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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 known for their expertly formulated moisturizers, serums, toners, eye products, and more. Kiehl's incorporates nourishing glycerin and squalane to suit combination skin and mature skin best, while Medik8 is built around hyaluronic acid and fits dry skin and dry sensitive skin best. Both brands differ in their specific offerings, as the American brand features standout solutions like the Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner for acne-prone skin, the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash for skin with dark spots, and the Ultra Facial Toner for mature skin, whereas the British brand relies on the Surface Radiance Cleanse for acne-prone skin, the Oxy-R Peptides for skin with dark spots, and the Total Moisture Daily Facial Cream for mature skin. Through these formulas, their key ingredients work to significantly increase hydration, restore epidermal barrier function, counteract oxidative stress, stimulate fibroblast migration, and lengthen toxin wrinkle effect duration.

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 · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs Medik8 routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% 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 dry, dry sensitive, and sensitive skin types as it achieves a Superior routine fit, whereas Kiehl's achieves a High fit. Medik8 also does better on sensitive skin and skin barrier improvement, while Kiehl's is better for deep hydration and lightweight textures.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Medik8?

Medik8 is better for sensitive skin, skin barrier, texture, fading dark spots, and glowing finish, whereas Kiehl's provides deeper hydration, lighter and less greasy textures, and better value. Both brands offer high-quality options for various skin types.

Kiehl's or Medik8 for dry skin?

Medik8 is a Superior fit for dry skin, whereas Kiehl's has a High routine fit for dry skin. Medik8 features key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, which helps provide deep hydration and skin quality improvements.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Kiehl's or Medik8: which cleanser is better?

Medik8 stands out as the better option for cleansers based on the products on this page, offering superior fit for acne-prone skin and skin with dark spots. Reviewers also indicate that Medik8 does better at improving skin barrier and texture.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Medik8?

Medik8 and Kiehl's are both noted for a high price point across the products on this page. Reviewers frequently mention high prices for both brands, so neither stands out as more affordable.

Kiehl's or Medik8: which is better for fading dark spots and brightening?

Medik8 does better for fading dark spots and brightening than Kiehl's among the products on this page. Medik8 is noted for brightening and glow as well as fading dark spots and brightening.

Which brand uses fragrance in more products, Kiehl's or Medik8?

Kiehl's uses fragrance in more products on this page than Medik8 does, with 26 out of 28 products listing no fragrance compared to 11 out of 12 for Medik8.

Kiehl's or Medik8: which brand performs better for mature skin?

Both Kiehl's and Medik8 achieve a High routine fit for mature skin, with the products on this page offering strong options like Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum and Medik8's CRYSTAL RETINAL 3. Medik8 is noted by reviewers for improving skin texture and fading dark spots, while Kiehl's provides lightweight moisturizers.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Kiehl's or Medik8 for oily skin?

For oily skin, both Kiehl's and Medik8 offer a High routine fit on the products on this page. Reviewers report that Kiehl's provides a lightweight and non-greasy texture, while Medik8 is often noted for gentle and non-irritating serums.

Kiehl's or Medik8: which moisturizer is better?

Medik8 delivers a Superior routine fit for dry skin compared to Kiehl's High fit, making its moisturizers like Hydr8 B5 Intense an excellent choice for deep hydration. Kiehl's offers lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers that reviewers mostly mention favorably.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Drug Delivery, 2017

Kiehl's or Medik8 for sensitive skin?

Medik8 is a superior choice for sensitive skin, offering gentle and non-irritating serums alongside a superior routine fit. Kiehl's is also a high fit for sensitive skin on this page, featuring mostly fragrance-free products.

Kiehl's or Medik8 for acne-prone skin?

Medik8 is a better fit for acne-prone skin, offering a High routine fit compared to Kiehl's Average level.

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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