Kiehl's vs Skintific
Kiehl's and Skintific are popular skincare brands that offer a variety of effective products. The American brand is beloved for thoughtful moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products that incorporate nourishing glycerin and squalane, while the other is loved for its moisturizers, serums, and sunscreens featuring effective formulas. Kiehl's suits skin with dark spots and combination skin best, owing to targeted formulations that address these specific needs, whereas Skintific suits all skin types best. They differ primarily in their core ingredient philosophies and tailored suitability for specific skin concerns.
Kiehl's is an American skincare brand founded in 1851 and owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 2000.
This page compares some of the most popular Kiehl's and Skintific products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.
Popular Kiehl's vs Skintific products
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Ultra Facial Cream
€23.97
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Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado
€32.95
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Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution
€48.95
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Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque
€28.85
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Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum
€55.45
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Midnight Recovery Concentrate
€54.78
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Better Screen UV Serum
€36.23
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Super Multi-Corrective Cream
€53.30
People Say
Lightweight Texture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
- “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
- “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
- “absorbs instantly — Skintific 5X Ceramide Barrier Moisture Gel”
- “super light and leaves a radiant glow — Skintific All Day Light Sunscreen Mist”
Skin Barrier and Texture Improvement Often MentionedOften Mentioned
- “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
- “skin feels smoother — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
- “Kulit terasa lebih halus — Skintific AHA BHA PHA LHA Peeling Solution”
- “healed my skin barrier — Skintific 5X Ceramide Barrier Moisture 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”
Oil Control Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
- “controls shine for 8 hours — Skintific MATE FIT”
- “oil control is good — Skintific 5X Ceramide Barrier Moisture Gel”
- “keeps my oils at bay — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
Convenient and Travel-Friendly Packaging Not notedOften Mentioned
- “mess-free application — Skintific MUGWORT”
- “great for traveling — Skintific All Day Light Sunscreen Mist”
- “Desain botol cakep — Skintific AHA BHA PHA LHA Peeling Solution”
Skin Softness and Pore Cleansing Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
- “skin feels fresh — Skintific MUGWORT”
- “Pori tampak lebih bersih — Skintific AHA BHA PHA LHA Peeling Solution”
- “skin feels incredibly soft afterwards — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
High Price and Value Complaints Mostly MentionedNot noted
- “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
Unpleasant Scent Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
- “smells clinical — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
- “faint lab smell — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
- “smells like hot dog water — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
- “scent is actually quite strong — Skintific All Day Light Sunscreen Mist”
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”
- “didn't remove blackheads — Skintific MUGWORT”
- “Gada perubahan apapun — Skintific AHA BHA PHA LHA Peeling Solution”
Questions and answers
Kiehl's or Skintific: which is better?
Kiehl's does better for hydration and moisture across the products on this page, while Skintific wins on oil control, packaging, and pore cleansing. Both brands perform equally well for lightweight texture and skin barrier improvement.
What is the difference between Kiehl's and Skintific?
Kiehl's performs better for hydration and moisture, whereas Skintific does better for oil control, skin softness, pore cleansing, and convenient packaging.
Kiehl's or Skintific: which moisturizer is better?
When comparing moisturizers, Kiehl's offers deep hydration that Lovi rates as High or Superior for dry skin, whereas Skintific provides barrier-focused options like its 5X Ceramide Barrier Moisture Gel. Reviewers note that Kiehl's features lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers, while Skintific excels in oil control and pore cleansing.
Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Skintific?
Skintific is more affordable, whereas reviewers often mention high price points as a complaint for Kiehl's.
Which causes fewer breakouts, Kiehl's or Skintific?
Reviewers note that Kiehl's products frequently cause breakouts and skin irritation. Skintific does not have reported complaints of breakouts on this page.
Which brand has been established longer, Kiehl's or Skintific?
Kiehl's has been established longer, having been founded in 1851 in the United States, whereas Skintific was founded in 2021.
Do both brands offer fragrance-free products across their lines?
Kiehl's and Skintific both offer products with no fragrance, as nearly all products on the Kiehl's page and every product on the Skintific page list no fragrance in their ingredients.
Which brand has products specifically formulated for skin with dark spots?
Kiehl's features several products on this page tailored for skin with dark spots, such as the Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution and Better Screen UV Serum. Skintific also includes the All Day Light Sunscreen Mist, which has a High fit for skin with dark spots.
Kiehl's or Skintific: which sunscreen is better?
For sunscreen, Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum has a High Lovi fit level for skin with dark spots, combination skin, sensitive skin, acne-prone skin, and mature skin, whereas Skintific All Day Light Sunscreen Mist also achieves High across all those skin types. Review themes show that Skintific does better for convenient and travel-friendly packaging.
Research behind their key ingredients
The effect of niacinamide on reducing cutaneous pigmentation and suppression of melanosome transfer
Topical menthol--a human model for cold pain by activation and sensitization of C nociceptors
Effects of Turmeric (Curcuma longa) on Skin Health: A Systematic Review of the Clinical Evidence
The Effect of Aloe Vera Clinical Trials on Prevention and Healing of Skin Wound: A Systematic Review
Molecular basis of retinol anti-ageing properties in naturally aged human skin in vivo
Psychophysical study of the effects of topical application of menthol in healthy volunteers
Effects of ascorbic acid on gingival melanin pigmentation in vitro and in vivo
Apigenin inhibits UVA-induced cytotoxicity in vitro and prevents signs of skin aging in vivo
Panax ginseng induces human Type I collagen synthesis through activation of Smad signaling
Vitamin C-squalene bioconjugate promotes epidermal thickening and collagen production in human skin
Calendula extract: effects on mechanical parameters of human skin
Microneedling by dermapen and glycolic acid peel for the treatment of acne scars: Comparative study
A comparative study of gluconolactone versus benzoyl peroxide in the treatment of acne
Natural Arctium lappa fruit extract improves the clinical signs of aging skin
Preparation and evaluation of anti-wrinkle cream containing saffron extract and avocado oil
In vitro and in vivo anti-allergic effects of Arctium lappa L
In vivo and in vitro evaluation of octyl methoxycinnamate liposomes
The evaluation of aluminum oxide crystal microdermabrasion for photodamage
Skin barrier changes induced by aluminum oxide and sodium chloride microdermabrasion
Nanocomplex of quaternized cyclodextrin grafted chitosan and hyaluronic acid for a skin delivery
Histometric assessment of the age-related skin response to 2-hydroxy-5-octanoyl benzoic acid
Clinical and histologic changes determine optimal treatment regimens for microdermabrasion
Treatment with Ascorbyl Glucoside-Arginine Complex Ameliorates Solar Lentigos
Clinical Assessment of a Novel Jasmonate Cosmeceutical, LR2412-Cx, for the Treatment of Skin Aging
Retrospective Review of Dermal Safety Studies of Organic Sunscreens
Targeting Circadian Rhythm for the Regulation of Skin Collagen Metabolism
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.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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