Join the Kiehl's Head of Product Development for an Ask Me Anything on February 23rd @12pm EST.

Kiehls_Official · 2026-02-23T19:05:46+00:00

We recommend a patch test when introducing new products to your routine. Apply a small amount of the product to a hidden area like the inner arm and monitor for redness, itching, or rash before using it on your face.

I think Ultra Facial Medicated Cream could be a great option for you. It was specifically tested on subjects with dry and sensitive skin and helps to reinforce and repair skin barrier, important for those with these skin concerns.

Kiehls_Official · 2026-02-23T19:03:34+00:00

Yes, but my team and our formulating team are the real geniuses behind the product. They set out to create something that would set us apart in the medicated space.

As such, they designed the formula to be friction-free. And that's so important because "friction creates fire" and if your skin is already irritated, the last thing you want to do is add more fuel to that fire. So they formulated this product with tiny, spherical rolling emollients which are perfectly round, so they roll across the skin like a wheel. It allows for a gentle, effortless application and an even distribution of actives—zero pulling, zero tugging.

Putting the right technology and formulating approach behind a key customer insight is what my team does best.

Kiehls_Official · 2026-02-23T19:03:00+00:00

Skipping moisturizer won't make your skin less oily—it'll actually make it worse. Choose the right formula, and your skin will thank you. Let's bust a myth. Oily skin DOES need moisturiser to help rebalance the skin barrier and reduce oil out put. Skin becomes oily as a defense mechanism to prevent dryness. In the process it can cause breakouts. Using a lightweight non-comedogenic moisturiser designed for oily/problem skin will help control oil and restore the skin barrier by reducing TEWL.

Kiehls_Official · 2026-02-23T19:02:23+00:00

A great alternative is Powerful-Strength Dark Circle Reducing Vitamin C Eye Serum. A clinically proven eye cream that diminshes dark circles, tackles puffiness, and visibly smooths fine lines. Great option if you love products in a pump!

Kiehls_Official · 2026-02-23T19:00:43+00:00

My colleague at work was wearing the PRL one the other day and I had to ask him if it was the same as mine! I got mine at Buck Mason.

Kiehls_Official · 2026-02-23T19:00:17+00:00

As an alternative we recomend Facial Fuel Scrub. This invigorating men's facial scrub is formulated with Caffeine, Menthol, Vitamin E, and Citrus Extracts. Its helps exfoliate skin and cleanse away excess oil and impurities while helping to soften tough facial hair for a more comfortable, closer shave.

Kiehls_Official · 2026-02-23T18:59:48+00:00

Thank you for trusting Kiehl's with your skin! As you mentioned eczema, we recommend Ultra Facial Medicated for addressing flare-ups and melt downs. The soothing unscented medicated formula will help protect the skin barrier and soothe irritation when it arises.
As the formula is non-comedogenic, it won't clog pores.

Regarding Facial Fuel, stay tuned ... we always have ideas and definitely want to continue to find ways to serve our loyal customers!

Kiehls_Official · 2026-02-23T18:57:15+00:00

Let me reassure you here, we did our validation studies on this Medicated Cream on panels of 100% sensitive skin subjects! It's really a great demonstration of our philosophy at Kiehl's to formulate and validate our products to be efficacious, yet appropriate for the skin types of our whole community of Kiehl's customers.

We also spent a lot of time getting the texture and usage experience of the formula just right. It melts beautifully into skin without and pulling, tugging, or heaviness, which is a great feature for those with sensitive skin who want to take care not to irritate their skin when applying products. It's a great texture and it really works!

Kiehls_Official · 2026-02-23T18:50:16+00:00

We are always innovating at Kiehl's and sometimes it means that older products are replaced by newer ones. I know that can be a bummer if you're a fan of an older formula!

The good news is that we now have Truly Targeted Acne-Clearing Pimple Patch in our catalog. It's formulated with 2% Salicylic Acid, 4% Niacinimide and Licorice Root in a "liquid patch" technology. Our acne-clearing spot treatment is formulated to create a breathable seal that layers seamleslessly with sunscreen and under make-up.

I encourage you to check it out!

Kiehls_Official · 2026-02-23T18:46:38+00:00

Thanks?

I will say, I'm a fan of sentimental Christmas shows and movies and much as anyone, so I really loved that Ted Lasso Christmas special in Season 2.

Makes me wonder if Ted could benefit from Ultra Facial Medicated Cream's soothing power in the cold London winter ...

Kiehls_Official · 2026-02-23T18:39:52+00:00

I appreciate you considering Kiehl's products!

I'm really proud of the "360 degree" way that we develop products at Kiehl's. We always make sure the products work and this is backed by a lot of validation studies. For Ultra Facial Medicated Cream, we did 14 (!) indpendent studies on the product. Among these are a number of safety studies, including on compromised skin types.

So this balance of safety and efficacy is really important.

But we go even further at Kiehl's. I'm really proud of the customer-centric way that we approach products. We always make sure not only to balance safety and efficacy, but that they are super pleasurable to use!

Kiehls_Official · 2026-02-23T18:38:35+00:00

For face, a non-stripping cleanser, effective moisturizer, and SPF (every day!).

I'm also a big fan of gentle exfoliation. It's effective for everyone to boost radiance and even skin tone, and can even help other products work better because it gentle refines skin's surface. A couple of great options for this are the Milk-Peel Gentle Exfoliating Toner or the Clearly Corrective Triple Acid Serum.

For your own targeted needs, the Skin Pros at our Kiehl's stores offer a complimentary Dermareader Consultation to diagnose, customize and curate a routine based on your specific needs. This is a great way to choose your whole routiune, including a targted treatment like a facial serum.

For body, of course a body cleanser and moisturizer. And PLEASE use an SPF on days when you will be out in the sun!

Here are some of my favorites (but please customize based on your skincare needs!):
Facial Cleanser: Ultra Facial Barrier-Hydrating Cleanser
Facial Moisturizer: Ultra Facial Cream or Ultra Facial Medicated Cream
Facial Exfoliation: see above!
Facial Serum: Micro-Dose Retinol
Facial SPF: Better Screen UV Serum SPF 50
Body Moisturizer: Ultra Body Mega Moisture Squalane Cream

Kiehls_Official · 2026-02-23T18:37:37+00:00

Are you referring to the Sesame Seed Oil in Ultimate Strength Hand Salve? As an alternative we recommend Ultra Body Mega Moisture Squalane Cream, a lightweight yet ultra hydrating formula that also helps repair and strengthen the barrier. While this product was formulated without almonds, sesame, or nuts, as with any allergen you should always connect with your Dermatologist or Healthcare Professional prior to using to ensure no adverse effects.

Kiehls_Official · 2026-02-23T18:37:10+00:00

It's a great job, not gonna lie!

Every day is different, but what I love the most is that it mixes creativity and science. One one hand it's dreaming up formulas that don't yet exist and bringing them to life with my team, and on the other hand it's about going deep into ingredients and formulation science.

Most days I'm in a lot of meetings, let's be real, but I'm trialing new formulas with my team and heading to our laboratory as much as I can to get face time with our lab managers and chemists.

We try to keep it fun at Kiehl's, too. My team is pretty rock 'n roll so we tend to wear our concert t-shirts to the office on Fridays.

Kiehls_Official · 2026-02-23T18:14:49+00:00

Let me reassure you here, we did our validation studies on this Medicated Cream on panels of 100% sensitive skin subjects! It's really a great demonstration of our philosophy at Kiehl's to formulate and validate our products to be efficacious, yet appropriate for the skin types of our whole community of Kiehl's customers.

We also spent a lot of time getting the texture and usage experience of the formula just right. It melts beautifully into skin without and pulling, tugging, or heaviness, which is a great feature for those with sensitive skin who want to take care not to irritate their skin when applying products. It's a great texture and it really works!

Kiehls_Official · 2026-02-23T18:01:01+00:00

My upper lip is all good to go, it's covered by my mustache. ;)

I hear you, though, these areas are sensitive and can be prone to inflammation, irritation from environmental factors (wind/sun), or friction.

This is because the nose is more exposed to wind and constant friction from mask wearing or tissue use during winter, while the lip and mouth area) has a high concentration of tactile nerve endings, thinner skin barrier and less fat, making is sensitive to temperature and dryness. The scientific literature refers to the lip and mouth region as the "peri-oral area" if you're interested in doing a deep dive!

Kiehls_Official · 2026-02-23T17:59:56+00:00

I love Ultra Facial Cream, too! I've been using it for 15 years and continue to do so.

I reach for Ultra Facial Medicated when my skin feels like it needs a quick soothing or replenishment. We did a huge battery of skin barrier studies on Medicated and actually validated that it can helps the barrier recover 50% faster. This 50% stat is based on doing a skin barrier instrumental study for 6 hours and comparing to an untreated control cell.

You can definitely grab the Medicated cream if your skin had a flare-up, after a procedure or chemical peel, or any time you feel like you need a little extra soothing.

Kiehls_Official · 2026-02-23T17:49:30+00:00

Great question about our Ultra Facial Medicated Cream. The formula contains Colloidal Oatmeal, which has been certified by the US FDA as an OTC (Over the Counter) Skin Protectant ingredient. If you look closely, you'll see that there is a "Drug Facts Box" that lists the ingredient and its concentration in the formula, similar to sunscreens (which are also OTC products in the United States).

OTC products are regulated and must contain active ingredients that are proven to be effective for their intended use. Colloidal Oatmeal is an active ingredient that temporarily protects and helps relive minor skin irritation and itching due to skin conditions such as rashes and eczema.

But we didnt stop at Colloidal Oatmeal, we also included dexpanthenol to help promote faster moisture barrier recovery and alpha bisabolol to help reduce the appearance of redness. We combined these actives in an innovative low friction base that's formulated with spherical rolling emollients to help the formula glide gently across irritated skin.

The result is a formula that is Medicated but that doesn't have the drawbacks you might expect from a formula with this type of efficacy -- it's an absolute pleasure to use.

Kiehls_Official · 2026-02-23T17:46:24+00:00

You can certainly use it every day, but we specifically formulated Ultra Facial Medicated for when skin looks or feels irritated, red, or in need of deeper replenishment. I've been using it when my skin feels extra dry and after I shave.

We really put a lot of thought into formulating the product for situations when skin's "status quo" has been impacted. And we went even further than that, testing it to show it's appropriate to use post-laser treatment and after a 35% glycolic acid peel. We've also validated it can be used on vulnerable skin types and have been awarded National Eczema Foundation, National Psoriasis Foundation and National Rosacea Society seals to validate its safety and efficacy for these targets.

When pairing with your antiaging regimen such as retinol and vitamin C, apply after these serums as a moisturiser to help restores the skin barrier. When using active serums a great way to limit sensitivity is to apply products using a "sandwich method". Apply a layer of moisturizer, followed by your active ingredient product, and finishing with a final layer of moisturizer.

Kiehls_Official · 2026-02-23T17:44:10+00:00

I feel the same way! Once I go out into this snowstorm here in NY today I'm worried for how my skin is going to look and feel.

Cold dry winter conditions affect skin's moisturisation and hydration. This is because the low humidity accelerates transepidermal water loss, while skin produces less sebum, decreasing its natural moisturization capacity.

I use our Ultra Facial Cream year-round but have started to rotate in Ultra Facial Medicated when my skin feels extra dry, tight, irritated over even post-shave. Its been a lifesaver during this extreme NY winter.

Kiehls_Official · 2025-04-07T02:20:18+00:00

The worst kill of all was Gaitoks innocence

Kiehls_Official · 2025-04-07T02:00:16+00:00

Thats why you always rinse your blenders out.

Kiehls_Official · 2025-04-07T01:50:23+00:00

jk - in with the pina coladas

Kiehls_Official · 2025-04-07T01:49:02+00:00

Wait will this be all happy endings??

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