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The Ordinary vs Kiehl's

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

The Ordinary and Kiehl's are distinct skincare brands, with the former founded in Canada in 2016 and the latter established in America in 1851. The Ordinary offers serums, moisturizers, cleansers, toners, and more built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, suiting sensitive and combination skin best. Conversely, Kiehl's provides moisturizers, serums, toners, eye products, and more anchored by nourishing glycerin and squalane, which suit skin with dark spots and dry skin best. While both brands feature glycerin and squalane to support hydration, they differ in their foundational origins, targeted skin types, and specific formulations.

The Ordinary is a Canadian skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 2021.

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Kiehl's products

People Say

The OrdinaryKiehl's
  • Texture and Pores Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “skin feels baby butt smooth — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “skin feels incredibly soft afterwards — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
  • 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”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Value and Pricing Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “lasts forever — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “can't beat the price — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “extremely affordable — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
  • Lightweight and Non-Greasy Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “works on dark skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
  • Brightening and Dark Spots Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Dark spots have faded noticeably — The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA”
    • “helped lighten post-acne scars — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “pimples disappear within a day — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “scars and hormonal acne faded — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “faded dark spots — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “keeps my oils at bay — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
  • Sticky or Heavy Finish Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin felt tight after an hour — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “oil slick in summer — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “too radiant for oily skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • High Price Point Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Expensive for Ordinary — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Skin Irritation and Stinging Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “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”
    • “left my face bright red — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “irritated AF the next day — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
  • Pilling and Makeup Compatibility Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “rolled off my face — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “pills under my makeup — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”

The Ordinary vs Kiehl's routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · AED 542.90 · 89% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · AED 1,652.44 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs Kiehl's routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · AED 833.82 · 91% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · AED 1,609.62 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs Kiehl's routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · AED 712.46 · 92% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · AED 1,639.74 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Kiehl's: which is better?

The Ordinary helps you more on value and acne-prone skin, with Lovi fit levels of Superior for oily and sensitive skin compared to Kiehl's High. Kiehl's is better for hydration and moisture, though it carries a higher price point across the products on this page.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Kiehl's?

The Ordinary provides better value and acne-busting performance, whereas Kiehl's specializes in lightweight hydration. The products on this page help address skin concerns with varying levels of fit, with The Ordinary achieving a Superior routine fit for sensitive and combination skin.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's for dry skin?

For dry skin, both The Ordinary and Kiehl's fit at a High level. The Ordinary offers products on this page that are affordable and great value, while Kiehl's is frequently noted for deep hydration. Emollients help support the skin barrier for dry skin.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's: which cleanser is better?

When it comes to cleansers, The Ordinary is better for value and pricing, while Kiehl's is better for lightweight and non-greasy finishes and hydration. Review themes show that The Ordinary offers better overall value, whereas Kiehl's cleansers often provide a lighter feel.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Kiehl's?

The Ordinary offers better value and pricing for the products on this page compared to Kiehl's. Reviewers often mention a high price point as a complaint for Kiehl's, whereas The Ordinary is noted for affordable and great value serums.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's for dark spots?

For dark spots, both The Ordinary and Kiehl's are great choices as the products on this page achieve equal effectiveness in this category. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppresses melanosome transfer, making it a key ingredient to look for in treatments.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Which brand has a better routine for combination skin?

For combination skin, The Ordinary has a Superior Lovi fit level, whereas Kiehl's has a High fit level.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's for oily skin?

The Ordinary is a Superior fit for oily skin, whereas Kiehl's is a High fit. Reviewers note that The Ordinary does better for acne and blemish control as well as value and pricing.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's: which moisturizer is better?

When comparing moisturizers, The Ordinary provides superior fit levels for dry skin across the products on this page, while Kiehl's offers lightweight options that help deliver deep hydration. The Ordinary is unlikely to cause heavy residue compared to Kiehl's moisturizers.

Drug Delivery, 2017

The Ordinary or Kiehl's for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, The Ordinary fits better with a Superior level compared to Kiehl's High level.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, Lovi rates The Ordinary as High and Kiehl's as Average. Reviewers note that The Ordinary offers better acne and blemish control across the products on this page.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's for mature skin?

For mature skin, The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit, whereas Kiehl's has a High fit. The products on this page for The Ordinary offer great value and effective texture-smoothing serums, while Kiehl's is known for deep hydration.

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

How does it fit your skin?

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