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Cetaphil vs Kiehl's

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

Cetaphil and Kiehl's are two American skincare brands offering distinct approaches to daily care. The first is widely loved for its thoughtful lineup of cleansers, moisturizers, serums, sunscreens, and more, featuring nourishing ingredients like glycerin, niacinamide, and panthenol. Conversely, the second is loved for its nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, soothing toners, gentle eye products, and more, which rely on dependable ingredients like glycerin and squalane. While products from the former suit combination skin and oily acne-prone skin best, items from the latter suit mature skin and sensitive skin best because of their gentle formulations and barrier-supporting properties.

Cetaphil is an American skincare brand founded in 1947 and owned by Galderma Group AG.

en.wikipedia.orgcetaphil.co.uk

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 Cetaphil and Kiehl's products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Cetaphil vs Kiehl's products

People Say

CetaphilKiehl's
  • Hydration and moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “cleared up flaky skin — Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream”
    • “healed my dry patches — Cetaphil Moisturising Cream”
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • Gentle on sensitive skin Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “The only thing my reactive skin tolerates. — Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser”
    • “No breakouts since switching to this. — Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser”
    • “cleans without stripping — Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy feel Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly — Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “Absorbs quickly into skin without residue — Cetaphil Daily Hydrating Lotion”
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “works on dark skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
  • Skin smoothing and texture improvement Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “skin feels incredibly soft afterwards — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “skin feels smoother — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “Skin felt softer after one use — Cetaphil Gentle Exfoliating SA Cleanser”
  • Versatile and effective daily use Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “great for face and body — Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream”
    • “recommended by my derm — Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser”
    • “removes excess oil — Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser”
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
  • 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 looks more radiant — Cetaphil Vitamin C Serum”
  • Sensory and finish complaints Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Overpowering masking fragrance — Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar”
    • “smells like masking fragrance — Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser”
    • “skin felt tight after an hour — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “oil slick in summer — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • High price point Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive for drugstore — Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Lather, texture, and packaging issues Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “hate dipping fingers in — Cetaphil Moisturising Cream”
    • “Miss the bubbles, feels like washing with lotion. — Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser”
    • “dipping fingers is unsanitary — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “hard to spread — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”

Cetaphil vs Kiehl's routines for dry skin

Buy Cetaphil routine · CA$148.04 · 80% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · CA$413.99 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Cetaphil vs Kiehl's routines for oily skin

Buy Cetaphil routine · CA$282.83 · 84% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · CA$370.40 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Cetaphil vs Kiehl's routines for combination skin

Buy Cetaphil routine · CA$240.92 · 85% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · CA$373.49 · 79% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Cetaphil or Kiehl's: which is better?

Both Cetaphil and Kiehl's offer high routine fit levels across most skin types on this page, but Cetaphil is better for acne-prone skin and generally has a lower price point. Kiehl's may be preferred for skin smoothing and brightening benefits.

What is the difference between Cetaphil and Kiehl's?

Cetaphil and Kiehl's both offer high routine fit levels across most skin types, but Cetaphil is rated better for being gentle on sensitive skin, while Kiehl's is noted for skin smoothing and brightening. Cetaphil features products with ingredients like niacinamide and panthenol, whereas Kiehl's incorporates ingredients such as vitamin C and squalane across its range.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Cetaphil or Kiehl's for dry skin?

Both Cetaphil and Kiehl's are a High fit for dry skin, offering effective hydration and moisture across their product lines. Cetaphil features gentle cleansers and moisturizers that help support the skin barrier, while Kiehl's provides options like the Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate which is rated as Superior for dry skin.

Cetaphil or Kiehl's: which cleanser is better?

Cetaphil is better for sensitive skin because the products on this page are gentler, whereas Kiehl's may cause breakouts and skin irritation.

Which is more affordable, Cetaphil or Kiehl's?

Cetaphil is more affordable than Kiehl's, as high price point is a commonly noted issue for Kiehl's while Cetaphil does better on that review theme.

Cetaphil or Kiehl's: which brand is better for reducing dark spots and brightening the complexion?

Kiehl's does better than Cetaphil for brightening and complexion enhancement. Key ingredients like niacinamide and vitamin C in the products on this page help reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Cetaphil or Kiehl's: which brand is gentler on sensitive skin according to reviewers?

According to reviewers, Cetaphil does better than Kiehl's at being gentle on sensitive skin. Lovi shows that the products on this page for sensitive skin offer reliable daily care across both brands.

Cetaphil or Kiehl's: which brand is better suited for acne-prone skin routines?

Cetaphil is better suited for acne-prone skin routines, achieving a High routine fit compared to an Average fit for Kiehl's. Reviewers find that Cetaphil offers versatile and effective daily use and is gentler on sensitive skin.

Cetaphil or Kiehl's for oily skin?

Both brands offer a High routine fit for oily skin, but Cetaphil is generally better for sensitive skin while Kiehl's excels in skin smoothing and texture improvement. Reviewers frequently note that Kiehl's products have a high price point, whereas Cetaphil is praised for its gentle, non-stripping cleansers.

Cetaphil or Kiehl's: which moisturizer is better?

Both brands offer moisturizers for different needs, with Cetaphil providing budget-friendly options and Kiehl's focusing on targeted treatments like anti-aging and brightening. Reviewers note that Cetaphil excels at gentle, daily hydration, while Kiehl's is often chosen for improving skin texture and addressing dark spots.

Cetaphil or Kiehl's for sensitive skin?

Both brands offer High routine fit for sensitive skin, but Cetaphil does better in reviewer feedback for being gentle on sensitive skin. Lovi rates Cetaphil's Sheer Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 as Superior for sensitive skin.

Cetaphil or Kiehl's: which sunscreen is better?

Both brands offer solid sunscreen options on this page, but Cetaphil is particularly notable for its high fit levels across sensitive and dry skin types with products like Sheer Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50. Kiehl's also provides reliable daily sun protection, such as Better Screen UV Serum, though reviewers sometimes mention high price points for the brand.

Cetaphil or Kiehl's for acne-prone skin?

Cetaphil is better than Kiehl's for acne-prone skin because the routine fit for acne-prone skin is High for Cetaphil and Average for Kiehl's. Reviewers mention that Cetaphil provides gentle, non-stripping cleansers, while Kiehl's can sometimes cause breakouts and skin irritation.

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

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