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Kiehl's vs NIVEA

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

Kiehl's and NIVEA are established skincare brands offering distinct approaches to daily hydration and targeted care. Kiehl's is known for moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products anchored by glycerin and squalane, which suit dry skin and dark spots best. Conversely, NIVEA is recognized for sunscreens, targeted serums, and nourishing moisturizers formulated with glycerin, catering ideally to oily and sensitive skin. While both brands rely on hydrating glycerin to support the skin, they differ in their heritage, secondary ingredients, and primary skin-type suitability.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

NIVEA is a German skincare brand founded in 1911 and owned by maxingvest GmbH & Co. KGaA since 2004.

beiersdorf.comen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular Kiehl's vs NIVEA products

People Say

Kiehl'sNIVEA
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
    • “Smoothed out dry flaky scales on my cheeks overnight — NIVEA Creme”
    • “skin feels moisturized — NIVEA Protect & Moisture Sun Lotion SPF50+”
  • Skin Barrier and Texture Improvement Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Makes my face feel smooth and soft. — NIVEA Soft”
    • “skin feels squeaky clean and soft — NIVEA DERMA SKIN CLEAR”
    • “skin feels smooth — NIVEA Derma Skin Clear Anti-Blemish Scrub”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
  • Texture and Absorption Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “Absorbs quickly — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “It's lightweight on the skin and leaves a bit of subtle sheen. — NIVEA Soft”
  • Relaxing and Classic Scents Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like holiday — NIVEA Protect & Moisture Sun Lotion SPF50+”
    • “Smell brings me back to childhood — NIVEA Creme”
    • “smells really nice — NIVEA Derma Skin Clear Anti-Blemish Scrub”
    • “calming lavender smell — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
  • Gentleness and Sensitivity Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “doesn't irritate sensitive eyes — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “doesn't dry out skin — NIVEA Derma Skin Clear Anti-Blemish Scrub”
  • Value for Money Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “Works better than expensive luxury creams — NIVEA Creme”
    • “Best affordable vegan moisturizer. — NIVEA Soft”
    • “absolute steal for the price — NIVEA DERMA SKIN CLEAR”
  • High Price Point Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Greasiness and Heavy Residue Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “oil slick in summer — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “too radiant for oily skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “didn't absorb well — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “Leaves a shiny grease layer that doesn't go away — NIVEA Creme”
  • Breakouts and Acne Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “cystic acne for some — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Clogged my pores and caused bad acne — NIVEA Creme”
    • “I noticed some acne breakouts on my chin after using this crème for a while. — NIVEA Soft”

Kiehl's vs NIVEA routines for dry skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · AED 1,652.44 · 84% fitBuy NIVEA routine · AED 322.59 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs NIVEA routines for oily skin

Buy NIVEA routine · AED 817.21 · 88% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · AED 1,609.62 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs NIVEA routines for combination skin

Buy NIVEA routine · AED 798.85 · 87% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · AED 1,639.74 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or NIVEA: which is better?

Both Kiehl's and NIVEA offer high routine fit across most skin types, while Kiehl's may provide better gentleness and NIVEA may offer better value for money. For acne-prone skin specifically, NIVEA reaches a High routine fit level compared to Kiehl's Average level.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and NIVEA?

Kiehl's offers a higher proportion of fragrance-free products on this page and is rated High for gentleness and sensitivity, whereas NIVEA provides better value for money and a stronger routine fit for acne-prone skin.

Kiehl's or NIVEA for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and NIVEA offer a High routine fit for dry skin among the products on this page. Kiehl's features key ingredients like glycerin and squalane, while NIVEA includes glycerin to help provide deep hydration.

Kiehl's or NIVEA: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and NIVEA offer great moisturizers, with Kiehl's providing lightweight, non-greasy options like the Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate and NIVEA featuring versatile, multi-use favorites like Creme. For dry skin, Lovi rates the routine fit for both brands as High.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or NIVEA?

NIVEA is more affordable, offering better value for money among the products on this page compared to Kiehl's, which has a frequently noted high price point.

Which brand has more fragrance-free products, Kiehl's or NIVEA?

Kiehl's features more fragrance-free products on this page, with 26 out of 28 options listing no fragrance, compared to NIVEA which has only 3 out of 9 fragrance-free products.

Kiehl's or NIVEA: which brand is better for skin texture improvement?

NIVEA does better for skin texture and barrier improvement among the products on this page. Lovi rates NIVEA with a High routine fit for acne-prone skin, while Kiehl's is Average.

Kiehl's or NIVEA for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and NIVEA offer a High routine fit for oily skin. Lovi rates Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream as High for oily skin.

Kiehl's or NIVEA: which sunscreen is better?

Both Kiehl's and NIVEA offer sunscreens on this page with High fit levels for various skin types. For example, Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum has a High fit for skin with dark spots, sensitive skin, and acne-prone skin, while NIVEA Protect & Moisture Sun Lotion SPF50+ has a High fit for combination, sensitive, and oily skin types.

Kiehl's or NIVEA for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and NIVEA offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin among the products on this page. Kiehl's is noted for gentleness and sensitivity, while NIVEA provides a wider selection with added fragrances.

Kiehl's or NIVEA for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, NIVEA offers a High routine fit on the products on this page, while Kiehl's provides an Average fit level. Reviewers mention that NIVEA helps with blemish-clearing serums.

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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