🇫🇷France

Kiehl's vs Galderma

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

Kiehl's and Galderma are skincare brands with distinct heritages, where the American house founded in 1851 offers thoughtful moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products featuring nourishing glycerin and squalane, while the Swiss company founded in 1981 focuses on specialized serums. Kiehl's suits skin with dark spots and combination skin best, relying on ingredients like glycerin to significantly increase hydration and restore epidermal barrier function, and squalane to counteract oxidative stress and stimulate fibroblast migration. Meanwhile, both brands address diverse concerns, as the Swiss brand features top-rated treatments for acne-prone skin, dark spots, and mature skin, differing from the first brand's botanical-infused toners and cleansers.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Galderma is a Swiss skincare brand founded in 1981 and owned by Galderma Group AG.

en.wikipedia.org

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Galderma products

People Say

Kiehl'sGalderma
  • Acne Clearance and Prevention Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “cleared up my skin — Galderma Benzac AC Mild Strength 2.5% Acne Gel”
    • “cystic acne gone — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
    • “stops new pimples — Galderma Epiduo 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”
  • Texture and Lightweight Feel Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “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”
  • Skin Barrier and Texture Improvement Often MentionedSometimes 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 feels smooth — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
  • Sensitive Skin and Gentle Formulas Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “perfect for retinol newbies — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “didn't burn my face — Galderma Benzac AC Mild Strength 2.5% Acne Gel”
  • Severe Dryness and Peeling Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin flaking off — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
  • Burning, Stinging and Irritation Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “face on fire — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
  • High Price Point Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Initial Purging and Scars Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “got worse first — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
  • Fabric Bleaching Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “bleached my towel — Galderma Benzac AC 5”
  • Greasy or Heavy Residue Often MentionedNot noted
    • “skin felt tight after an hour — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”

Kiehl's vs Galderma serums and treatments

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Galderma: which is better?

Kiehl's does better for hydration and sensitive skin, while Galderma does better for acne clearance.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Galderma?

Kiehl's provides a wide selection of fragrance-free moisturizers, cleansers, and serums that focus on hydration, anti-aging, and gentle care, whereas Galderma specializes in targeted acne-clearing serums. Reviewers note that Kiehl's products on this page often help with moisture and texture, while Galderma treatments may cause severe dryness and peeling despite clearing acne.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Galderma?

Galderma is more affordable, whereas a high price point is often noted for the products on this page by Kiehl's reviewers.

Which causes fewer breakouts, Kiehl's or Galderma?

Galderma does better for acne clearance and prevention, whereas reviewers note that Kiehl's causes breakouts and skin irritation.

Which brand has more products containing fragrance, Kiehl's or Galderma?

Kiehl's has more products containing fragrance, as 2 of its 28 products list fragrance on this page, whereas Galderma has no fragranced products among the products on this page.

Which brand is better for hydration and moisture according to the review themes?

Kiehl's does better for hydration and moisture, as shown in the review themes. The products on this page help deliver deep hydration with key ingredients like glycerin and squalane.

How do the founding years and countries of origin compare between Kiehl's and Galderma?

Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States, whereas Galderma was founded in 1981 in Switzerland.

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?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play