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CeraVe vs Kiehl's

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

CeraVe and Kiehl's are American skincare brands known for offering nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, and gentle cleansers. The first brand relies on key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, suiting dry skin and acne-prone skin best, while the second brand utilizes dependable ingredients such as glycerin and squalane to suit mature skin and sensitive skin best. Both brands differ in their formulations and standout solutions, yet both provide thoughtful products for particular concerns like dark spots, acne, and aging.

CeraVe is an American skincare brand founded in 2005 and owned by L'Oréal since 2017.

en.wikipedia.orghappi.comloreal-finance.comcerave.com

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular CeraVe vs Kiehl's products

People Say

CeraVeKiehl's
  • Fragrance-free and gentle formulas Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “doesn't leave face tight — CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser”
    • “no burning sensation — CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum”
    • “No scent, no irritation — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy texture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Absorbs into skin without residue — CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “Sinks right into your skin — CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “works on dark skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Saved my dry winter skin — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “woke up with plump skin — CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream”
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • Improving skin texture and acne marks Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “difference in my skin's texture is noticeable — CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser”
    • “lightened dark spots — CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “skin feels smoother — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Oil control and acne clearing Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “dialed back oiliness — CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser”
    • “Never breaks me out — CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “helped to stop my breakout in its tracks — CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser”
    • “keeps my oils at bay — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
  • Brightening and complexion enhancement Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “Skin looks radiant — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “skin is literally glowing — CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum”
  • Price point and value concerns Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive Vaseline — CeraVe Healing Ointment”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Texture and consistency issues Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “feels like washing with conditioner — CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser”
    • “face feels stripped — CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser”
    • “too radiant for oily skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “leaves a tacky film — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
  • Breakouts and acne Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Gave me cystic acne — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “gave me closed comedones — CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser”
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “developed tiny white bumps — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”

CeraVe vs Kiehl's routines for dry skin

Buy CeraVe routine · CA$163.70 · 90% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · CA$413.99 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

CeraVe vs Kiehl's routines for oily skin

Buy CeraVe routine · CA$276.56 · 83% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · CA$370.40 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

CeraVe vs Kiehl's routines for combination skin

Buy CeraVe routine · CA$228.68 · 86% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · CA$373.49 · 79% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

CeraVe or Kiehl's: which is better?

CeraVe fits best for dry, acne-prone, and dry sensitive skin, while Kiehl's fits best for mature skin, sensitive skin, and skin with dark spots. Reviewers note that CeraVe offers better fragrance-free formulas and oil control, whereas Kiehl's excels in brightening and complexion enhancement.

What is the difference between CeraVe and Kiehl's?

CeraVe fits best for dry, acne-prone, and dry sensitive skin, while Kiehl's fits best for mature skin, sensitive skin, and skin with dark spots. Both brands offer lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers and deep hydration, but CeraVe features entirely fragrance-free products on this page.

CeraVe or Kiehl's for dry skin?

CeraVe fits dry skin with a Superior routine level, whereas Kiehl's routine for dry skin is High. Every CeraVe product on this page is fragrance-free, and the brand is well-regarded for its gentle, non-stripping cleansers and deep hydration.

CeraVe or Kiehl's: which cleanser is better?

CeraVe offers better everyday cleansers due to fragrance-free formulas and strong performance on acne-prone and oily skin types, while Kiehl's cleansers feature products like the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash that also fit oily skin well.

Which is more affordable, CeraVe or Kiehl's?

CeraVe is generally more affordable than Kiehl's, as Kiehl's faces more frequent user concerns regarding its high price point.

CeraVe or Kiehl's: which brand is better for brightening and fading dark spots?

Kiehl's does better for brightening and complexion enhancement, while both brands are equal for improving skin texture and acne marks. CeraVe offers products on this page that help reduce skin pigmentation with ingredients like Niacinamide.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

CeraVe or Kiehl's: which has more fragrance-free options?

CeraVe offers more fragrance-free options because every single product on its page lists no fragrance in its ingredients. In contrast, Kiehl's has 26 out of 28 fragrance-free products on its page, with two formulas containing fragrance.

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

Both CeraVe and Kiehl's are a High fit for mature skin. Reviewers note that CeraVe offers fragrance-free and gentle formulas, while Kiehl's provides brightening and complexion enhancement.

CeraVe or Kiehl's for oily skin?

Both brands fit oily skin well with a High Lovi level. CeraVe tends to excel in oil control and acne clearing for the products on this page.

CeraVe or Kiehl's: which moisturizer is better?

CeraVe offers superior fit levels for dry skin routines on this page compared to Kiehl's. The products on this page help deliver deep hydration with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and ceramides.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

CeraVe or Kiehl's for sensitive skin?

Both CeraVe and Kiehl's fit sensitive skin at a High level. CeraVe formulas on this page list no fragrance, whereas Kiehl's includes a small number of fragranced products.

CeraVe or Kiehl's: which sunscreen is better?

CeraVe offers a superior dry skin routine fit compared to Kiehl's, while both brands provide equally high fit levels for oily, combination, sensitive, mature, and dark spot skin types on their respective pages. Reviewers note that CeraVe is known for fragrance-free and gentle formulas, whereas Kiehl's is often associated with a higher price point.

CeraVe or Kiehl's for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, CeraVe fits better than Kiehl's, achieving a High routine fit compared to Kiehl's Average. CeraVe offers products on this page that help control oil and clear acne effectively.

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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