Gently Effective Acne-Treating Cleansing Paste

Kiehl's

Gently Effective Acne-Treating Cleansing Paste

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About this product

The Kiehl's Gently Effective Acne-Treating Cleansing Paste is a cleanser. Our analysis of its 19 ingredients (16 low-risk) rates it Excellent (95/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone skin.

Vegan-friendly Reef-safe

Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.

At a glance

Type
Cleansers
Ingredients
19
Low-risk
16
Fragrance
Fragrance-free
Origin
United States

The evidence

Quick Product Notes

Paraben-Free Sulfate-Free Alcohol-Free Silicone-Free EU Allergen-Free Fungal Acne (Malassezia) Safe

PH Level

(Know the PH? Submit it here! )

N/A - No submissions yet

Notable Effects & Ingredients

No Notable Effects & Ingredients

Ingredients Related to Skin Types

Good   Bad — tap a skin type to see which ingredients · estimated from ingredient functions
Dry Skin 3/9
Good for dry skin
Cetyl Alcohol Glycerin Lactic Acid
Caution for dry skin
Glyceryl Stearate SE Centella Asiatica Extract Cetyl Alcohol Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide Kaolin Glycerin Salicylic Acid Sodium Hydroxide
Oily/Acne-Prone Skin 1/0
Good for oily/acne-prone skin
Salicylic Acid
Sensitive Skin 3/5
Good for sensitive skin
Centella Asiatica Extract Kaolin Glycerin
Caution for sensitive skin
Cetyl Alcohol Glycerin Salicylic Acid Sodium Benzoate Lactic Acid

Ingredients list

19 total
Lower hazard (1) Higher hazard (4)
All19 Skin Conditioning12 Fragrance5 Hair Conditioning5 Denaturant3 Humectant3 Surfactant3 Cleansing3 Smoothing3
EWG CIR Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions Notes
1
Water
(Solvent)
2
A
Glycerin
(Denaturant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Oral Care Agent, Oral Health Care Drug, Skin Protecting, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Perfuming, Solvent)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
A
Kaolin
(Abrasive, Absorbent, Anticaking Agent, Bulking Agent, Opacifying, Skin Protecting, Slip Modifier)
1
B
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
(Cleansing, Hair Conditioning, Surfactant)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
A
Glyceryl Stearate SE
(Emulsifying, Surfactant)
Bad for Oily Skin
Bad for Oily Skin
1
A
Cetyl Alcohol
(Emulsion Stabilising, Fragrance, Opacifying, Emulsifying, Surfactant, Foam Boosting, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emollient, Masking, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Niacinamide
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Smoothing)
4
B
Salicylic Acid
(Antiacne Agent, Antidandruff Agent, Corn/Callus/Wart Remover, Denaturant, Exfoliant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Keratolytic, Masking, Preservative)
Good for Oily Skin
Good for Oily Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
1
Glycolipids
(Skin Conditioning)
1
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
(Cleansing, Skin Conditioning, Smoothing)
Carrageenan
1
A
Beta-Glucan
(Bulking Agent, Skin Conditioning)
1
B
Centella Asiatica Extract
(Cleansing, Skin Conditioning, Smoothing, Soothing, Tonic)
1
Ceramide NP
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning)
1
Chitosan
(Film Forming, Hair Fixing)
4
B
Lactic Acid
(Exfoliant, Fragrance, Humectant, Ph Adjuster, Skin Conditioning Agent Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Buffering Agent)
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
3
A
Sodium Benzoate
(Fragrance, Preservative, Anticorrosive, Masking)
3
B
Sodium Hydroxide
(Denaturant, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent)
1
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
(Chelating Agent)

My Ingredient Notes

No personal ingredient notes yet. Save ingredients to your profile to get good/bad alerts here.

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Key ingredients

BHA
Unclogs pores and reduces excess oil.
Niacinamide
Strengthens, smooths, and brightens skin.
Ceramides
Locks in moisture and supports skin barrier.
Exfoliators
Removes dead skin cells to smoothe texture.

Benefits

Barrier RepairStrengthen and restore your skin's natural barrier.
HydratingBoosts hydration and relieves dry, tight skin.
Reduces IrritationEases discomfort and supports skin resilience.
Redness ReducingSoothes visible redness and calms irritation.
Scar HealingImproves the look of marks and scars.
Acne FightingFights acne and helps prevent breakouts.
Anti-AgingSoftens lines and helps skin look youthful.
Good For Oily SkinBalances oil and helps reduce shine.

Concerns

Not fungal acne (malassezia) safe
May not suit dry skin
May not suit sensitive skin

Ingredients explained

Water
Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Solvent
Kaolin
Abrasive, Absorbent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A AbrasiveAbsorbentAnticaking agentBulking agentOpacifyingSkin protectingSlip modifier
Cetyl Alcohol
Emulsion stabilising, Fragrance
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Emulsion stabilisingFragranceOpacifyingEmulsifyingSurfactantFoam boostingViscosity increasing agentEmollientMaskingViscosity controlling
Niacinamide
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Hair conditioningSkin conditioningSmoothing
Glycolipids
Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Skin conditioning
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CleansingSkin conditioningSmoothing
Carrageenan
Other
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A
Beta-Glucan
Bulking agent, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Bulking agentSkin conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B CleansingSkin conditioningSmoothingSoothingTonic
Ceramide NP
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Hair conditioningSkin conditioning
Chitosan
Film forming, Hair fixing
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Film formingHair fixing
Sodium Benzoate
Fragrance, Preservative
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR A FragrancePreservativeAnticorrosiveMasking
Sodium Hydroxide
Denaturant, Ph adjuster
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR B DenaturantPh adjusterBuffering agent
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Chelating agent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Chelating agent
Glycerin
Denaturant, Fragrance
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 2 CIR A DenaturantFragranceHair conditioningHumectantOral care agentOral health care drugSkin protectingViscosity decreasing agentPerfumingSolvent Good for Dry SkinFungal-acne trigger
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing, Hair conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B CleansingHair conditioningSurfactant Fungal-acne trigger
Glyceryl Stearate SE
Emulsifying, Surfactant
Potentially comedogenic - can block poresRead moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A EmulsifyingSurfactant Bad for Oily Skin
Salicylic Acid
Antiacne agent, Antidandruff agent
Skin irritation can occur at high concentrationRead moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR B Antiacne agentAntidandruff agentCorn/callus/wart removerDenaturantExfoliantFragranceHair conditioningSkin conditioningKeratolyticMaskingPreservative Good for Oily SkinBad for Sensitive Skin
Lactic Acid
Exfoliant, Fragrance
Skin irritation can occur at high concentrationRead moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR B ExfoliantFragranceHumectantPh adjusterSkin-conditioning agent -humectantSkin conditioningBuffering agent Bad for Sensitive Skin

How to use

How to use

  • 1 Where it fits: Use as the first step, on clean hands, before the rest of your routine.
  • 2 Morning & evening: Suitable for both AM and PM use.

General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.

Trust & honesty

Pregnancy & breastfeeding

Contains ingredients some choose to avoid or double-check while pregnant or nursing.

Use with caution
BHA (salicylic) (Salicylic Acid)

Low-strength topical salicylic acid (BHA) is generally considered fine. Caution is usually reserved for high-strength leave-on products and salicylic peels.

This is general information, not medical advice. Pregnancy guidance varies and depends on concentration and your individual situation — always check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist. How we flag this.

Effective levels — general guide

The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.

Niacinamide 2–5% (up to 10%)

Most research uses 2–5%; some formulas go to 10%. Very high levels can cause flushing in sensitive skin.

Niacinamide

BHA (salicylic) 0.5–2%

Salicylic acid is OTC-capped at 2%; 0.5–2% is the usual leave-on range. Much below that it acts more as a soothing agent than an exfoliant.

Salicylic Acid

AHA (acid exfoliant) 5–10% (OTC)

OTC leave-on AHAs are usually 5–10%. The effect also depends on pH and free-acid value, not the percentage alone.

Lactic Acid

INCI lists don't disclose amounts, and we don't claim to know this product's levels — these are the ranges these ingredients are usually effective at, so you can tell a real formula from "fairy-dusting" a marketed active. How we estimate this.

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