🇦🇺Australia

CeraVe vs Kiehl's

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

CeraVe and Kiehl's are two American skincare brands offering thoughtful moisturizers, cleansers, serums, and more, formulated with key ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid. The former is universally loved for suiting dry skin and acne-prone skin best with hydrating properties, while the latter is beloved for suiting dry skin and sensitive skin best thanks to nourishing formulations. Ultimately, they differ through their distinct standout solutions and precise active compounds, with both working to restore epidermal barrier function and increase moisture.

CeraVe is an American skincare brand founded in 2005 and owned by L'Oréal since 2017.

en.wikipedia.orghappi.comloreal-finance.comcerave.com

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

Popular CeraVe vs Kiehl's products

People Say

CeraVeKiehl's
  • Fragrance-free and gentle formulas Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “doesn't leave face tight — CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser”
    • “no burning sensation — CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum”
    • “No scent, no irritation — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy texture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Absorbs into skin without residue — CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “Sinks right into your skin — CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “works on dark skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Saved my dry winter skin — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “woke up with plump skin — CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream”
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • Improving skin texture and acne marks Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “difference in my skin's texture is noticeable — CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser”
    • “lightened dark spots — CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “skin feels smoother — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Oil control and acne clearing Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “dialed back oiliness — CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser”
    • “Never breaks me out — CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “helped to stop my breakout in its tracks — CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser”
    • “keeps my oils at bay — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
  • 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 is literally glowing — CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum”
  • Price point and value concerns Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive Vaseline — CeraVe Healing Ointment”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Texture and consistency issues Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “feels like washing with conditioner — CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser”
    • “face feels stripped — CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser”
    • “too radiant for oily skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “leaves a tacky film — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
  • Breakouts and acne Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Gave me cystic acne — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “gave me closed comedones — CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser”
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “developed tiny white bumps — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”

CeraVe vs Kiehl's routines for dry skin

Buy CeraVe routine · A$226.69 · 89% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · A$685.63 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

CeraVe vs Kiehl's routines for oily skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · A$767.92 · 85% fitBuy CeraVe routine · A$392.56 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

CeraVe vs Kiehl's routines for combination skin

Buy CeraVe routine · A$347.16 · 85% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · A$693.88 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

CeraVe or Kiehl's: which is better?

Both CeraVe and Kiehl's are good options, as their routines provide equal fit levels across all skin types. CeraVe offers completely fragrance-free products on this page and tends to be better for oil control and gentle formulas, while Kiehl's excels more in brightening and complexion enhancement.

What is the difference between CeraVe and Kiehl's?

CeraVe focuses on fragrance-free formulas with ceramides and hyaluronic acid, whereas Kiehl's features a wider variety of botanical extracts across its products. Both brands offer equally strong routines across major skin types, but CeraVe tends to excel in oil control and acne clearing while Kiehl's is often noted for brightening.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

CeraVe or Kiehl's for dry skin?

Both CeraVe and Kiehl's are a High fit for dry skin. CeraVe features fragrance-free formulas with ceramides that help repair the skin barrier, while Kiehl's offers deep hydration with ingredients like squalane.

CeraVe or Kiehl's: which cleanser is better?

CeraVe and Kiehl's both offer high-performing cleansers, with CeraVe standing out for fragrance-free, gentle formulas and oil control, while Kiehl's is often chosen for brightening benefits. Reviewers note that CeraVe cleansers are particularly effective for acne and oil, whereas Kiehl's cleansers deliver deep hydration and gentle care.

Which is more affordable, CeraVe or Kiehl's?

CeraVe is more affordable than Kiehl's. Kiehl's frequently receives user feedback regarding its high price point.

CeraVe or Kiehl's: which brand offers entirely fragrance-free products?

CeraVe offers entirely fragrance-free products, as every item on its page lists no fragrance in its ingredients. In contrast, Kiehl's includes fragrance in a couple of products on its page.

CeraVe or Kiehl's: which has better options for brightening and fading dark spots?

Kiehl's does better than CeraVe for brightening and complexion enhancement on the products on this page. Kiehl's is frequently noted for brightening and fading dark spots.

CeraVe or Kiehl's: which brand is better for oil control and clearing acne?

CeraVe does better for oil control and clearing acne among the products on this page. Reviewers frequently note that its cleansers help manage oil and blemishes effectively.

CeraVe or Kiehl's for oily skin?

Both CeraVe and Kiehl's fit oily skin at a High level on this page. Reviewers note that CeraVe is better for oil control and acne clearing, while Kiehl's is known for brightening and complexion enhancement.

CeraVe or Kiehl's: which moisturizer is better?

CeraVe and Kiehl's both offer high fit levels for moisturizers, with CeraVe standing out for fragrance-free formulas and Kiehl's featuring rich hydrating options. CeraVe moisturizers help support the skin barrier using ceramides and hyaluronic acid, which is unlikely to cause irritation.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

CeraVe or Kiehl's for sensitive skin?

Both CeraVe and Kiehl's offer high routine fit for sensitive skin, but CeraVe stands out for its entirely fragrance-free product lineup. Kiehl's is generally more expensive, whereas CeraVe provides gentle, non-stripping cleansers that shoppers often praise for being easy on the skin.

CeraVe or Kiehl's: which sunscreen is better?

Both CeraVe and Kiehl's offer sunscreens with High or Superior Lovi fit levels across most skin types on their respective pages. CeraVe formulas focus on fragrance-free ceramides and hyaluronic acid, while Kiehl's includes options like the Better Screen UV Serum.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

CeraVe or Kiehl's for acne-prone skin?

Both CeraVe and Kiehl's offer products on this page that have a high fit for acne-prone skin, with CeraVe standing out for its oil-control and acne-clearing formulas. Reviewers note that CeraVe is particularly effective for gentle, fragrance-free cleansing and managing breakouts.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

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?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play