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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 American skincare brands known for their thoughtful ranges of cleansers, moisturizers, serums, toners, and more. The former relies on glycerin, niacinamide, and panthenol to best suit combination and acne-prone skin, while the latter features glycerin and squalane to serve dry and sensitive skin. Ultimately, the brands differ through their foundational formulations and targeted selections, such as Cetaphil's antioxidant serums and Kiehl's herbal toners.

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 · A$685.63 · 86% fitBuy Cetaphil routine · A$203.09 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Cetaphil vs Kiehl's routines for oily skin

Buy Cetaphil routine · A$431.02 · 87% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · A$767.92 · 85% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Cetaphil vs Kiehl's routines for combination skin

Buy Cetaphil routine · A$335.53 · 88% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · A$693.88 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Cetaphil or Kiehl's: which is better?

Both brands are great choices since their products on this page match skin routines equally well across all skin types. Cetaphil stands out for being gentler on sensitive skin and having a lower price point, whereas Kiehl's is better for skin smoothing, texture improvement, and brightening.

What is the difference between Cetaphil and Kiehl's?

Cetaphil is better for sensitive skin, whereas Kiehl's is better for skin smoothing and texture improvement as well as brightening and complexion enhancement.

Cetaphil or Kiehl's for dry skin?

Both brands offer a High routine fit for dry skin, with Cetaphil being gentler on sensitive skin while Kiehl's is noted for skin smoothing and texture improvement.

Cetaphil or Kiehl's: which cleanser is better?

Both brands offer cleansers with a High to Superior fit for specific skin types on this page, but Cetaphil is generally noted for being gentler on sensitive skin. Cetaphil features gentle, non-stripping cleansers, while Kiehl's provides options like the Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner and targeted washes that help improve skin texture.

Which is more affordable, Cetaphil or Kiehl's?

Cetaphil is more affordable, whereas Kiehl's features a high price point among its review themes.

Cetaphil or Kiehl's: which is better for brightening and fading dark spots?

Kiehl's does better than Cetaphil for brightening and fading dark spots. Niacinamide, which is found in the products on this page, helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Do Cetaphil or Kiehl's products contain fragrance?

Most of the products on this page from both Cetaphil and Kiehl's list no fragrance. Specifically, 26 out of 27 Cetaphil products and 26 out of 28 Kiehl's products are fragrance-free.

Cetaphil or Kiehl's: which brand is better for skin smoothing and texture improvement?

Kiehl's does better for skin smoothing and texture improvement on the products on this page, while Cetaphil is better for being gentle on sensitive skin. Topical retinol helps stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged human skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Cetaphil or Kiehl's for oily skin?

Both brands offer products on this page that achieve a High Lovi fit level for oily skin. Reviewers note that Cetaphil provides gentle, non-stripping cleansers, while Kiehl's features lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers.

Cetaphil or Kiehl's: which moisturizer is better?

Both brands offer moisturizers on this page that provide good hydration, but Cetaphil is generally better for sensitive skin while Kiehl's is often noted for skin smoothing and texture improvement.

Cetaphil or Kiehl's for sensitive skin?

Both Cetaphil and Kiehl's offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin, but Cetaphil is specifically noted to be more gentle on sensitive skin.

Cetaphil or Kiehl's: which sunscreen is better?

Both Cetaphil and Kiehl's offer sunscreens with strong overall fit levels on this page, but Cetaphil stands out for providing multiple mineral options like the Sheer Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 that achieve a Superior fit for dry and sensitive skin. Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum also performs well for brightening and protecting skin with dark spots, though Cetaphil tends to be less expensive.

Cetaphil or Kiehl's for acne-prone skin?

Both brands offer a High routine fit for acne-prone skin on the products on this page. Cetaphil is notable for being gentler on sensitive skin, while Kiehl's is recognized for improving skin texture.

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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