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Kiehl's vs Galderma

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

Kiehl's and Galderma are skincare brands with distinct heritages, offering targeted formulations for varying complexions. The American brand is loved for its nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, soothing toners, and gentle eye products relying on glycerin and squalane, while the Swiss brand focuses specifically on serums. Kiehl's suits mature skin and sensitive skin best, whereas the latter fits oily skin and combination skin best. Ultimately, they differ in their foundational ingredients, product variety, and ideal skin types.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Galderma is a Swiss skincare brand founded in 1981 and owned by Galderma Group AG.

en.wikipedia.org

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Galderma products

People Say

Kiehl'sGalderma
  • Acne Clearance and Prevention Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “cleared up my skin — Galderma Benzac AC Mild Strength 2.5% Acne Gel”
    • “cystic acne gone — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
    • “stops new pimples — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
    • “savior for dry patches — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
  • Texture and Lightweight Feel Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “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”
  • Skin Barrier and Texture Improvement Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “skin feels smoother — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “skin looked & felt smoother — Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Cream”
    • “skin feels smooth — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
  • Sensitive Skin and Gentle Formulas Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “perfect for retinol newbies — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “didn't burn my face — Galderma Benzac AC Mild Strength 2.5% Acne Gel”
  • Severe Dryness and Peeling Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin flaking off — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
  • Burning, Stinging and Irritation Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “burned my face immediately — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “stings my face and feels like burning — Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Cream”
    • “left my face bright red — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “face on fire — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
  • High Price Point Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Initial Purging and Scars Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “got worse first — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
  • Fabric Bleaching Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “bleached my towel — Galderma Benzac AC 5”
  • Greasy or Heavy Residue Often MentionedNot noted
    • “skin felt tight after an hour — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”

Kiehl's vs Galderma routines for dry skin

Buy Galderma routine · CA$341.56 · 89% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · CA$413.99 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs Galderma routines for oily skin

Buy Galderma routine · CA$347.28 · 94% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · CA$370.40 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs Galderma routines for combination skin

Buy Galderma routine · CA$314.37 · 94% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · CA$373.49 · 79% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Galderma: which is better?

Galderma is better for acne-prone skin, offering superior acne-clearing serums, whereas Kiehl's is better for overall hydration and sensitive skin. Reviewers note that Galderma helps clear acne effectively, but it may cause severe dryness and peeling. Lovi rates Galderma as Superior for oily acne-prone skin.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Galderma?

Kiehl's focuses on deep hydration, lightweight feel, and gentle formulas that fit mature, sensitive skin and skin with dark spots well, while Galderma specializes in effective acne-clearing serums that fit oily, combination, and oily acne-prone skin best.

Kiehl's or Galderma for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Galderma fit dry skin at a High level on Lovi. Kiehl's focuses on deep hydration and moisture, while Galderma offers targeted acne-clearing serums that may cause severe dryness.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Galderma?

Galderma is more affordable, whereas Kiehl's is often noted for a high price point.

Which brand performs better for hydration and moisture, Kiehl's or Galderma?

Kiehl's performs better than Galderma for hydration and moisture. The products on this page help deliver deep hydration with lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers.

How do the founding countries and parent companies of Kiehl's and Galderma differ?

Kiehl's was founded in the United States in 1851 and has been owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 2000. In contrast, Galderma was founded in Switzerland in 1981 and is owned by Galderma Group AG.

Which products from Kiehl's contain fragrance, and do any Galderma products contain fragrance?

Age Defender Moisturizer and Facial Fuel Energizing Moisture Treatment for Men are the two Kiehl's products on this page that list fragrance. Every Galderma product on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

Kiehl's or Galderma for oily skin?

For oily skin, Galderma has a Superior routine fit, whereas Kiehl's has a High fit on the products on this page. Galderma excels with effective acne-clearing serums.

Kiehl's or Galderma for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Galderma achieve a High routine fit for sensitive skin. However, reviewers note that Galderma products frequently cause severe dryness, peeling, and irritation, while Kiehl's is recognized for its gentle formulas.

Kiehl's or Galderma for acne-prone skin?

Galderma is the better choice for acne-prone skin because the products on this page achieve a Superior routine fit for this skin type, compared to Kiehl's Average fit. Reviewers note that Galderma provides effective acne-clearing serums, although it may cause severe dryness and peeling.

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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