We rounded up the best Kiehl’s products, because it’s a brand that inspires strong feelings. Very few people are devoted to one grooming brand; most of us have a shower caddy and sink ledge stocked with 5 or 10 different labels. But every so often, you come across the Kiehl’s Person. This is someone who stands by the brand’s entire assortment—hair, face, body, all of it—and wouldn’t be caught dead with any other product in their bathroom.
We respect the Kiehl’s Person, because they have great taste. Accessible yet aspirational taste, at that. Kiehl’s is no bargain-barrel brand. It’s an investment, but also one that won’t put you in the poorhouse. The apothecary label—famously founded in 1851—has elevated the essentials, but it also raises the bar with its advanced products, like its exceptional corrective serums, night creams, eye creams, face masks, and more.
If you’re Kiehl’s curious—could you be the next Kiehl’s Person?—or if you have an opening for a new serum, conditioner, or body cream, then check out our picks for the 10 best Kiehl’s products. (Of course, don’t consider yourself limited to this list—we could’ve made a list of the 40 best products and still had words to spare.)
Kiehl’s facial cream SPF 30
If you crawl through all of GQ’s skin care advice, you’ll see two tips spewed time after time: You need to moisturize twice daily (morning and night), and you need to wear SPF 30+ every morning. So, with that first moisturizing, why not pick one that has SPF 30 included in its recipe? Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream SPF 30 is a perfect morning staple, for all-day hydration and broad-spectrum UV defense. It traps moisture, neutralizes UV rays, and softens skin on contact. (There’s one without SPF, too, if you’ve already got a preferred facial sunscreen to layer over top.)
Kiehl’s dark spot serum
It’s kind of like a vitamin C serum on steroids: This daily-use corrective serum delivers overall brightness to skin, but also works spectacularly against existing dark patches and spots. It also has salicylic acid to keep pores clear and prevent future acne blemishes from budding up.
Kiehl’s body moisturizing cream
When I see the words “Creme de Corps”, I get this happy tingle all over my body—because this whip-like cream is so cushioning and calming on the skin. It’s an instant fix for dry skin, thanks to cocoa butter and sesame oil. Don’t settle for a small bottle here; you’ll want as much as you can get your ashy hands on.
Kiehl’s Facial Fuel cleanser
And speaking of tingling, Facial Fuel face wash gives you an instant tickle thanks to the invigorating combo of citric extracts and caffeine. It’s like a shot of espresso for your skin, and the perfect way to start the day with a fresh face, or to wash away the day’s many stressors.
Kiehl’s eye treatment cream
Soothing, smoothing niacinamide and skin-firming collagen team up in Kiehl’s Multi-Corrective Eye Zone Treatment cream. It covers the entire area, from brow bone to eyelid, from outer ends to under eyes. Wear it as you sleep—not just for a brighter gaze come morning, but for a sustained youthful, firm alertness.
Kiehl’s overnight hydration mask
Squalane is the super ingredient in this overnight hydration mask. It closely mimics skin’s own sebum (in terms of its hydrating abilities), that it revives even the most patched, dull skin from the brink of despair. It soothes inflammation and ensures that you wake up with your most supple, soft skin to date. Deploy it ad hoc, whenever your skin needs a supercharge, or nightly in the colder months to get ahead of dehydration.
Kiehl’s retinol serum
Retinol, ceramides, and peptides come together in this overnight serum, as a collective defense against fine lines, inflammation, acne, roughness, and dullness. We often say that a “prescriptive” serum is the secret to a terrific anti-aging regimen; well, here you have it.
Kiehl’s coconut and jojoba conditioner
If you want a truly exceptional hair day, then follow Kiehl’s Amino Acid Shampoo with this exceptionally smoothing, shine-boosting conditioner. Its primary ingredients are pure, can’t-fail oils of coconut and jojoba. Truly superb; use it on the morning of a big meeting or before a date. Your flow never looked so glowy.
Kiehl’s pore cleansing mask
Amazonian white clay takes center stage in this vacuum-like pore mask. It sucks all the gunk from your pores, working as both an all-over detox or a spot treatment for oily zones, acne, and blemish-prone patches. It’s a foe to whiteheads, blackheads, glossiness, and dullness alike; use it weekly across your entire mug for a routine refresh.
Kiehl’s recovery night cream
A recent addition to the Kiehl’s assortment, this whip uses fatty acids (Omegas 3 and 6) to revive dryness, dullness, and deflation. Whereas the aforementioned hydration mask is more of an ad-hoc remedy, this one is your nightly, perennial pick for sustained suppleness. (And like that mask, it also harnesses squalane for a boost to the moisture barrier.)
