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Kiehl's vs Dermalogica

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

Kiehl's and Dermalogica are American skincare brands known for nourishing formulations and targeted treatments that feature key ingredients like glycerin, squalane, hyaluronic acid, and salicylic acid. Kiehl's is beloved for its moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products that suit dry skin and sensitive skin best, while Dermalogica is favored for its targeted serums, nourishing moisturizers, gentle cleansers, and purifying masks tailored to oily acne-prone skin and oily skin. The brands differ primarily in their core approaches and ingredient profiles, with the former focusing on deep hydration and barrier restoration and the latter emphasizing oil management and breakout reduction.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Dermalogica is an American skincare brand founded in 1986 and owned by Unilever since 2015.

en.wikipedia.orgcosmeticsbusiness.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Dermalogica products

People Say

Kiehl'sDermalogica
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
    • “Saved my dry skin — Dermalogica Super Rich Repair”
    • “super hydrating — Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy texture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “blends seamlessly — Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50”
  • Improves skin barrier and texture Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “skin feels smoother — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “skin feels smooth as silk — Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant”
    • “Leaves a glistening glow — Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream”
  • Gentle formula for sensitive skin Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “doesn't strip skin — Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel”
    • “helps calm and nourish my skin — Dermalogica Stabilizing Repair Cream”
  • Brightens skin and fades dark spots Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Skin looks radiant — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “immediately brighter looking — Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant”
    • “skin looks amazing — Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque”
  • Oil control and pore reduction Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “keeps my oils at bay — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “keeps my T-zone matte — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “Brings out all the gunk — Dermalogica Blackhead Clearing Fizz Mask”
    • “doesn't clog pores — Dermalogica Active Moist”
  • High price point Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “hefty price tag — Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant”
    • “Expensive for cleanser — Dermalogica Precleanse”
  • Burning, stinging, and irritation Sometimes NotedSometimes 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”
    • “Stings eyes — Dermalogica Precleanse”
    • “burns immediately — Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque”
  • Unpleasant or strong scent Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells clinical — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “faint lab smell — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “smells like hot dog water — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “smells like puke — Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant”

Kiehl's vs Dermalogica routines for dry skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · A$685.63 · 86% fitBuy Dermalogica routine · A$1,045.67 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs Dermalogica routines for oily skin

Buy Dermalogica routine · A$1,135.66 · 89% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · A$767.92 · 85% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs Dermalogica routines for combination skin

Buy Dermalogica routine · A$1,096.95 · 87% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · A$693.88 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Dermalogica: which is better?

Both brands offer an equal fit level for all listed skin types except for oily acne-prone skin, where Dermalogica has a Superior routine fit. Reviewers note that Kiehl's provides a more lightweight and non-greasy texture, while Dermalogica is less prone to strong or unpleasant scents.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Dermalogica?

Kiehl's focuses its routines best on dry, sensitive, and mature skin, whereas Dermalogica targets oily, oily acne-prone, and acne-prone skin. Lovi finds that Kiehl's provides a lightweight, non-greasy texture, while Dermalogica offers superior routine fit for oily acne-prone skin.

Kiehl's or Dermalogica for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Dermalogica offer high routine fit levels for dry skin, helping to deliver deep hydration. The products on this page for both brands feature key ingredients like glycerin and vitamin E.

Kiehl's or Dermalogica: which cleanser is better?

Both Kiehl's and Dermalogica offer cleansers with a Superior Lovi fit level for specific skin types, such as the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash from Kiehl's for oily and oily acne-prone skin, and the Special Cleansing Gel from Dermalogica for dry, combination, sensitive, and mature skin. Reviewers note that both brands provide gentle and non-stripping cleansers, though Kiehl's products on this page also feature key ingredients like glycerin and vitamin E.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Dermalogica?

Both Kiehl's and Dermalogica are similar in pricing, as high price points are often mentioned by reviewers for the products on this page.

Which brand performs better for oily acne-prone skin according to routine fit levels?

Dermalogica performs better for oily acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine fit as Superior, whereas Kiehl's routine fit is High.

What are the parent companies of Kiehl's and Dermalogica, and when were the brands founded?

Kiehl's was founded in the United States in 1851 and is owned by L'Oréal S.A., while Dermalogica was founded in the United States in 1986 and is owned by Unilever.

How do the key active ingredients compare across Kiehl's and Dermalogica products?

Kiehl's features key ingredients like glycerin, vitamin C, squalane, shea butter, and vitamin E, while Dermalogica focuses on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, salicylic acid, oat, vitamin E, and lactic acid. Both brands help nourish the skin, but Dermalogica additionally incorporates exfoliating and soothing components like salicylic acid and oat across the products on this page.

Kiehl's or Dermalogica for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and Dermalogica achieve a High routine fit for oily skin, though Dermalogica also offers a Superior routine fit for oily acne-prone skin.

Kiehl's or Dermalogica: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and Dermalogica offer high-performing moisturizers, with Kiehl's favored for lightweight, non-greasy textures and Dermalogica praised for intense hydration and soothing formulas. Lovi shows that routine fit levels for moisturizers vary by skin type, with both brands achieving High or Superior fit across various concerns.

Kiehl's or Dermalogica for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Dermalogica have a High routine fit for sensitive skin. Reviewers note that both brands offer gentle formulas and soothing moisturizers, though Kiehl's products on this page may occasionally involve unpleasant scent issues.

Kiehl's or Dermalogica: which sunscreen is better?

Both Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum and Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50 help protect the skin, as the products on this page show high fit levels for sunscreens across multiple skin types. Dermalogica features no fragrance across its range, whereas Kiehl's lists fragrance in a few products.

Kiehl's or Dermalogica for acne-prone skin?

Both Kiehl's and Dermalogica are a High fit for acne-prone skin based on the products on this page. Dermalogica also achieves a Superior fit for oily acne-prone skin.

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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