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Kiehl's vs Galderma

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

Kiehl's and Galderma are established skincare brands from America and Switzerland, respectively. Kiehl's is known for moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products featuring glycerin and squalane, while the Swiss brand focuses on serums. The American brand suits dry skin and sensitive skin best, whereas the other brand fits oily acne-prone skin and oily skin best. They differ primarily in their product ranges, key ingredients, and targeted skin types.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Galderma is a Swiss skincare brand founded in 1981 and owned by Galderma Group AG.

en.wikipedia.org

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Galderma products

People Say

Kiehl'sGalderma
  • Acne Clearance and Prevention Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “cleared up my skin — Galderma Benzac AC Mild Strength 2.5% Acne Gel”
    • “cystic acne gone — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
    • “stops new pimples — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “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”
  • Texture and Lightweight Feel Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “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”
  • Skin Barrier and Texture Improvement 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 looked & felt smoother — Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Cream”
    • “skin feels smooth — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
  • Sensitive Skin and Gentle Formulas Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “perfect for retinol newbies — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “didn't burn my face — Galderma Benzac AC Mild Strength 2.5% Acne Gel”
  • Severe Dryness and Peeling Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin flaking off — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
  • Burning, Stinging and Irritation Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “face on fire — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
  • High Price Point Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Initial Purging and Scars Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “got worse first — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
  • Fabric Bleaching Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “bleached my towel — Galderma Benzac AC 5”
  • Greasy or Heavy Residue Often MentionedNot noted
    • “skin felt tight after an hour — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”

Kiehl's vs Galderma routines for dry skin

Buy Galderma routine · A$217.98 · 89% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · A$685.63 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs Galderma routines for oily skin

Buy Galderma routine · A$435.35 · 95% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · A$767.92 · 85% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs Galderma routines for combination skin

Buy Galderma routine · A$378.83 · 92% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · A$693.88 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Galderma: which is better?

Galderma is better for acne-prone, oily, and oily acne-prone skin, while Kiehl's is better for dry, sensitive, and mature skin. Lovi rates both brands as High for dry skin and dry sensitive skin, but Galderma is rated as Superior for the remaining skin types on this page.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Galderma?

Galderma is better for acne clearance and prevention, whereas Kiehl's excels in hydration, gentle formulas, and texture improvement. Reviewers often mention Galderma for effective acne-clearing serums and Kiehl's for lightweight moisturizers.

Kiehl's or Galderma for dry skin?

Kiehl's and Galderma both have a High Lovi fit level for dry skin. Kiehl's routine features deep hydration and lightweight moisturizers, while Galderma may cause severe dryness and peeling.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Galderma?

Reviews note that a high price point is a common drawback for Kiehl's, while Galderma faces negative feedback for a high price point.

Between Kiehl's and Galderma, which brand does better for acne clearance and prevention?

Galderma does better for acne clearance and prevention, offering effective acne-clearing serums that focus on oily and acne-prone skin. Lovi rates Galderma as Superior for acne-prone skin.

Do Kiehl's or Galderma products contain fragrance?

Kiehl's offers fragrance-free options for the vast majority of the products on this page, while only two feature fragrance, whereas every product on this page by Galderma lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

Which brand is better suited for hydration and moisture, Kiehl's or Galderma?

Kiehl's does better than Galderma for hydration and moisture based on the review themes on this page.

Kiehl's or Galderma for oily skin?

For oily skin, Galderma offers a Superior routine fit compared to the High fit provided by the products on this page from Kiehl's.

Kiehl's or Galderma for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, Kiehl's is the better choice because Lovi rates its overall routine fit as High, whereas Galderma's products often trigger severe dryness, peeling, and irritation. Reviewers frequently note that Kiehl's provides gentle formulas and deep hydration, with most products on this page containing no fragrance.

Kiehl's or Galderma for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, Galderma offers superior routine fit compared to Kiehl's, focusing heavily on effective acne-clearing serums.

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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