Medicube vs Kiehl's
Medicube and Kiehl's are two esteemed skincare lines that offer nourishing moisturizers, serums, toners, and masks. The Korean brand Medicube harnesses niacinamide, collagen, and hyaluronic acid to best suit dry and oily acne-prone skin, while the American brand Kiehl's features glycerin and squalane to lovingly cater to dry and sensitive skin. These distinct collections differ as the former targets hydration, clarity, and aging with advanced actives, whereas the latter focuses on restoring barrier function, counteracting oxidative stress, and soothing irritation with classic botanical infusions.
Medicube is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by APR Corp..
medicubereviews.co.ukglossy.co
Kiehl's is an American skincare brand founded in 1851 and owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 2000.
This page compares some of the most popular Medicube and Kiehl's products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.
Popular Medicube vs Kiehl's products
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Ultra Facial Cream
A$74.00
-
Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado
A$189.99
-
Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution
A$153.74
-
Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque
A$109.00
-
Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum
A$82.99
- Midnight Recovery Concentrate
- Better Screen UV Serum
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Super Multi-Corrective Cream
A$174.32
People Say
Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
- “skin feels bouncier and hydrated — Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum”
- “glass skin — Medicube PDRN Pink Collagen Gel Mask”
- “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
- “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
Miscellaneous Positive Attributes Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
- “dries super fast — Medicube Zero Pore Blackhead Mud Mask”
- “active breakouts look less inflamed — Medicube Red Succinic Acid Peeling Pad”
- “skin feels incredibly soft afterwards — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
- “perfect for retinol newbies — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
Smooth Skin Texture Often MentionedSometimes Noted
- “gives my skin a smooth, glass-like finish — Medicube Zero Pore Pad”
- “skin feels smoother — Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum”
- “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
- “skin feels smoother — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
Gentle and Sensitive Formula Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
- “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”
- “Did not cause any irritation — Medicube Red Foam Cleanser”
Lightweight Texture Not notedOften Mentioned
- “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”
Glow and Radiance Often MentionedSometimes Noted
- “gave me instant glass skin — Medicube Collagen Jelly Cream”
- “woke up with glowing skin — Medicube Collagen Night Wrapping Mask”
- “healthy, dewy glow — Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum”
- “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
High Price and Value Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
- “tube is tiny for the price — Medicube Collagen Night Wrapping Mask”
- “price is steep — Medicube PDRN Pink Collagen Gel Mask”
- “price is a bit steep — Medicube Red Succinic Acid Peeling Pad”
- “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
Sticky or Greasy Residue Often MentionedSometimes Noted
- “oil slick in summer — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
- “too radiant for oily skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
- “leaves a tacky film — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
- “hair sticks to my face — Medicube Collagen Jelly Cream”
Packaging and Application Issues Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
- “messy — Medicube PDRN Pink Collagen Gel Mask”
- “lifted around the nose/eyes — Medicube PDRN Pink Collagen Gel Mask”
- “dipping fingers is unsanitary — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
- “hard to spread — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
Breakouts and Acne Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
- “caused redness and sensitivity — Medicube Zero Pore Pad”
- “woke up with whiteheads — Medicube Collagen Night Wrapping Mask”
- “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
- “cystic acne for some — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
Medicube vs Kiehl's routines for dry skin
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Cleanser
Zero Foam Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$27.50
-
Hydrating Toner
Triple Collagen Toner
Morning
A$27.29
-
Moisturizer
AGE-R Booster Gel
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$29.00
-
SPF
Bioderma Photoderm Mineral Fluide SPF50+
Morning
A$24.49
-
Pre-Cleanser
MISSHA Ultra Hyalon Cleansing Cream
Evening · Once a week
A$27.35
-
Serum or Treatment
One Day Exosome Shot 2000
Evening · Once a week
A$32.00
-
Enzyme Powder
FANCL Facial Washing Powder
Once a week
A$35.50
-
Nourishing Mask
Deep Peptide Radiance Mask
Once a week
A$26.00
-
Cleanser
Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$148.95
-
Hydrating Toner
Ultra Facial Toner
Morning
A$62.15
-
Moisturizer
Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$213.07
-
SPF
Bioderma Photoderm Mineral Fluide SPF50+
Morning
A$24.49
-
Pre-Cleanser
Midnight Recovery Botanical Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
A$90.00
-
Serum or Treatment
Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum
Evening · Once a week
A$82.99
-
Enzyme Powder
FANCL Facial Washing Powder
Once a week
A$35.50
-
Nourishing Mask
MEDIHEAL Vita Essential Mask
Once a week
A$28.48
Buy Medicube routine · A$229.13 · 91% fit
Buy Kiehl's routine · A$685.63 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit
Medicube vs Kiehl's routines for oily skin
-
Cleanser
Red Foam Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$24.50
-
Hydrating Toner
Triple Collagen Toner
Morning · Once a week
A$27.29
-
Moisturizer
AGE-R Booster Gel
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$29.00
-
SPF
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Clear Skin Dry Touch Sunscreen SPF 60
Morning
A$27.99
-
Pre-Cleanser
Shu Uemura Ultime8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
A$80.43
-
Cleansing Toner
Zero Pore Pad
Evening
A$29.90
-
Enzyme Powder
FANCL Facial Washing Powder
Once a week
A$35.50
-
Cleansing Mask
Zero Pore Blackhead Mud Mask
Once a week
A$27.22
-
Cleanser
Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$148.95
-
Hydrating Toner
Ultra Facial Toner
Morning · Once a week
A$62.15
-
Moisturizer
Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$64.64
-
SPF
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Clear Skin Dry Touch Sunscreen SPF 60
Morning
A$27.99
-
Pre-Cleanser
Midnight Recovery Botanical Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
A$90.00
-
Cleansing Toner
Caudalie Vinopure Purifying Toner
Evening
A$75.95
-
Serum or Treatment
Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution
Evening · Once a week
A$153.74
-
Enzyme Powder
FANCL Facial Washing Powder
Once a week
A$35.50
-
Cleansing Mask
Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque
Once a week
A$109.00
Buy Medicube routine · A$281.83 · 87% fit
Buy Kiehl's routine · A$767.92 · 85% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit
Medicube vs Kiehl's routines for combination skin
-
Cleanser
Red Foam Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$24.50
-
Hydrating Toner
Triple Collagen Toner
Morning · Once a week
A$27.29
-
Moisturizer
AGE-R Booster Gel
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$29.00
-
Pre-Cleanser
Pyunkang Yul Deep Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
A$30.99
-
Cleansing Toner
Zero Pore Pad
Evening
A$29.90
-
Enzyme Powder
FANCL Facial Washing Powder
Once a week
A$35.50
-
Cleansing Mask
Zero Pore Blackhead Mud Mask
Once a week
A$27.22
-
Cleanser
Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$148.95
-
Hydrating Toner
Ultra Facial Toner
Morning · Once a week
A$62.15
-
Moisturizer
Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$64.64
-
Pre-Cleanser
Midnight Recovery Botanical Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
A$90.00
-
Cleansing Toner
Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0
Evening
A$29.90
-
Serum or Treatment
Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution
Evening · Once a week
A$153.74
-
Enzyme Powder
FANCL Facial Washing Powder
Once a week
A$35.50
-
Cleansing Mask
Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque
Once a week
A$109.00
Buy Medicube routine · A$204.40 · 85% fit
Buy Kiehl's routine · A$693.88 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit
Questions and answers
Medicube or Kiehl's: which is better?
Medicube and Kiehl's are both great choices, with Medicube offering a superior routine fit for dry skin and Kiehl's performing better for sensitive and lightweight formulas. Niacinamide in Medicube helps control skin aging and pigmentation, while Kiehl's uses ingredients like Calendula officinalis flower extract to soothe the skin.
What is the difference between Medicube and Kiehl's?
Medicube is a South Korean brand founded in 2016, whereas Kiehl's is an older American brand founded in 1851. For a dry skin routine, Medicube achieves a Superior fit level while Kiehl's achieves a High fit level.
Medicube or Kiehl's for dry skin?
Medicube fits dry skin better than Kiehl's, as Lovi rates Medicube as Superior for dry skin compared to Kiehl's High. Reviewers frequently mention Medicube for deep hydration moisturizers.
Medicube or Kiehl's: which cleanser is better?
Both Medicube and Kiehl's offer effective cleansers, with Medicube's Zero Foam Cleanser and Kiehl's Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash both achieving High fit levels for acne-prone, oily acne-prone, combination, and mature skin. Kiehl's cleanser earns a Superior fit for oily skin and oily acne-prone skin, whereas Medicube's cleanser provides a Superior fit specifically for dry skin.
Which is more affordable, Medicube or Kiehl's?
Medicube is more affordable, as high price and value is a negative review theme for Medicube while Kiehl's faces high price point issues.
Between Medicube and Kiehl's, which brand offers better results for mature skin?
Medicube offers superior results for mature skin compared to Kiehl's, as Lovi rates Medicube's routine fit for mature skin as High while the products on this page provide deep hydration moisturizers.
How do the fragrance profiles of Medicube and Kiehl's products compare?
Both Medicube and Kiehl's focus heavily on fragrance-free formulations for the products on this page. Medicube includes fragrance in only 2 of its 25 products, while Kiehl's features fragrance in just 2 of its 28 products.
Which brand performs better for glow and radiance according to reviewers?
Medicube performs better for glow and radiance according to reviewers.
Medicube or Kiehl's for oily skin?
Both Medicube and Kiehl's are a High fit for oily skin. Lovi notes that Kiehl's may do better for gentle and lightweight formulas, while Medicube may help more with glow and radiance.
Medicube or Kiehl's: which moisturizer is better?
Both Medicube and Kiehl's offer effective moisturizers on this page, with Medicube achieving a Superior routine fit for dry skin while Kiehl's achieves a High fit. Medicube reviewers frequently mention deep hydration moisturizers and a radiant glow, whereas Kiehl's reviewers highlight lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers and gentle serums.
Medicube or Kiehl's for sensitive skin?
Both Medicube and Kiehl's are a High fit for sensitive skin on Lovi. Kiehl's does better for a gentle and sensitive formula, while Medicube helps deliver a radiant glow.
Medicube or Kiehl's for acne-prone skin?
Both brands offer a High routine fit for acne-prone skin, meaning Lovi rates them equally for this skin type. The products on this page for Medicube feature key ingredients like salicylic acid and niacinamide, which helps address blemishes.
Research behind their key ingredients
The effect of niacinamide on reducing cutaneous pigmentation and suppression of melanosome transfer
Topical menthol--a human model for cold pain by activation and sensitization of C nociceptors
Effects of Turmeric (Curcuma longa) on Skin Health: A Systematic Review of the Clinical Evidence
The Effect of Aloe Vera Clinical Trials on Prevention and Healing of Skin Wound: A Systematic Review
Topical palmitoyl pentapeptide provides improvement in photoaged human facial skin
Molecular basis of retinol anti-ageing properties in naturally aged human skin in vivo
Psychophysical study of the effects of topical application of menthol in healthy volunteers
Effects of ascorbic acid on gingival melanin pigmentation in vitro and in vivo
Apigenin inhibits UVA-induced cytotoxicity in vitro and prevents signs of skin aging in vivo
Panax ginseng induces human Type I collagen synthesis through activation of Smad signaling
Vitamin C-squalene bioconjugate promotes epidermal thickening and collagen production in human skin
Effect of Camellia japonica oil on human type I procollagen production and skin barrier function
Calendula extract: effects on mechanical parameters of human skin
Protective effects of Camellia japonica flower extract against urban air pollutants
Microneedling by dermapen and glycolic acid peel for the treatment of acne scars: Comparative study
A comparative study of gluconolactone versus benzoyl peroxide in the treatment of acne
Natural Arctium lappa fruit extract improves the clinical signs of aging skin
Preparation and evaluation of anti-wrinkle cream containing saffron extract and avocado oil
In vitro and in vivo anti-allergic effects of Arctium lappa L
The synergistic effect of retinyl propionate and hydroxypinacolone retinoate on skin aging
Supramolecular collagen nanoparticles for anti-wrinkle, skin whitening, and moisturizing effects
The evaluation of aluminum oxide crystal microdermabrasion for photodamage
Skin barrier changes induced by aluminum oxide and sodium chloride microdermabrasion
The anti wrinkle efficacy of synthetic hexapeptide (Argireline) in Chinese Subjects
Functional properties and skin care effects of sodium trehalose sulfate
Composition characterization and clinical efficacy study of a salmon egg extract
Nanocomplex of quaternized cyclodextrin grafted chitosan and hyaluronic acid for a skin delivery
Histometric assessment of the age-related skin response to 2-hydroxy-5-octanoyl benzoic acid
Clinical and histologic changes determine optimal treatment regimens for microdermabrasion
Anti-Aging Efficacy of Low-Molecular-Weight Polydeoxyribonucleotide Derived from Paeonia lactiflora
Treatment with Ascorbyl Glucoside-Arginine Complex Ameliorates Solar Lentigos
Clinical Assessment of a Novel Jasmonate Cosmeceutical, LR2412-Cx, for the Treatment of Skin Aging
Retrospective Review of Dermal Safety Studies of Organic Sunscreens
Targeting Circadian Rhythm for the Regulation of Skin Collagen Metabolism
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.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
-

Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
-

Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
-

Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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