Best Skincare at Ulta: Drugstore and Prestige Picks by Step

The best skincare at Ulta, step by step, is La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser ($21.99), La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer ($25.99) or Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream ($39) as the prestige pick, La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair UV SPF 30 ($28.99), and The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% ($6) as the treatment. For oily skin, Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Cleanser ($26) is the prestige wash, and Clinique Moisture Surge 100H ($31 for 1 oz) is the gel moisturizer. All were listed on Ulta.com as of November 2026.

Before you buy, you can scan a product's barcode or photograph its label with the ingredient scanner in Pori to check it against your skin type. Pori reads the label for you; it does not diagnose skin conditions.

Quick picks

• Best cleanser: La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser ($21.99 for 13.5 oz, Ulta): fragrance-free, with ceramide-3, niacinamide and glycerin.
• Best moisturizer: La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer ($25.99 for 3.38 oz, Ulta): oil-free, with ceramide and niacinamide.
• Best prestige moisturizer: Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream ($39 for 1.7 oz, Ulta): squalane and glycerin in a fragrance-free cream.
• Best gel moisturizer: Clinique Moisture Surge 100H ($31 for 1 oz, Ulta): a fragrance-free aloe and hyaluronic acid gel cream.
• Best SPF: La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer UV SPF 30 ($28.99 for 3.38 oz, Ulta): moisturizer and broad-spectrum SPF 30 in one.
• Best treatment: The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% ($6 for 1 oz, Ulta): a low-cost serum for shine and the look of pores.
• Best for oily skin: Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Cleanser ($26 for 5.1 oz, Ulta): a foaming wash with kaolin and a little salicylic acid.

We compared published ingredient lists, brand claims and listed prices; we did not test these products on skin. Prices are list prices on Ulta.com as of November 2026. Ulta's Replenish & Save subscription takes about 5% off some of them, and sales come and go, so check the page before you buy.

How do the best Ulta skincare picks compare?

What is the best cleanser at Ulta?

La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser: best cleanser

Ulta's listing names La Roche-Posay thermal spring water, ceramide-3, niacinamide and glycerin as the key ingredients, and says it is fragrance-free, non-comedogenic and free of oil, soap and sulfates. It is made for dry, sensitive skin and also suits normal to combination skin. The 13.5 oz bottle is $21.99; smaller sizes start at $9.99.

Who it suits: dry, sensitive and retinoid-treated skin. Who should skip it: oily skin that wants a foam. The catch: it costs more than CeraVe's similar cream cleanser at a drugstore. Our best La Roche-Posay products roundup covers the rest of the Toleriane line.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Cleanser: best for oily skin

Ulta's listing highlights desert plant extract and lemon fruit extract, and the full list includes kaolin, glycerin and salicylic acid. It is $26 for 5.1 oz.

Who it suits: normal to oily skin that likes a squeaky-clean foam. Who should skip it: dry or fragrance-sensitive skin; the listing makes no fragrance-free claim, and some reviewers mention a scent. The catch: it is the priciest per ounce of the cleansers here. La Roche-Posay's Toleriane Purifying Foaming Cleanser is the drugstore alternative for oily skin.

What is the best moisturizer at Ulta?

La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer: best moisturizer

This is the brand's everyday oil-free moisturizer with ceramide-3 and niacinamide. Ulta lists the 3.38 oz size at $25.99 and a 1.3 oz size at $12.99. It suits combination and normal skin, and sensitive skin that dislikes heavy creams.

Who it suits: combination, normal and sensitive skin. Who should skip it: very dry skin that needs a richer cream. The catch: it has no SPF, so you need the UV version or a separate sunscreen by day.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream: best prestige moisturizer

Ulta lists squalane, glacial glycoprotein and pro-ceramides as the key ingredients, and labels the cream fragrance-free and for all skin types, including sensitive. The 1.7 oz jar is $39.

Who it suits: normal to dry skin that wants a soft, classic cream. Who should skip it: oily skin, and anyone who wants actives in a moisturizer. The catch: its hydrators, such as squalane and glycerin, also turn up in creams that cost far less. Our Ultra Facial Cream review breaks down the list.

Clinique Moisture Surge 100H: best gel moisturizer

Clinique's gel cream uses aloe bioferment, hyaluronic acid in two molecular weights, caffeine and vitamins C and E. Ulta's listing calls it 100% fragrance free and oil-free. The 1 oz jar lists at $31, and sizes run up to 4.2 oz.

Who it suits: combination and oily skin that wants a light gel, and most other skin types. Who should skip it: very dry skin in winter. The catch: the "100 hour" figure is the brand's own claim. See our Moisture Surge review and Clinique vs. Kiehl's comparison.

What is the best sunscreen at Ulta?

La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer UV SPF 30: best SPF

The UV version adds broad-spectrum SPF 30 to the Double Repair moisturizer. Its drug label on DailyMed lists avobenzone 3%, homosalate 5%, octisalate 5% and octocrylene 7%. Ulta lists the 3.38 oz bottle at $28.99.

Who it suits: normal, dry and sensitive skin that wants one product in the morning. Who should skip it: anyone outdoors for hours or swimming, who needs a water-resistant sunscreen. The catch: the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) says to use at least a teaspoon on the face and reapply about every two hours outside. Our best moisturizer with SPF roundup compares more.

What is the best treatment at Ulta?

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%: best treatment

The Ordinary describes a water-based serum with 10% niacinamide and 1% zinc PCA for visible shine, congestion and uneven texture, used morning and evening. Ulta lists the 1 oz bottle at $6 and a 4 oz bottle at $19.60, a size worth knowing if you use it twice a day.

Who it suits: oily and combination skin. Who should skip it: very sensitive skin; the brand suggests a patch test. The catch: The Ordinary advises using it in a separate routine from vitamin C. Our Niacinamide + Zinc review and best niacinamide serum roundup cover alternatives.

Should you buy drugstore or prestige at Ulta?

Ulta stocks both in one aisle, which makes the trade-off easy to see. On ingredients, the La Roche-Posay picks hold their own: ceramide, niacinamide and glycerin in the cleanser and moisturizer, and broad-spectrum filters in the SPF. Reading the lists, the prestige picks mostly buy texture. Kiehl's is a cushier cream, and Clinique is a bouncier gel. A sensible split is drugstore for cleanser and treatment and, if you want to treat yourself, prestige for the moisturizer you feel all day. Our drugstore vs. luxury skincare piece goes into this.

• Drugstore routine (about $83): Toleriane Hydrating cleanser, Double Repair UV SPF 30, Double Repair moisturizer at night, Niacinamide + Zinc.
• Mixed routine (about $96): Toleriane Hydrating cleanser, Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream at night, Double Repair UV SPF 30 by day, Niacinamide + Zinc.
• Oily skin: Kiehl's Oil-Free Cleanser, Moisture Surge, Double Repair UV SPF 30, Niacinamide + Zinc.

How do you put these together?

Morning: cleanser, niacinamide, then the Double Repair UV SPF 30 as your moisturizer and sunscreen. Night: cleanser, niacinamide if you like, then a moisturizer. Add new products one at a time, two weeks apart. Our skincare routine order guide explains the layering.

Where else can you shop these?

For prestige brands Ulta does not carry, see best skincare at Sephora. For lower drugstore prices on CeraVe and Differin, see Target and Walmart. Single-step roundups: best drugstore moisturizer and best drugstore sunscreen for face.

How we chose

We picked one product per routine step (cleanser, moisturizer, SPF, treatment), with a drugstore and a prestige option where Ulta sells both. Every pick is listed on Ulta.com with a published ingredient list or drug label. We read Ulta listings, brand pages, DailyMed and AAD guidance, and checked each list price on Ulta.com in November 2026. Where Ulta showed a price range and not a per-size price, we gave only the sizes it priced. We did not wear-test any product and cannot promise stock in every store. Browse more in our cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen catalogues.