🇮🇪Ireland

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 offering distinct approaches to daily care. Kiehl's is known for its nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, soothing toners, and revitalizing eye products formulated with glycerin and squalane, suiting mature skin and combination skin best. Conversely, Medik8 provides a range of serums, moisturizers, eye products, and toners built around hyaluronic acid, fitting dry skin and dry sensitive skin best. Ultimately, they differ through their foundational ingredients and specific target profiles, as the American brand emphasizes moisture retention while the British brand focuses on advanced hydration.

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 · 98% fit

Kiehl's vs Medik8 routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs Medik8 routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Medik8: which is better?

Medik8 is better for dry, dry sensitive, sensitive, and mature skin, where Lovi rates its routines as Superior, whereas Kiehl's is better for lightweight moisture and specific targeted serums on this page.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Medik8?

Medik8 tends to do better for sensitive skin and fading dark spots, whereas Kiehl's is noted for deep hydration and lightweight textures among the products on this page.

Kiehl's or Medik8 for dry skin?

Medik8 is the better fit for dry skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to Kiehl's High. Reviewers note that Medik8 products provide deep hydration and plumping, while the products on this page help improve skin texture and moisture.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Kiehl's or Medik8: which cleanser is better?

Medik8 is better for gentle cleansing, as Medik8 does better on sensitive skin according to the review themes on this page. Kiehl's products on this page are owned by L'Oreal S.A.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Medik8?

Both brands are noted by reviewers for a high price point, so neither stands out as clearly more affordable on the products on this page.

Which brand has more fragrance-free products, Kiehl's or Medik8?

Kiehl's has more fragrance-free products on the products on this page, with twenty-six out of twenty-eight formulas listing no fragrance, compared to eleven out of twelve for Medik8.

How do the founding years and origins of Kiehl's and Medik8 compare?

Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States, whereas Medik8 was founded much later in 2009 in the United Kingdom.

Which brand is better for fading dark spots and brightening the skin according to review themes?

According to the review themes on this page, Medik8 does better for fading dark spots and brightening the skin.

Kiehl's or Medik8 for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and Medik8 offer a High routine fit for oily skin based on the products on this page. Kiehl's features specialized options like the Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner, while Medik8 provides targeted treatments such as the Hydr8 B5 Intense moisturizer.

Kiehl's or Medik8: which moisturizer is better?

Medik8 is the better fit for dry skin, as Lovi rates its dry-skin routine as Superior compared to High for Kiehl's. The products on this page for Medik8 include deeply hydrating options like Hydr8 B5 Intense and Total Moisture Daily Facial Cream.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Drug Delivery, 2017

Kiehl's or Medik8 for sensitive skin?

Medik8 is better for sensitive skin on this page, as Lovi rates its routine fit as Superior while Kiehl's is High.

Kiehl's or Medik8 for acne-prone skin?

Medik8 is the better choice for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine as High compared to Kiehl's Average. Both brands offer targeted products on this page, but Medik8 is noted for being more gentle on sensitive skin.

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