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Cetaphil vs Kiehl's

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes · How the Fit score works

Cetaphil and Kiehl's are two established American skincare brands founded in 1947 and 1851, respectively. Cetaphil is loved for its gentle cleansers, soothing moisturizers, targeted serums, and protective sunscreens formulated with glycerin, niacinamide, and panthenol, which suit acne-prone skin and dry sensitive skin best. Conversely, the brand known since 1851 offers thoughtful moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products anchored by glycerin and squalane, suiting skin with dark spots and dry skin best. While both utilize glycerin to increase hydration and restore barrier function, they differ through specialized ingredients like niacinamide and panthenol versus squalane to address distinct concerns.

Cetaphil is an American skincare brand founded in 1947 and owned by Galderma Group AG.

en.wikipedia.orgcetaphil.co.uk

Kiehl's is an American skincare brand founded in 1851 and owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 2000.

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

This page compares some of the most popular Cetaphil and Kiehl's products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Cetaphil vs Kiehl's products

People Say

CetaphilKiehl's
  • Hydration and moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “cleared up flaky skin — Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream”
    • “healed my dry patches — Cetaphil Moisturising Cream”
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • Gentle on sensitive skin Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “The only thing my reactive skin tolerates. — Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser”
    • “No breakouts since switching to this. — Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser”
    • “cleans without stripping — Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy feel Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly — Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “Absorbs quickly into skin without residue — Cetaphil Daily Hydrating Lotion”
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “works on dark skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
  • Skin smoothing and texture improvement Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “skin feels incredibly soft afterwards — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “skin feels smoother — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “Skin felt softer after one use — Cetaphil Gentle Exfoliating SA Cleanser”
  • Versatile and effective daily use Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “great for face and body — Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream”
    • “recommended by my derm — Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser”
    • “removes excess oil — Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser”
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
  • Brightening and complexion enhancement Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “Skin looks radiant — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “skin looks more radiant — Cetaphil Vitamin C Serum”
  • Sensory and finish complaints Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Overpowering masking fragrance — Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar”
    • “smells like masking fragrance — Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser”
    • “skin felt tight after an hour — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “oil slick in summer — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • High price point Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive for drugstore — Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Lather, texture, and packaging issues Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “hate dipping fingers in — Cetaphil Moisturising Cream”
    • “Miss the bubbles, feels like washing with lotion. — Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser”
    • “dipping fingers is unsanitary — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “hard to spread — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”

Cetaphil vs Kiehl's routines for dry skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · AED 1,652.44 · 84% fitBuy Cetaphil routine · AED 319.93 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Cetaphil vs Kiehl's routines for oily skin

Buy Cetaphil routine · AED 854.61 · 81% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · AED 1,609.62 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Cetaphil vs Kiehl's routines for combination skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · AED 1,639.74 · 83% fitBuy Cetaphil routine · AED 706.66 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Cetaphil or Kiehl's: which is better?

Cetaphil is better for sensitive skin, while Kiehl's is better for skin smoothing and texture improvement as well as brightening and complexion enhancement. Both brands offer an equal routine fit across most skin types, but Cetaphil is better for acne-prone skin.

What is the difference between Cetaphil and Kiehl's?

Cetaphil is generally gentler on sensitive skin and has a lower price point, while Kiehl's is better known for skin smoothing and brightening dark spots. Both brands offer products with a High fit for most skin types, including dry, sensitive, and mature skin.

Cetaphil or Kiehl's for dry skin?

Both brands offer a High routine fit for dry skin. Reviewers find that Cetaphil is more gentle on sensitive skin, while Kiehl's is better for skin smoothing and texture improvement.

Cetaphil or Kiehl's: which cleanser is better?

Both Cetaphil and Kiehl's offer effective cleansers, but Cetaphil is generally better for sensitive skin because its products on this page are gentler and less likely to cause irritation. Kiehl's cleansers often work well for oily skin, but reviewers more frequently note breakouts and high prices with Kiehl's compared to Cetaphil.

Which is more affordable, Cetaphil or Kiehl's?

Cetaphil is more affordable than Kiehl's, as Kiehl's has a high price point while Cetaphil does better in keeping prices lower for shoppers.

Between Cetaphil and Kiehl's, which brand is better for sensitive skin according to reviewer themes?

Between Cetaphil and Kiehl's, Cetaphil is better for sensitive skin according to reviewer themes. Reviewers note that Cetaphil does better in being gentle on sensitive skin.

Which brand offers better results for skin smoothing and texture improvement?

Kiehl's does better than Cetaphil for skin smoothing and texture improvement.

How do the key ingredients differ across the products of Cetaphil and Kiehl's?

Cetaphil features key ingredients like glycerin, niacinamide, panthenol, vitamin E, hyaluronic acid, and cocamidopropyl betaine. Kiehl's relies on glycerin, vitamin C, squalane, shea butter, and vitamin E.

Cetaphil or Kiehl's for oily skin?

Both Cetaphil and Kiehl's fit oily skin with a High routine fit level. Reviewers report that Cetaphil is better for gentle daily use, while Kiehl's is better for skin smoothing and texture improvement.

Cetaphil or Kiehl's: which moisturizer is better?

Both Cetaphil and Kiehl's offer effective moisturizers on this page with an equal High routine fit for dry skin, though Cetaphil tends to be less expensive. Kiehl's features moisturizers that may help with skin texture and brightening, while Cetaphil is often more gentle on sensitive skin.

Cetaphil or Kiehl's for sensitive skin?

Cetaphil is better than Kiehl's for sensitive skin. Reviewers find Cetaphil gentler on sensitive skin, and the products on this page have a High Lovi fit level for sensitive skin.

Cetaphil or Kiehl's: which sunscreen is better?

Both Cetaphil and Kiehl's offer high-performing sunscreen options on the products on this page, with Cetaphil fitting sensitive skin better and Kiehl's offering strong antioxidant support.

Cetaphil or Kiehl's for acne-prone skin?

Cetaphil is a better fit than Kiehl's for acne-prone skin, as the products on this page achieve a High routine fit compared to Kiehl's Average level.

Research behind their key ingredients

Behind this comparison

Lovi compares products by their fit scores, calculated from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

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