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Dr. Althea vs Kiehl's

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

Dr. Althea and Kiehl's are distinct skincare brands that offer thoughtful selections of moisturizers, cleansers, and serums designed to support daily routines. The former specializes in gentle formulas featuring standout options like the Amino Acid Gentle Bubble Cleanser, 345 Relief Cream, and Vitamin C Boosting Serum, which suit acne-prone skin and dry skin best. Meanwhile, the latter is anchored by nourishing ingredients such as glycerin and squalane, presenting reliable products like the Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner, Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash, and Ultra Facial Toner for skin with dark spots and dry skin. Ultimately, they differ through their foundational approaches, as the Korean brand focuses on balanced care while the American brand utilizes active hydration to support the skin.

Dr. Althea is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2014 and owned by The Pure Lab Co., Ltd..

doctoraltheaglobal.comdoctoralthea.co.kr

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 Dr. Althea and Kiehl's products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Dr. Althea vs Kiehl's products

People Say

Dr. AltheaKiehl's
  • Texture and Absorption Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “absorbs beautifully — Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream”
    • “rich but non-greasy — Dr. Althea Barrier Cream”
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
  • Soothing and Gentle Formulas Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “doesn't dry out my face — Dr. Althea Amino Acid Gentle Bubble Cleanser”
    • “skin doesn't feel stripped — Dr. Althea Amino Gel Cleanser”
    • “great for sensitive skin — Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Skin Barrier and Tone Improvement Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “skin feels incredibly soft afterwards — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “works on dark skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “strengthened my skin barrier — Dr. Althea Barrier Cream”
  • Hydration and Moisture Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
    • “savior for dry patches — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “hydrating but light — Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream”
  • Makeup Compatibility and Primer Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Removes sunscreen well — Dr. Althea Pure Grinding Cleansing Balm”
    • “great for morning routine — Dr. Althea Amino Acid Gentle Bubble Cleanser”
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no pilling — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • High Price Point Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “a bit pricey — Dr. Althea Barrier Cream”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Scent and Irritation Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “smells like plants — Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream”
    • “clinical scent — Dr. Althea Barrier Cream”
    • “burned my face immediately — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “stings my face and feels like burning — Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Cream”
  • Pilling and Application Issues Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “hard to spread — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “rolled off my face — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “Dropper doesn't reach bottom — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Struggles with waterproof mascara — Dr. Althea Pure Grinding Cleansing Balm”

Dr. Althea vs Kiehl's routines for dry skin

Buy Dr. Althea routine · AED 430.35 · 90% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · AED 1,652.44 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Dr. Althea vs Kiehl's routines for oily skin

Buy Dr. Althea routine · AED 765.52 · 90% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · AED 1,609.62 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Dr. Althea vs Kiehl's routines for combination skin

Buy Dr. Althea routine · AED 619.88 · 88% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · AED 1,639.74 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Dr. Althea or Kiehl's: which is better?

Dr. Althea is generally better for acne-prone skin with its Superior routine fit, whereas Kiehl's is better for skin barrier and tone improvement. Both brands offer high routine fits for dry, combination, sensitive, mature, and oily acne-prone skin types.

What is the difference between Dr. Althea and Kiehl's?

Dr. Althea provides superior soothing and gentle formulas with fragrance-free products on this page, while Kiehl's offers better hydration and skin barrier and tone improvement. For routines, Dr. Althea has a Superior fit for dry, oily, and acne-prone skin, whereas Kiehl's best fits dry skin, mature skin, and skin with dark spots.

Dr. Althea or Kiehl's for dry skin?

For dry skin, Dr. Althea achieves a Superior routine fit, while Kiehl's achieves a High fit. Reviewers note that the products on this page help with deep hydration.

Dr. Althea or Kiehl's: which cleanser is better?

Dr. Althea provides superior cleansers for acne-prone, oily, combination, and dry skin, while Kiehl's cleansers excel specifically for oily and oily acne-prone skin. Reviewers note that the products on this page for Dr. Althea feature gentle and soothing cleansers.

Which is more affordable, Dr. Althea or Kiehl's?

Dr. Althea is more affordable, as Kiehl's is noted for a high price point across the products on this page.

Dr. Althea or Kiehl's: which brand has more fragrance issues?

Both brands perform equally regarding scent and irritation issues. Furthermore, every Dr. Althea product on this page lists no fragrance, while only two Kiehl's products contain it.

Dr. Althea or Kiehl's for oily skin?

For oily skin, Dr. Althea achieves a Superior routine fit, while Kiehl's achieves a High fit. Reviewers note that Dr. Althea tends to do better with soothing and gentle formulas, whereas Kiehl's tends to do better with hydration and moisture.

Dr. Althea or Kiehl's: which moisturizer is better?

Dr. Althea provides better moisturizers for acne-prone skin with a Lovi fit level of Superior for its 345 Relief Cream, whereas Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream is rated Caution for acne-prone skin.

Dr. Althea or Kiehl's for sensitive skin?

Both Dr. Althea and Kiehl's offer a High Lovi fit for sensitive skin. Reviewers note that Dr. Althea provides soothing and gentle formulas, while every product on this page for Dr. Althea lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

Dr. Althea or Kiehl's for acne-prone skin?

Dr. Althea is better suited for acne-prone skin, as the routine fit for the products on this page is Superior compared to Kiehl's Average. Reviewers note that Dr. Althea offers soothing and gentle formulas, though occasional breakouts may still happen.

Dr. Althea or Kiehl's for mature skin?

Both Dr. Althea and Kiehl's are great options for mature skin, as each brand achieves a High Lovi fit level for this skin type. Reviewers note that the products on this page help improve skin texture and provide deep hydration.

Dr. Althea or Kiehl's for skin with dark spots?

Both Dr. Althea and Kiehl's are a High fit for skin with dark spots. Reviewers note that Kiehl's is particularly helpful for brightening and fading dark spots.

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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