🇩🇪Germany

Kiehl's vs Medik8

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

Kiehl's and Medik8 are established skincare brands that offer serums, moisturizers, toners, eye products, and more. Kiehl's incorporates nourishing glycerin and squalane, suiting skin with dark spots and combination skin best, while Medik8 is built around hyaluronic acid and fits dry skin and sensitive skin best. Glycerin significantly increases hydration and restores epidermal barrier function, and squalane counteracts oxidative stress and stimulates fibroblast migration, whereas hyaluronic acid lengthens toxin wrinkle effect duration. The American brand features standout items such as the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash, whereas the British brand offers specialized options like the Total Moisture Daily Facial Cream.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Medik8 is a British skincare brand founded in 2009 and owned by L'Oréal Groupe since 2025.

loreal.commedik8.comtracxn.com

This page compares some of the most popular Kiehl's and Medik8 products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Kiehl's vs Medik8 products

People Say

Kiehl'sMedik8
  • Gentle on Sensitive Skin Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “zero irritation or peeling — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “only Vitamin C my sensitive skin can tolerate — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
    • “Best retinol replacement — Medik8 Bakuchiol Peptides”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Deep Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedOften 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”
    • “Restores moisture — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
  • Improves Skin Barrier and Texture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “smoother skin — Medik8 Surface Radiance Cleanse”
    • “My skin was smoother, my skin texture felt more resurfaced. — Medik8 Sleep Glycolic”
    • “skin feels baby soft — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
  • Lightweight and Non-Greasy Texture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “Absorbs quickly — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “absorbed effortlessly — Medik8 Total Moisture Daily Facial Cream”
  • Fades Dark Spots and Brightens Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “I wake up glowing. It adds back that youthful bloom that I've lost. — Medik8 Sleep Glycolic”
    • “unlocked a serious glow — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
    • “pigmentation lightened slightly — Medik8 Oxy-R Peptides”
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
  • No White Cast and Glowing Finish Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “works on dark skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “doubles as moisturizer — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “Leaves skin looking glass-like and radiant — Medik8 Press & Glow”
    • “brightens skin — Medik8 Surface Radiance Cleanse”
  • High Price Point and Poor Value Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Expensive per bottle — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “very expensive for amount — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “hefty price tag — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Ineffective or Slow Results Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Takes months to see — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Not as effective as retinol — Medik8 Bakuchiol Peptides”
    • “no difference — Medik8 Oxy-R Peptides”
  • Greasy or Oily Residue Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “too oily for my combination skin — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
    • “Oily texture unpleasant — Medik8 Bakuchiol Peptides”
    • “too oily — Medik8 Super C Ferulic”
    • “oil slick in summer — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”

Kiehl's vs Medik8 routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs Medik8 routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs Medik8 routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Medik8: which is better?

Medik8 is better for sensitive, dry, and mature skin with benefits like gentle serums and texture improvement, while Kiehl's stands out for lightweight textures and deep hydration. Overall, Medik8 achieves a superior routine fit for dry, combination, sensitive, dry sensitive, and mature skin types on this page.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Medik8?

Medik8 stands out for sensitive skin and fading dark spots, whereas Kiehl's is known for lightweight moisture and deep hydration.

Kiehl's or Medik8 for dry skin?

Medik8 is better suited for dry skin, as the routine fit on this page is Superior compared to Kiehl's High. Reviewers note that products on this page help provide deep hydration and plumping.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Kiehl's or Medik8: which cleanser is better?

Medik8 offers a Superior fit for acne-prone skin and skin with dark spots through its Surface Radiance Cleanse, whereas Kiehl's provides a Superior fit for oily skin and oily acne-prone skin with its Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash and Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Medik8?

Medik8 and Kiehl's are both noted by reviewers on this page as having a high price point. Review themes on this page indicate that Medik8 does worse for high price point and poor value compared to Kiehl's.

Between Kiehl's and Medik8, which brand is better for sensitive skin?

Medik8 stands out as better for sensitive skin because the brand fits sensitive skin best and does better on gentle formulas. Lovi rates Medik8 as Superior for sensitive skin, compared to High for Kiehl's.

How do Kiehl's and Medik8 compare regarding fragrance usage in their products?

Medik8 uses fragrance in 1 of its 12 products on this page, while Kiehl's includes fragrance in only 2 of its 28 products.

Which brand focuses more on key ingredients like hyaluronic acid versus glycerin and vitamin C?

Medik8 highlights hyaluronic acid as a key ingredient across the products on this page, whereas Kiehl's focuses more on glycerin and vitamin C. Topical hyaluronic acid helps provide deep hydration and skin-plumping benefits.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Kiehl's or Medik8 for oily skin?

Kiehl's and Medik8 offer an equal Lovi fit level of High for oily skin, making both strong options depending on your preference for lightweight textures or deep hydration.

Kiehl's or Medik8: which moisturizer is better?

Medik8 offers superior hydration and moisture benefits for dry skin compared to Kiehl's, making its range a better fit for this skin type. Topical hyaluronic acid, a key ingredient across Medik8's moisturizer products on this page, helps improve skin quality and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Drug Delivery, 2017

Kiehl's or Medik8 for sensitive skin?

Medik8 is a strong choice for sensitive skin, as Lovi rates its routine fit as Superior compared to Kiehl's High, and reviewers mostly mention its gentle and non-irritating serums.

Kiehl's or Medik8 for acne-prone skin?

Medik8 is the better choice for acne-prone skin, offering a High routine fit compared to Kiehl's Average fit. Medik8's products on this page are noted for being gentle on sensitive skin and helping to improve skin texture without causing common irritation.

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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