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Kiehl's vs Dr. Barbara Sturm

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

Kiehl's and Dr. Barbara Sturm are established skincare brands offering distinct approaches to daily beauty regimens. The American brand is loved for its nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, soothing toners, and gentle eye products relying on dependable ingredients like glycerin and squalane, while the German brand is deeply loved for its gentle moisturizers, clarifying exfoliants, and nourishing serums built on scientifically advanced formulas. Products from the former suit mature skin and sensitive skin best because of their gentle formulations and barrier-supporting properties, whereas offerings from the latter suit sensitive, dry, and balanced skin best because they focus on deep hydration and barrier support. Ultimately, the two differ primarily in their founding heritage and the scientific complexity of their formulations.

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

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Dr. Barbara Sturm is a German skincare brand founded in 2014 and owned by Puig since 2024.

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Dr. Barbara Sturm products

People Say

Kiehl'sDr. Barbara Sturm
  • Gentle on Sensitive Skin Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “doesn't irritate my sensitive skin — Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum”
    • “reduced redness — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Deep and Intense Hydration Often 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”
    • “skin drank it up — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
  • Lightweight and Non-Greasy Texture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “sinks in immediately — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
  • Skin Barrier and Texture Improvement Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “skin feels smoother — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “skin texture is immediately more even — Dr. Barbara Sturm Enzyme Cleanser”
  • Visible Plumping and Fine Lines Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “lines less visible — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
    • “skin feels softer — Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum”
    • “Skin looks noticeably more plump — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • Fades Dark Spots and Brightens Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “skin looks brighter — Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum”
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
  • High Price and Cost Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “overpriced for what it does — Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Cream”
    • “way too expensive — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
  • Ineffective or Slow Results Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Takes months to see — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “results were subtle — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “did nothing — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
  • Insufficient Hydration or Richness Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “skin felt tight after an hour — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “some extremely dry skin types need a thicker balm or oil on top — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “face feels a bit tight — Dr. Barbara Sturm Enzyme Cleanser”

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Dr. Barbara Sturm: which is better?

Dr. Barbara Sturm fits sensitive skin better, while Kiehl's provides a lighter and less greasy texture among the products on this page. Lovi rates Dr. Barbara Sturm as superior for exfoliating dark spots with its Enzyme Cleanser.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Dr. Barbara Sturm?

Kiehl's offers a larger product selection and generally provides lightweight, non-greasy textures, whereas Dr. Barbara Sturm better targets sensitive skin and helps with visible plumping and fading dark spots.

Kiehl's or Dr. Barbara Sturm: which moisturizer is better?

When it comes to moisturizers, Kiehl's offers a wide variety ranging from lightweight options to rich creams, with fit levels for dry skin varying from Average to High across the products on this page. Dr. Barbara Sturm also provides hydrating options like the Hyaluronic Serum, which has a High fit level for oily skin and an Average fit level for dry skin. Both brands deliver deep and intense hydration effectively, while Kiehl's is particularly noted for its lightweight and non-greasy textures.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Dr. Barbara Sturm?

Kiehl's is frequently noted by reviewers for a high price point, while Dr. Barbara Sturm is also known as a luxury brand with premium pricing.

Which causes fewer breakouts, Kiehl's or Dr. Barbara Sturm?

Dr. Barbara Sturm is generally gentler on sensitive skin compared to Kiehl's, where reviewers frequently mention breakouts and skin irritation.

Between Kiehl's and Dr. Barbara Sturm, which brand is better for sensitive skin?

Dr. Barbara Sturm does better for sensitive skin compared to Kiehl's. Review themes note that Dr. Barbara Sturm is gentler on sensitive skin.

How do the founding years and countries of origin compare between Kiehl's and Dr. Barbara Sturm?

Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States, whereas Dr. Barbara Sturm was established in 2014 in Germany.

Which brand performs better when it comes to fading dark spots and brightening the skin?

Dr. Barbara Sturm performs better when it comes to fading dark spots and brightening the skin. Lovi finds that Kiehl's fits skin with dark spots best as mature skin, sensitive skin, and skin with dark spots, whereas Dr. Barbara Sturm achieves superior results in that area.

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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