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Kiehl's vs NIVEA

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

Kiehl's and NIVEA are enduring skincare brands offering nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, and soothing toners formulated with key ingredients like glycerin and squalane. Kiehl's suits dry skin and sensitive skin best through rich formulations that increase hydration and restore epidermal barrier function, whereas the German brand suits sensitive skin and oily skin best by balancing gentle care with lightweight hydration. Choosing between them ultimately depends on whether one prefers the deeply restorative botanical infusions of the American house or the reliably lightweight protection of the European counterpart.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

NIVEA is a German skincare brand founded in 1911 and owned by maxingvest GmbH & Co. KGaA since 2004.

beiersdorf.comen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular Kiehl's vs NIVEA products

People Say

Kiehl'sNIVEA
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly 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”
    • “Smoothed out dry flaky scales on my cheeks overnight — NIVEA Creme”
    • “skin feels moisturized — NIVEA Protect & Moisture Sun Lotion SPF50+”
  • Skin Barrier and Texture Improvement Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Makes my face feel smooth and soft. — NIVEA Soft”
    • “skin feels squeaky clean and soft — NIVEA DERMA SKIN CLEAR”
    • “skin feels smooth — NIVEA Derma Skin Clear Anti-Blemish Scrub”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
  • Texture and Absorption Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “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”
    • “It's lightweight on the skin and leaves a bit of subtle sheen. — NIVEA Soft”
  • Relaxing and Classic Scents Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like holiday — NIVEA Protect & Moisture Sun Lotion SPF50+”
    • “Smell brings me back to childhood — NIVEA Creme”
    • “smells really nice — NIVEA Derma Skin Clear Anti-Blemish Scrub”
    • “calming lavender smell — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
  • Gentleness and Sensitivity Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “doesn't irritate sensitive eyes — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “doesn't dry out skin — NIVEA Derma Skin Clear Anti-Blemish Scrub”
  • Value for Money Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “Works better than expensive luxury creams — NIVEA Creme”
    • “Best affordable vegan moisturizer. — NIVEA Soft”
    • “absolute steal for the price — NIVEA DERMA SKIN CLEAR”
  • High Price Point Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Greasiness and Heavy Residue Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “oil slick in summer — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “too radiant for oily skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “didn't absorb well — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “Leaves a shiny grease layer that doesn't go away — NIVEA Creme”
  • Breakouts and Acne Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “cystic acne for some — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Clogged my pores and caused bad acne — NIVEA Creme”
    • “I noticed some acne breakouts on my chin after using this crème for a while. — NIVEA Soft”

Kiehl's vs NIVEA routines for dry skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · A$685.63 · 86% fitBuy NIVEA routine · A$176.64 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs NIVEA routines for oily skin

Buy NIVEA routine · A$394.61 · 87% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · A$767.92 · 85% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs NIVEA routines for combination skin

Buy NIVEA routine · A$366.08 · 86% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · A$693.88 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or NIVEA: which is better?

Both Kiehl's and NIVEA offer high routine fit across all skin types on this page, with Kiehl's providing better gentleness and texture absorption while NIVEA offers better value for money and skin barrier improvement. NIVEA products more frequently feature fragrance, whereas the vast majority of Kiehl's products on this page are fragrance-free.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and NIVEA?

Kiehl's focuses heavily on gentle, fragrance-free options suited for dry, sensitive, and mature skin, while NIVEA offers strong value for money and effective blemish-clearing serums. Both brands achieve high routine fit levels across all major skin types.

Kiehl's or NIVEA for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and NIVEA offer a High Lovi routine fit for dry skin, though they differ in formulations. Kiehl's features a range mostly free of added fragrance, whereas NIVEA provides versatile moisturizers like Creme with high ratings for dry skin.

Kiehl's or NIVEA: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and NIVEA offer moisturizers on this page that provide intense hydration. Kiehl's generally helps deliver lightweight, non-greasy textures, while NIVEA provides versatile, multi-use moisturizers at a better value.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or NIVEA?

NIVEA is more affordable, as value for money is noted as an advantage for the products on this page while Kiehl's is often mentioned to have a high price point.

Which brand has more fragrance-free products, Kiehl's or NIVEA?

Kiehl's features more fragrance-free products than NIVEA among the products on this page. Specifically, 26 of 28 products from Kiehl's list no fragrance, whereas only 3 of 9 products from NIVEA are fragrance-free.

Kiehl's or NIVEA: which is better for mature skin?

Both Kiehl's and NIVEA offer a High routine fit for mature skin. The products on this page show that Kiehl's features a wider variety of specialized anti-aging ingredients like retinol and vitamin C, while NIVEA provides versatile options like the LUMINOUS630 anti-dark spot serum.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Antioxidants, 2021

Which brand offers better skin barrier and texture improvement?

Between the two brands, NIVEA does better for skin barrier and texture improvement among the products on this page. Reviewers report that NIVEA offers blemish-clearing and smoother skin texture serums.

Kiehl's or NIVEA for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and NIVEA offer high routine fit for oily skin. Kiehl's features lightweight formulas like Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream, while NIVEA provides options such as UV Deep Protect & Care Gel.

Kiehl's or NIVEA: which sunscreen is better?

Both Kiehl's and NIVEA offer sunscreens with high Lovi fit levels for several skin types. Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum may help with dark spots and sensitive skin, while NIVEA Protect & Moisture Sun Lotion SPF50+ provides high routine fit for oily and acne-prone skin.

Kiehl's or NIVEA for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and NIVEA offer High routine fit for sensitive skin among the products on this page. Kiehl's tends to offer greater gentleness and sensitivity benefits, with 26 of 28 products listing no fragrance.

Kiehl's or NIVEA for acne-prone skin?

Both Kiehl's and NIVEA offer a High routine fit for acne-prone skin on the products on this page. Kiehl's is often noted for gentle serums, while NIVEA is primarily known for blemish-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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