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Cetaphil vs Kiehl's

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

Cetaphil and Kiehl's are American skincare brands known for offering thoughtful ranges of cleansers, moisturizers, serums, sunscreens, and toners formulated with nourishing ingredients like glycerin, niacinamide, panthenol, and squalane. While the former suits combination skin and acne-prone skin best, the latter is ideal for mature skin and combination skin. Both brands differ in their specific targeted options and ownership, yet they provide proven benefits through core ingredients that increase hydration, restore barrier function, decrease hyperpigmentation, and counteract oxidative stress.

Cetaphil is an American skincare brand founded in 1947 and owned by Galderma Group AG.

en.wikipedia.orgcetaphil.co.uk

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 Cetaphil and Kiehl's products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Cetaphil vs Kiehl's products

People Say

CetaphilKiehl's
  • Hydration and moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “cleared up flaky skin — Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream”
    • “healed my dry patches — Cetaphil Moisturising Cream”
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • Gentle on sensitive skin Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “The only thing my reactive skin tolerates. — Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser”
    • “No breakouts since switching to this. — Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser”
    • “cleans without stripping — Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy feel Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly — Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “Absorbs quickly into skin without residue — Cetaphil Daily Hydrating Lotion”
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “works on dark skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
  • Skin smoothing and texture improvement Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “skin feels incredibly soft afterwards — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “skin feels smoother — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “Skin felt softer after one use — Cetaphil Gentle Exfoliating SA Cleanser”
  • Versatile and effective daily use Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “great for face and body — Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream”
    • “recommended by my derm — Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser”
    • “removes excess oil — Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser”
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
  • Brightening and complexion enhancement Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “Skin looks radiant — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “skin looks more radiant — Cetaphil Vitamin C Serum”
  • Sensory and finish complaints Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Overpowering masking fragrance — Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar”
    • “smells like masking fragrance — Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser”
    • “skin felt tight after an hour — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “oil slick in summer — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • High price point Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive for drugstore — Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Lather, texture, and packaging issues Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “hate dipping fingers in — Cetaphil Moisturising Cream”
    • “Miss the bubbles, feels like washing with lotion. — Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser”
    • “dipping fingers is unsanitary — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “hard to spread — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”

Cetaphil vs Kiehl's routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Cetaphil vs Kiehl's routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Cetaphil vs Kiehl's routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Cetaphil or Kiehl's: which is better?

Both brands are great choices depending on your specific needs, as Cetaphil is superior for combination and acne-prone skin, while Kiehl's is better for skin smoothing and brightening. Cetaphil also tends to be more gentle on sensitive skin and comes at a lower price point compared to Kiehl's.

What is the difference between Cetaphil and Kiehl's?

Cetaphil is better for sensitive skin and offers a lower price point, while Kiehl's excels at skin smoothing, texture improvement, and brightening. Both brands offer equal routine fit levels for dry, oily, sensitive, mature, and acne-prone skin types.

Cetaphil or Kiehl's for dry skin?

Both brands fit dry skin well, offering a High routine fit on this page. Reviewers note that Cetaphil tends to have a lower price point, while Kiehl's features key ingredients like glycerin, vitamin C, squalane, shea butter, and vitamin E.

Cetaphil or Kiehl's: which cleanser is better?

Cetaphil is better for sensitive skin because reviews show it is gentler, whereas Kiehl's is better for skin smoothing and texture improvement.

Which is more affordable, Cetaphil or Kiehl's?

Cetaphil is more affordable, as high price points are noted as a drawback for Kiehl's but not for Cetaphil. Reviewers specifically highlight a high price point as a common issue for Kiehl's, whereas Cetaphil does better in this category.

Between Cetaphil and Kiehl's, which brand is gentler on sensitive skin?

Between Cetaphil and Kiehl's, Cetaphil does better for being gentle on sensitive skin. Reviewers note that Cetaphil provides gentle, non-stripping cleansers across the products on this page.

Which brand performs better for skin smoothing and texture improvement, Cetaphil or Kiehl's?

Kiehl's performs better for skin smoothing and texture improvement. Review themes show Kiehl's does better in this area.

Cetaphil or Kiehl's: which brand is better for brightening and complexion enhancement?

Kiehl's does better than Cetaphil for brightening and complexion enhancement. Niacinamide, featured across the products on this page, helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Cetaphil or Kiehl's for oily skin?

Both brands offer a High routine fit for oily skin. Review themes show that Cetaphil provides better value with a lower price point, while Kiehl's is often noted for skin smoothing and texture improvement.

Cetaphil or Kiehl's: which moisturizer is better?

Both Cetaphil and Kiehl's offer moisturizers with a high fit for dry skin, though Cetaphil generally comes at a lower price point. Kiehl's features key ingredients like squalane and shea butter, whereas Cetaphil relies on glycerin and niacinamide.

Cetaphil or Kiehl's for sensitive skin?

Cetaphil is better than Kiehl's for sensitive skin because review themes note that Cetaphil is more gentle on sensitive skin. Furthermore, Cetaphil features mostly fragrance-free options and soothing key ingredients like panthenol and niacinamide that help reduce skin irritation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Cetaphil or Kiehl's: which sunscreen is better?

Cetaphil offers superior protection options like its Sheer Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50, which achieves a Superior fit across dry, dry sensitive, combination, and sensitive skin types. Kiehl's sunscreen options like the Better Screen UV Serum provide a High fit for skin with dark spots, combination, sensitive, acne-prone, and mature skin.

Cetaphil or Kiehl's for acne-prone skin?

Cetaphil is a better fit for acne-prone skin, offering a High routine fit compared to Kiehl's Average fit on this page. Reviewers report that Kiehl's may cause breakouts and skin irritation, whereas Cetaphil focuses on gentle, non-stripping cleansers.

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

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