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Medicube vs Kiehl's

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

Medicube and Kiehl's are two prominent skincare brands offering moisturizers, serums, toners, and more. The Korean brand, founded in 2016, harnesses niacinamide, collagen, and hyaluronic acid to best suit dry and oily acne-prone skin. Meanwhile, the American brand, founded in 1851, incorporates glycerin and squalane to best suit mature skin and skin with dark spots. Ultimately, the brands differ through their distinct formulations and geographic origins.

Medicube is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by APR Corp..

medicubereviews.co.ukglossy.co

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

Popular Medicube vs Kiehl's products

People Say

MedicubeKiehl's
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin feels bouncier and hydrated — Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum”
    • “glass skin — Medicube PDRN Pink Collagen Gel Mask”
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • Miscellaneous Positive Attributes Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “dries super fast — Medicube Zero Pore Blackhead Mud Mask”
    • “active breakouts look less inflamed — Medicube Red Succinic Acid Peeling Pad”
    • “skin feels incredibly soft afterwards — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “perfect for retinol newbies — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Smooth Skin Texture Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “gives my skin a smooth, glass-like finish — Medicube Zero Pore Pad”
    • “skin feels smoother — Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “skin feels smoother — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Gentle and Sensitive Formula Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “doesn't irritate sensitive eyes — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “Did not cause any irritation — Medicube Red Foam Cleanser”
  • Lightweight Texture Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “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”
  • Glow and Radiance Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “gave me instant glass skin — Medicube Collagen Jelly Cream”
    • “woke up with glowing skin — Medicube Collagen Night Wrapping Mask”
    • “healthy, dewy glow — Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
  • High Price and Value Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “tube is tiny for the price — Medicube Collagen Night Wrapping Mask”
    • “price is steep — Medicube PDRN Pink Collagen Gel Mask”
    • “price is a bit steep — Medicube Red Succinic Acid Peeling Pad”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Sticky or Greasy Residue Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “oil slick in summer — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “too radiant for oily skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “leaves a tacky film — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “hair sticks to my face — Medicube Collagen Jelly Cream”
  • Packaging and Application Issues Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “messy — Medicube PDRN Pink Collagen Gel Mask”
    • “lifted around the nose/eyes — Medicube PDRN Pink Collagen Gel Mask”
    • “dipping fingers is unsanitary — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “hard to spread — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
  • Breakouts and Acne Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused redness and sensitivity — Medicube Zero Pore Pad”
    • “woke up with whiteheads — Medicube Collagen Night Wrapping Mask”
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “cystic acne for some — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”

Medicube vs Kiehl's routines for dry skin

Buy Medicube routine · $154.28 · 91% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · $382.00 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Medicube vs Kiehl's routines for oily skin

Buy Medicube routine · $234.94 · 88% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · $343.42 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Medicube vs Kiehl's routines for combination skin

Buy Medicube routine · $234.94 · 88% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · $339.90 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

Medicube or Kiehl's: which is better?

Both Medicube and Kiehl's are strong skincare lines, with Medicube offering a Superior fit for dry skin and Kiehl's providing a High fit for dry skin. Kiehl's does better with gentle and sensitive formulas, while Medicube is noted for glow and radiance.

What is the difference between Medicube and Kiehl's?

Medicube offers superior fit levels for dry skin routines, whereas Kiehl's is better for gentle and sensitive formulas and lightweight textures. Medicube also excels in glow and radiance, while Kiehl's is known for lighter, non-greasy moisturizers and gentle serums.

Medicube or Kiehl's for dry skin?

Medicube fits dry skin slightly better with a Superior routine rating compared to Kiehl's High level. Both brands offer products containing hyaluronic acid and emollients, which help deliver deep hydration.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Medicube or Kiehl's: which cleanser is better?

Both Medicube and Kiehl's offer highly rated cleansers on the products on this page, but Kiehl's is noted for being more gentle and sensitive, while both brands score high for acne-prone and oily skin types.

Which is more affordable, Medicube or Kiehl's?

Medicube is more affordable than Kiehl's, as high price and value is a frequently noted negative review theme for Medicube while Kiehl's also faces complaints about its high price point.

Medicube or Kiehl's for dark spots?

Both Medicube and Kiehl's offer products on this page that are rated High for skin with dark spots. Medicube helps improve skin tone with ingredients like niacinamide, while Kiehl's utilizes components such as vitamin C to address pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Medicube or Kiehl's for oily skin?

Medicube and Kiehl's are a match for oily skin, as Lovi rates both brands as having a High routine fit.

Medicube or Kiehl's: which moisturizer is better?

Medicube offers superior fit levels for dry skin moisturizers on this page, while Kiehl's features lightweight formulas that help provide deep hydration. Medicube helps improve skin glow and radiance, whereas Kiehl's is noted for its gentle and sensitive formulas.

Medicube or Kiehl's for sensitive skin?

Both brands offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin, but Kiehl's does better overall for gentle and sensitive formulas. Reviewers note that Kiehl's provides gentle serums, while Medicube products on this page are mostly free of fragrance.

Medicube or Kiehl's for acne-prone skin?

Medicube fits acne-prone skin better than Kiehl's, offering a High routine fit compared to Kiehl's Average level.

Medicube or Kiehl's for mature skin?

Both Medicube and Kiehl's offer a high routine fit for mature skin among the products on this page. Reviewers note that Medicube helps provide a radiant glow, while Kiehl's delivers lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers and gentle serums.

Medicube or Kiehl's for combination skin?

Medicube and Kiehl's perform equally well for combination skin, with both brands offering a High routine fit for this skin type. Reviewers note that Kiehl's provides a more lightweight texture, while Medicube is recognized for delivering greater glow and radiance.

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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