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The Ordinary vs Kiehl's

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

The Ordinary and Kiehl's are distinct skincare brands offering serums, moisturizers, cleansers, toners, and more built around nourishing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane. The Canadian brand suits dry and dry sensitive skin best, while the American brand excels with mature skin and skin with dark spots, owing to carefully balanced formulations. Both incorporate glycerin to significantly increase hydration and barrier function, and squalane to support epidermal health. They differ in their founding eras, corporate ownership, and specific target skin types.

The Ordinary is a Canadian skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 2021.

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Kiehl's products

People Say

The OrdinaryKiehl's
  • Texture and Pores Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “skin feels baby butt smooth — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “skin feels incredibly soft afterwards — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
  • Hydration and Moisture Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Value and Pricing Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “lasts forever — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “can't beat the price — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “extremely affordable — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
  • Lightweight and Non-Greasy Sometimes 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”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
  • Brightening and Dark Spots Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Dark spots have faded noticeably — The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA”
    • “helped lighten post-acne scars — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “pimples disappear within a day — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “scars and hormonal acne faded — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “faded dark spots — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “keeps my oils at bay — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
  • Sticky or Heavy Finish Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin felt tight after an hour — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “oil slick in summer — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “too radiant for oily skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • High Price Point Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Expensive for Ordinary — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Skin Irritation and Stinging Sometimes NotedRarely 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”
    • “left my face bright red — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “irritated AF the next day — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
  • Pilling and Makeup Compatibility Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “rolled off my face — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “pills under my makeup — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”

The Ordinary vs Kiehl's routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · $109.78 · 97% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · $382.00 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

The Ordinary vs Kiehl's routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · $207.87 · 93% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · $343.42 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 98% fit

The Ordinary vs Kiehl's routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · $219.97 · 93% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · $339.90 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Kiehl's: which is better?

The Ordinary provides a better fit for acne-prone skin, while both brands offer a Superior or High routine fit for most other skin types. Reviewers note that The Ordinary excels in value and pricing, whereas Kiehl's is frequently praised for its lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Kiehl's?

The Ordinary provides better value and acne-control options, whereas Kiehl's specializes in lightweight hydration and moisture. Lovi gives The Ordinary a Superior routine fit for dry skin, compared to a High fit for Kiehl's.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's for dry skin?

For dry skin, The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit while Kiehl's has a High routine fit on the products on this page. The Ordinary is noted for its affordability and value, whereas Kiehl's is recognized for providing deep hydration.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's: which cleanser is better?

The Ordinary offers better value and blemish control across the cleanser products on this page, while Kiehl's is noted for deep hydration. Lovi fit levels for the cleansers vary, but both brands provide options that are well-suited for various skin types.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Kiehl's?

The Ordinary offers better value, as reviewers on the page frequently note its affordable and great value serums, whereas Kiehl's is frequently cited for its high price point.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's: which brand is better for reducing dark spots?

When it comes to fading dark spots, The Ordinary and Kiehl's perform equally well based on the products on this page. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Which brand has a cleaner fragrance profile across its products, The Ordinary or Kiehl's?

The Ordinary has a cleaner fragrance profile across its products, because every product on the page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas Kiehl's includes fragrance in two of its products.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's: which brand is better suited for mature skin?

For mature skin, both The Ordinary and Kiehl's are great options, but Lovi rates The Ordinary as having a Superior routine fit compared to Kiehl's High fit. The products on this page help improve skin quality and signs of aging with ingredients like hyaluronic acid and retinol.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Kiehl's for oily skin?

For oily skin, The Ordinary provides a superior routine fit compared to Kiehl's. The products on this page help deliver strong acne and blemish control while offering better value and pricing.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's: which moisturizer is better?

The Ordinary offers a superior routine fit for dry skin compared to Kiehl's, making its moisturizers a great choice for hydration. Hyaluronic acid helps maintain skin moisture, and topical use of hyaluronic acid benefits skin quality and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Kiehl's for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for sensitive skin, offering a Superior routine compared to Kiehl's High fit level. The products on this page list no fragrance, and the brand is often praised for gentle and non-irritating serums.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's for acne-prone skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for acne-prone skin, offering a Superior routine fit compared to Kiehl's Average level. The products on this page help manage breakouts with targeted ingredients like salicylic acid and niacinamide.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

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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