Preservative | Unrated | Unrated |
| 13 | PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate | Emulsifying | Unrated | Unrated |
| 14 | Sodium Hydroxide | Buffering | Unrated | Unrated |
| 15 | Citric Acid | Buffering | Unrated | Unrated |
| 16 | Sodium Benzoate | Masking | Unrated | Unrated |
| 17 | Sodium Chloride | Masking | Unrated | Unrated |
| 18 | Hydroxyacetophenone | Antioxidant | Unrated | Unrated |
| 19 | Benzoic Acid | Masking | Unrated | Unrated |
| 20 | Squalane | Emollient | 1 | 0 |
| 21 | Glycine Soja Oil | Emollient | 3 | 0 |
| 22 | Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil | Skin Conditioning | 3 | 0 |
| 23 | Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil | Masking | 1-2 | 0 |
| 24 | Tocopherol | Antioxidant | 0-3 | 0-3 |
| 25 | Ascorbyl Glucoside | Antioxidant | Unrated | Unrated |
| 26 | Persea Gratissima Oil | Skin Conditioning | 0-3 | 0 |
4. Product Price & History
At capture the live Amazon buy box for a New York 10001 address was $19.50, 25% below the $26.00 list price. Subscribe & Save lowered it further to $16.57 (36% off the one-time price). camelcamelcamel's price history shows the first-party Amazon price was not being tracked at capture — the active offer is third-party new.
| Price type | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Current (buy box) | $19.50 | US delivery context, 25% off list |
| Unit price | $3.90 / fluid ounce | As rendered by Amazon |
| Subscribe & Save | $16.57 | −36% subscription tier |
| List price | $26.00 | Struck-through reference |
camelcamelcamel all-time price history
| Price Type | Lowest Ever | Highest Ever | Current | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | $17.50 (Feb 16, 2024) | $34.99 (Mar 19, 2023) | — (no first-party offer) | $24.46 |
| 3rd Party New | $12.00 (Nov 21, 2022) | $34.99 (Apr 10, 2023) | $19.50 (Oct 19, 2026) | $22.99 |
| 3rd Party Used | — | — | — | — |
Monitoring since Apr 26, 2021. The 3rd Party New current observation ($19.50) is dated Oct 19, 2026 — about 11 days before capture. Both channels share a $34.99 peak in early 2023. The summary table is all-time; no period-specific statistics are derivable.
Derived price position (3rd Party New)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Spread (high − low) | $22.99 (191.6%) |
| Current vs low | +62.5% |
| Current vs high | −44.3% |
| Current vs average | −15.2% |
| Current vs list | −25.0% |
| Average vs list | −11.6% |
The current $19.50 sits below both the 3rd Party New average ($22.99) and the list ($26.00), but well above the all-time low ($12.00) — a moderate price, not a historical bargain.
5. Product Images
Listing imagery as captured (three per row).
No buyer-uploaded photos were rendered for this ASIN at capture (zero review-media tiles), so no user imagery is reproduced.
6. Methodology & Confidence
| Channel | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon product page | Complete | US address (10001), native USD; price, specs, rating, histogram, customers-say captured. No individual review text or buyer photos rendered. |
| camelcamelcamel | Complete | Full price-history summary transcribed verbatim. |
| Skinsort | Complete | Full page via reader: 26/26 ingredients, 12 claim badges, 8 benefits, 6 concerns. |
| COSDNA | Blocked | Cloudflare interstitial; no search results. Fallback to Skinsort + brand claims. No similar product substituted. |
Limitations. (1) Snapshot as of 2026-10-30 — price, rank and rating move continuously. (2) Ratings (3,481) count stars, not written reviews. (3) No individual review text loaded; aggregate sentiment is Amazon's own summary. (4) Skinsort ratings are small-sample community references. (5) COSDNA data is absent, so the ingredient cross-check is single-source.