🇩🇪Germany

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 esteemed skincare brands that offer thoughtful moisturizers, advanced sunscreens, targeted serums, and soothing eye products. The American brand, founded in 1851, incorporates nourishing glycerin and squalane to suit skin with dark spots and combination skin best, featuring standouts like the Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner, Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash, and Ultra Facial Toner. Meanwhile, the Spanish brand, founded in 1975, relies on meticulously crafted formulas to suit dry skin and combination skin best, with notable choices including Fusion Water, Eryfotona Actinica, and K-Ox Eyes. While both brands excel in daily care, they differ through distinct heritages and specific ingredient approaches that address unique skin concerns.

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.

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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

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs ISDIN routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs ISDIN routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or ISDIN: which is better?

ISDIN offers superior fit levels across all skin types compared to Kiehl's on this page. Reviewers note that ISDIN provides ultralight and makeup-friendly sunscreens, while Kiehl's focuses more on deep hydration and dark spot fading.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and ISDIN?

ISDIN offers superior fit levels for nearly all skin types and is especially praised for its ultralight sunscreens, whereas Kiehl's is known for deep hydration and brightening dark spots.

Kiehl's or ISDIN for dry skin?

ISDIN is a Superior fit for dry skin, whereas Kiehl's is a High fit. ISDIN features highly rated options like Fusion Water, while Kiehl's offers deep hydration with products such as Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Kiehl's or ISDIN: which moisturizer is better?

ISDIN offers better moisturizer options, with Lovi fit levels reaching Superior for dry skin, whereas Kiehl's moisturizers on this page achieve High fit levels for dry skin.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or ISDIN?

Both Kiehl's and ISDIN share high price points among their drawbacks. Reviewers note that both brands offer high price points as a key disadvantage.

Which brand has more fragrance-free products, Kiehl's or ISDIN?

Kiehl's has significantly more fragrance-free products than ISDIN on this page. Lovi shows that 26 of Kiehl's 28 products list no fragrance, whereas only 3 of ISDIN's 8 products are fragrance-free.

Which brand is better for brightening and fading dark spots?

Kiehl's does better for brightening and fading dark spots according to the review themes on this page.

Where were Kiehl's and ISDIN respectively founded?

Kiehl's was founded in the United States, whereas ISDIN was founded in Spain.

Kiehl's or ISDIN for oily skin?

For oily skin, ISDIN is rated as Superior by Lovi, while Kiehl's is rated as High. ISDIN stands out for its ultralight sunscreens and lightweight moisturizers, whereas Kiehl's offers strong cleansing options like the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash.

Kiehl's or ISDIN: which sunscreen is better?

ISDIN offers sunscreens with a Superior fit level for dry sensitive skin and mature skin, whereas Kiehl's sunscreens provide an Average to High fit depending on the skin type. Reviewers often mention that ISDIN sunscreens are ultralight and makeup-friendly.

Kiehl's or ISDIN for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and ISDIN are suitable options for sensitive skin, with ISDIN achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Kiehl's High fit level. ISDIN is particularly noted for its ultralight and skin-friendly sunscreens, while Kiehl's offers a wide range of fragrance-free products.

Kiehl's or ISDIN for acne-prone skin?

ISDIN is the better choice for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to an Average fit for Kiehl's. Reviewers also frequently note that ISDIN offers ultralight sunscreens that help prevent greasy residue.

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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