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Kiehl's vs Dr. Barbara Sturm

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

Kiehl's and Dr. Barbara Sturm are established skincare brands offering distinct approaches to daily care. The American house, founded in 1851, is beloved for its moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products featuring glycerin and squalane, which suit dry and sensitive skin best by increasing hydration and restoring barrier function. Meanwhile, the German line, established in 2014, is deeply appreciated for its gentle moisturizers, clarifying exfoliants, and nourishing serums built on scientifically advanced formulas that support sensitive, dry, and balanced skin. While both excel in hydration and barrier support, they differ in their heritage and precise formulations, offering tailored standout products for acne-prone skin, dark spots, and mature skin.

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

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Dr. Barbara Sturm is a German skincare brand founded in 2014 and owned by Puig since 2024.

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Dr. Barbara Sturm products

People Say

Kiehl'sDr. Barbara Sturm
  • Gentle on Sensitive Skin Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “doesn't irritate my sensitive skin — Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum”
    • “reduced redness — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Deep and Intense Hydration Often 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”
    • “skin drank it up — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
  • 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”
    • “sinks in immediately — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
  • Skin Barrier and Texture Improvement Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “skin feels smoother — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “skin texture is immediately more even — Dr. Barbara Sturm Enzyme Cleanser”
  • Visible Plumping and Fine Lines Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “lines less visible — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
    • “skin feels softer — Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum”
    • “Skin looks noticeably more plump — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • Fades Dark Spots and Brightens Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “skin looks brighter — Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum”
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
  • High Price and Cost Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “overpriced for what it does — Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Cream”
    • “way too expensive — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
  • Ineffective or Slow Results Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Takes months to see — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “results were subtle — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “did nothing — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
  • Insufficient Hydration or Richness Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “skin felt tight after an hour — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “some extremely dry skin types need a thicker balm or oil on top — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “face feels a bit tight — Dr. Barbara Sturm Enzyme Cleanser”

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Dr. Barbara Sturm: which is better?

Dr. Barbara Sturm does better than Kiehl's for being gentle on sensitive skin, while Lovi rates both brands as equal for deep and intense hydration. Kiehl's wins on lightweight and non-greasy textures, though reviewers frequently mention a high price point for its products on this page.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Dr. Barbara Sturm?

Kiehl's offers a larger range of products on this page and tends to be better for lightweight, non-greasy textures, whereas Dr. Barbara Sturm is gentler on sensitive skin and does better with visible plumping and fading dark spots.

Kiehl's or Dr. Barbara Sturm: which moisturizer is better?

When comparing moisturizers, Kiehl's offers a wide variety with high ratings for dry, sensitive, and mature skin types like the Ultra Facial Cream and Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate. Dr. Barbara Sturm provides options such as the Hyaluronic Serum, but reviewers note that Dr. Barbara Sturm is generally gentler on sensitive skin.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Dr. Barbara Sturm?

Kiehl's is generally more affordable than Dr. Barbara Sturm, though high price point is noted as a drawback for the products on this page.

Which causes fewer breakouts, Kiehl's or Dr. Barbara Sturm?

Dr. Barbara Sturm is gentler on sensitive skin according to reviewer themes. Kiehl's reviewers sometimes note that the products on this page cause breakouts and skin irritation.

Which brand has more products that list no fragrance, Kiehl's or Dr. Barbara Sturm?

Kiehl's has more products that list no fragrance on this page, with 26 out of 28 products containing no fragrance, whereas every product on Dr. Barbara Sturm's page lists no fragrance.

Which brand offers a vitamin C serum that is rated High for all skin types, Kiehl's or Dr. Barbara Sturm?

Dr. Barbara Sturm offers The Good C Vitamin C Serum, which is rated High for all skin types on this page.

When was Kiehl's founded compared to Dr. Barbara Sturm?

Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States, whereas Dr. Barbara Sturm was founded much later in 2014 in Germany.

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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