🇮🇪Ireland

Kiehl's vs SkinCeuticals

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

Kiehl's and SkinCeuticals are heritage American skincare brands owned by L'Oréal that offer targeted serums and nourishing moisturizers. The former brand is loved for its soothing toners and revitalizing eye products formulated with glycerin and squalane, while the latter is known for gentle cleansers and effective eye products featuring glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and dimethicone. Both suit mature skin best, though the first brand also suits combination skin and the second suits dry skin. Ultimately, they differ through their distinct ingredient profiles and targeted solutions for acne-prone skin and dark spots.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

SkinCeuticals is an American skincare brand founded in 1994 and owned by L'Oréal since 2005.

loreal.comskinceuticals-za.compitchbook.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs SkinCeuticals products

People Say

Kiehl'sSkinCeuticals
  • Texture and Absorption Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “works on dark skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “silky and non-greasy — SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Advanced Eye”
    • “absorbs quickly — SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense Serum”
  • 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”
    • “Hydrated my skin beautifully. — SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2”
    • “Pure hydration in a bottle — SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 Gel”
  • Skin Barrier and Texture Improvement Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “definitely gave me a glass skin texture — SkinCeuticals P-TOX”
    • “pores appeared less noticeable — SkinCeuticals P-Tiox”
    • “My skin is softer to the touch. — SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
  • Gentle and Sensitive Skin Care 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”
    • “Perfect starting strength — SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.3”
  • Brightening and Dark Spot Fading Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Skin looks radiant — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “I really love this product, as my skin is brighter. — SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF”
    • “Really fades brown spots, perfect for men and a little goes a long way! — SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF”
  • Pore Cleansing and Oil Control Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “sucked the gunk out of my pores — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “keeps my oils at bay — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “gets rid of blackheads — SkinCeuticals LHA Cleanser Gel”
    • “reduces oil — SkinCeuticals LHA Cleanser Gel”
  • High Price Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Too pricey for the hype — SkinCeuticals P-TOX”
  • Lack of 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”
    • “haven't noticed much change on the deeper lines — SkinCeuticals P-TOX”
    • “did nothing — SkinCeuticals P-Tiox”
  • Greasiness and Heavy Residue Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “feels tacky — SkinCeuticals H.A. Intensifier”
    • “sticky residue — SkinCeuticals Phyto Corrective Gel”
    • “oil slick in summer — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Breakouts and Acne Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “skin went through a slight purge — SkinCeuticals P-TOX”
    • “made me break out — SkinCeuticals Phyto Corrective Gel”
    • “caused cystic acne — SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense Serum”
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”

Kiehl's vs SkinCeuticals routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Kiehl's vs SkinCeuticals routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs SkinCeuticals routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or SkinCeuticals: which is better?

SkinCeuticals is generally better for dry, oily, and mature skin because Lovi rates its routines as Superior compared to Kiehl's High level. Both brands are equal for sensitive skin, skin with dark spots, and oily acne-prone skin, where Lovi lists their routines at High.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and SkinCeuticals?

SkinCeuticals is better suited for dry and mature skin types with its superior routine fits, whereas Kiehl's performs better for sensitive skin care.

Kiehl's or SkinCeuticals for dry skin?

SkinCeuticals is better for dry skin, as Lovi rates its routine fit as Superior compared to Kiehl's High. Both brands offer products with strong hydration benefits, but SkinCeuticals features ceramide-dominant barrier repair lipids and rich emollients that help restore moisture.

Kiehl's or SkinCeuticals: which cleanser is better?

Both Kiehl's and SkinCeuticals offer effective cleansers, but Kiehl's is noted as a better option for gentle and sensitive skin care while maintaining high routine fits across multiple skin types.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or SkinCeuticals?

Both Kiehl's and SkinCeuticals are noted for having a high price point among the products on this page, meaning neither brand is clearly more affordable than the other.

Kiehl's or SkinCeuticals: which brand offers better fragrance-free options?

Both brands offer mostly fragrance-free options on the products on this page, with Kiehl's listing no fragrance in 26 of 28 products and SkinCeuticals listing none in 34 of 37 products.

Kiehl's or SkinCeuticals for oily skin?

SkinCeuticals is superior for oily skin, offering a routine fit rated as Superior compared to Kiehl's High. Reviewers note that SkinCeuticals provides effective acne and oil-controlling serums.

Kiehl's or SkinCeuticals: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and SkinCeuticals offer effective moisturizers, with SkinCeuticals achieving a Superior routine fit for dry skin compared to Kiehl's High level. The products on this page help deliver deep hydration, while some may leave a greasy or heavy residue.

Kiehl's or SkinCeuticals for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and SkinCeuticals offer a High fit for sensitive skin among the products on this page. Kiehl's may be preferred by shoppers, as review themes show the brand does better for gentle and sensitive skin care.

Kiehl's or SkinCeuticals: which sunscreen is better?

Both Kiehl's and SkinCeuticals offer strong options, as the products on this page show high sunscreen fits for most skin types. SkinCeuticals Sheer Physical UV Defense SPF 50 achieves a superior fit for skin with dark spots, while Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum provides a high fit for sensitive, mature, and acne-prone skin.

Kiehl's or SkinCeuticals for acne-prone skin?

SkinCeuticals is a better fit than Kiehl's for acne-prone skin, offering a High routine fit compared to Kiehl's Average. SkinCeuticals provides specialized serums like Blemish + Age Defense that help target acne and oil control.

Kiehl's or SkinCeuticals for mature skin?

SkinCeuticals is a superior choice for mature skin compared to Kiehl's, offering routines with a Superior fit level versus Kiehl's High. Retinol may help stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged human skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Kiehl's or SkinCeuticals for skin with dark spots?

Both Kiehl's and SkinCeuticals are well suited for skin with dark spots, as the products on this page offer a High fit for this concern. While niacinamide helps reduce pigmentation, active ingredients like retinol also stimulate collagen and improve skin renewal.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

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