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Kiehl's vs ISDIN

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

Kiehl's and ISDIN are established skincare houses that offer thoughtful daily support for a balanced complexion. 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 Spanish brand is known for elegant moisturizers, advanced sunscreens, restorative serums, and targeted eye products united by balanced 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 dry skin and sensitive skin best by providing gentle daily comfort and dependable protection. Ultimately, both differ primarily in their heritage and specific ingredient profiles, with the first utilizing glycerin and squalane to increase hydration and counteract oxidative stress.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

ISDIN is a Spanish skincare brand founded in 1975 and owned by Puig.

puig.combeautymatter.comuploads.puig.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs ISDIN products

People Say

Kiehl'sISDIN
  • Lightweight and Non-Greasy Texture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly — ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica”
    • “ultra-light fluid product, which makes it super easy to apply — ISDIN Fusion Water”
    • “Lightweight formula absorbs fast — ISDIN Hyaluronic Concentrate”
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
  • Gentle and Sensitive Skin Friendly Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Sensitive/reactive skin tolerates — ISDIN Hyaluronic Moisture”
    • “no excessive exfoliation — ISDIN Retinal Intense Serum”
    • “doesn't sting eyes — ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Deep and Intense Hydration Often MentionedSometimes 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”
    • “Improved moisture and texture — ISDIN Hyaluronic Moisture”
  • Makeup Compatibility Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “acts like a primer — ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica”
    • “My skin felt sooo hydrated and looks so plump and dewey. — ISDIN Fusion Water”
    • “Great under makeup — ISDIN Hyaluronic Concentrate”
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
  • Skin Barrier and Texture Improvement Often MentionedRarely 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 was much smoother — ISDIN Retinal Intense Serum”
  • Brightening and Dark Spot Fading Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Skin looks radiant — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “faded acne scars — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “My hyperpigmentation has lightened and skin looks more even, even shines more. — ISDIN Flavo-C Serum”
  • High Price and Value Issues Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “very expensive — ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica”
    • “My only wish is that ISDIN would make this product in a bigger size bottle. — ISDIN Fusion Water”
  • Unpleasant Scent and Fragrance Issues Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells clinical — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “faint lab smell — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “smell is overpowering — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “smell is overpowering — ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica”
  • Ineffective or Slow Results Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “don't see result — ISDIN K-Ox Eyes”
    • “no noticeable changes yet — ISDIN Retinal Intense Serum”
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
  • Burning, Stinging, and Irritation Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “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”
    • “this did make my eyes water water in the sun. — ISDIN Fusion Water”
    • “mild redness or irritation — ISDIN K-Ox Eyes”

Kiehl's vs ISDIN routines for dry skin

Buy ISDIN routine · CA$393.15 · 94% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · CA$413.99 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs ISDIN routines for oily skin

Buy ISDIN routine · CA$400.92 · 91% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · CA$370.40 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs ISDIN routines for combination skin

Buy ISDIN routine · CA$383.00 · 92% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · CA$373.49 · 79% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or ISDIN: which is better?

ISDIN offers superior routine fit across skin types and does better for lightweight texture, sensitive skin friendliness, and makeup compatibility. Meanwhile, Kiehl's leads in deep hydration, skin barrier improvement, and brightening dark spots.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and ISDIN?

Kiehl's focuses on deep hydration, skin barrier improvement, and brightening dark spots, while ISDIN excels with ultralight, makeup-friendly sunscreens and gentle textures. Lovi rates ISDIN as having a Superior routine fit across all skin types compared to Kiehl's.

Kiehl's or ISDIN for dry skin?

For dry skin, Lovi finds Kiehl's has High routine fit and ISDIN has Superior routine fit. ISDIN features lightweight moisturizers and ultralight sunscreens that help provide hydration, while Kiehl's products on this page offer deep hydration.

Kiehl's or ISDIN: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and ISDIN offer popular moisturizers, but ISDIN is rated superior for dry skin compared to Kiehl's. Kiehl's moisturizers provide deep hydration and skin barrier improvement, whereas ISDIN's products tend to be more lightweight and sensitive skin friendly.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or ISDIN?

Both Kiehl's and ISDIN face frequent reviews noting a high price point, meaning neither brand is clearly more affordable than the other.

Kiehl's or ISDIN: which has fewer products with fragrance?

Kiehl's has fewer products with fragrance, as only 2 of its 28 products on this page list fragrance compared to 5 of the 8 products from ISDIN.

Kiehl's or ISDIN for fading dark spots?

For fading dark spots, Kiehl's offers targeted serums like Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution, while ISDIN provides sunscreens like Eryfotona Actinica which holds a Superior Lovi fit level for skin with dark spots. Kiehl's is noted by reviewers for brightening and fading dark spots.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Kiehl's or ISDIN for oily skin?

For oily skin, both brands work well as Lovi fit is High for Kiehl's and Superior for ISDIN. Reviewers report that ISDIN is better for a lightweight, non-greasy texture.

Kiehl's or ISDIN: which sunscreen is better?

Both Kiehl's and ISDIN offer effective sunscreens on this page, but ISDIN provides a superior fit for most skin types including sensitive skin and skin with dark spots. ISDIN sunscreens are mostly mentioned for being ultralight and makeup-friendly, while Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum also rates as High for sensitive skin, mature skin, and skin with dark spots.

Kiehl's or ISDIN for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and ISDIN are well suited for sensitive skin, with Lovi rating Kiehl's fit level as High and ISDIN as Superior. Reviewers mention that ISDIN offers lighter textures, while Kiehl's focuses on deep hydration.

Kiehl's or ISDIN for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, ISDIN holds a Superior routine fit on Lovi, whereas Kiehl's routine fit is Average. Reviewers often mention ISDIN for ultralight sunscreens, while Kiehl's products on this page frequently list no fragrance.

Kiehl's or ISDIN for mature skin?

For mature skin, Lovi finds that Kiehl's has a High routine fit while ISDIN has a Superior routine fit. Both brands feature effective anti-aging products on this page, such as Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum and ISDIN's Retinal Intense Serum.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

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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