🇺🇸United States

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 that offer distinct approaches to daily care. Kiehl's provides dependable moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products featuring glycerin and squalane, which suit mature skin and skin with dark spots best. Conversely, Galderma offers targeted serums that fit oily skin and acne-prone skin best. Ultimately, both differ through the American brand's focus on botanical-infused hydration and the Swiss brand's clinical strength acne solutions.

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 · $153.64 · 90% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · $382.00 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs Galderma routines for oily skin

Buy Galderma routine · $326.92 · 96% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · $343.42 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Kiehl's vs Galderma routines for combination skin

Buy Galderma routine · $318.51 · 94% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · $339.90 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Galderma: which is better?

Galderma is better for acne clearance and oily skin, whereas Kiehl's is better for hydration, texture, and sensitive skin. Lovi shows that Kiehl's fits mature skin, dark spots, and combination skin best, while Galderma focuses on oily and acne-prone skin.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Galderma?

Kiehl's focuses on hydration, gentle formulas, and anti-aging with a wide range of products, whereas Galderma specializes in targeted acne treatments for oily and acne-prone skin. Lovi rates Kiehl's as High for mature skin and skin with dark spots, and Galderma as Superior for acne-prone skin.

Kiehl's or Galderma for dry skin?

For dry skin, Lovi finds that Kiehl's has High routine fit while Galderma has Superior fit. Kiehl's offers lightweight moisturizers with deep hydration, whereas Galderma may cause severe dryness and peeling.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Galderma?

Galderma is more affordable, as a high price point is a frequently mentioned drawback for Kiehl's while it is noted for Galderma.

Which brand has a higher price point according to reviewer feedback?

According to reviewer feedback, Kiehl's has a higher price point. Reviewers often mention that Kiehl's products come with a high price point.

How do the founding years and countries of origin compare between Kiehl's and Galderma?

Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States, whereas Galderma was founded in 1981 in Switzerland.

Which brand performs better for acne clearance and prevention based on review themes?

Galderma performs better for acne clearance and prevention.

Kiehl's or Galderma for oily skin?

Galderma is a better fit for oily skin, with Lovi rating its routine as Superior compared to Kiehl's High. Galderma features effective acne-clearing serums that target this skin type.

Kiehl's or Galderma for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, Lovi finds that both Kiehl's and Galderma achieve a High fit level. The products on this page for Kiehl's generally suit sensitive skin well, while Galderma offers targeted acne-clearing serums that may help with breakouts.

Kiehl's or Galderma for acne-prone skin?

Galderma is the better choice for acne-prone skin, as the products on this page achieve a Superior routine fit compared to Kiehl's Average fit. Reviewers note that Galderma provides effective acne-clearing serums.

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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