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The Ordinary vs Kiehl's

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

The Ordinary and Kiehl's are distinct skincare brands offering serums, moisturizers, cleansers, toners, and more. The Canadian brand centers its formulations around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane to suit dry skin and dry sensitive skin best, while the American brand incorporates nourishing glycerin and squalane to benefit skin with dark spots and combination skin. Both brands differ in their founding eras and targeted approaches, yet they employ key ingredients like glycerin to increase hydration and barrier function, and squalane to support epidermal health.

The Ordinary is a Canadian skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 2021.

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Kiehl's products

People Say

The OrdinaryKiehl's
  • Texture and Pores Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “skin feels baby butt smooth — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “skin feels incredibly soft afterwards — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
  • Hydration and Moisture Sometimes NotedMostly 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”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Value and Pricing Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “lasts forever — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “can't beat the price — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “extremely affordable — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
  • Lightweight and Non-Greasy Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
  • Brightening and Dark Spots Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Dark spots have faded noticeably — The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA”
    • “helped lighten post-acne scars — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “pimples disappear within a day — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “scars and hormonal acne faded — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “faded dark spots — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “keeps my oils at bay — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
  • Sticky or Heavy Finish Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin felt tight after an hour — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “oil slick in summer — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “too radiant for oily skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • High Price Point Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Expensive for Ordinary — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Skin Irritation and Stinging Sometimes NotedRarely 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”
    • “left my face bright red — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “irritated AF the next day — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
  • Pilling and Makeup Compatibility Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “rolled off my face — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “pills under my makeup — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”

The Ordinary vs Kiehl's routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

The Ordinary vs Kiehl's routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs Kiehl's routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Kiehl's: which is better?

The Ordinary is generally better for value and acne control, while Kiehl's stands out for hydration and lightweight formulas. Lovi rates the routine fit as Superior for The Ordinary across all skin types, and High for Kiehl's.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Kiehl's?

The Ordinary offers better value and acne-prone care with fragrance-free formulas, whereas Kiehl's provides deeply hydrating options but at a higher price point. The Ordinary achieves a Superior routine fit for dry skin, compared to a High fit for Kiehl's.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's for dry skin?

For dry skin, Lovi finds The Ordinary to be a Superior fit while Kiehl's is a High fit, with The Ordinary offering better value and pricing.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's: which cleanser is better?

The Ordinary offers better value and blemish control across its cleansers, while Kiehl's provides lighter textures and deeper hydration in its cleansing formulas.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Kiehl's?

The Ordinary offers better value, with reviewers frequently praising its affordable and great value serums, whereas Kiehl's is often noted for having a high price point.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's for dark spots?

For dark spots, The Ordinary offers a Superior routine fit, whereas Kiehl's provides a High routine fit. Both brands perform equally well for brightening and dark spots according to review themes.

Which brand has better texture and pores results, The Ordinary or Kiehl's?

The Ordinary does better for texture and pores. Review themes on the page show that The Ordinary outperforms Kiehl's in this area.

Do The Ordinary or Kiehl's products contain fragrance?

Every product on The Ordinary page lists no fragrance in its ingredients. On the Kiehl's page, 26 of the 28 products list no fragrance, while the Age Defender Moisturizer and the Facial Fuel Energizing Moisture Treatment for Men do contain fragrance.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's for oily skin?

The Ordinary is a better choice for oily skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to Kiehl's High. The Ordinary also offers better performance for acne and blemish control across the products on this page.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's: which moisturizer is better?

Both brands offer moisturizers, but The Ordinary is a better fit for dry skin, dry sensitive skin, and sensitive skin, where Lovi fit is Superior. Kiehl's moisturizers are often mentioned for lightweight hydration, whereas products on this page by The Ordinary provide fragrance-free formulas with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and squalane.

Drug Delivery, 2017

The Ordinary or Kiehl's for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for sensitive skin, offering a Superior routine compared to Kiehl's High routine fit. The Ordinary products on this page list no fragrance, and reviewers frequently mention them as gentle and non-irritating.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's for acne-prone skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for acne-prone skin, offering Superior routine fit compared to Kiehl's Average fit. The products on this page help with acne-clearing serums and blemish control.

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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