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Neutrogena vs Kiehl's

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

Neutrogena and Kiehl's are two American skincare brands offering thoughtfully formulated moisturizers, sunscreens, cleansers, toners, serums, and eye products. The first brand relies on key ingredients like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and dimethicone, which suit sensitive skin and dry skin best by respecting delicate moisture barriers. Conversely, the second brand incorporates glycerin and squalane to support moisture retention, making its offerings suit mature skin and combination skin best. While both brands emphasize hydration, they ultimately differ in their formulation approaches and target skin types.

Neutrogena is an American skincare brand founded in 1930 and owned by Kimberly-Clark Corporation since 2026.

investor.kimberly-clark.comen.wikipedia.orginvestors.kenvue.com

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

Popular Neutrogena vs Kiehl's products

People Say

NeutrogenaKiehl's
  • Deep and intense hydration Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Skin looked plumper and radiant — Neutrogena HYDRO BOOST WATER CREAM”
    • “Quenches dry skin instantly — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Hydrogel Mask”
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • Acne-safe and gentle formulas Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “leaves skin soft and balanced — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “love that it has no scent — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “calms my acne prone skin — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy texture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Absorbs instantly without sticky residue — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel”
    • “absorbs instantly — Neutrogena COLLAGEN BANK Moisturizer”
    • “Absorbs into skin without residue. — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
  • Makeup base and compatibility Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Foundation glides right over it — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel”
    • “Concealer doesn't cake or get stuck in crevices — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Eye Gel-Cream”
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no pilling — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Skin texture improvement and anti-aging Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “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 is looking smoother — Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream”
  • Radiant glow and brightening 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”
    • “Gave me a glass-skin glow — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Hydrogel Mask”
  • Price and quantity concerns Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Jar is too small for the price — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel”
    • “Runs out quickly — Neutrogena HYDRO BOOST WATER CREAM”
    • “Tube is tiny for the cost — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Eye Gel-Cream”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Packaging and design issues Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “dipping fingers is unsanitary — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “hard to spread — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “Dropper doesn't reach bottom — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Kept sliding off my face — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Hydrogel Mask”
  • Eye and skin irritation Often MentionedSometimes 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”
    • “burns my eyes terribly — Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen”
  • Strong fragrance and scent issues Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “smells clinical — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “faint lab smell — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “smell is overpowering — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “Smell is too overpowering and lingering — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel”

Neutrogena vs Kiehl's routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Neutrogena vs Kiehl's routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Neutrogena vs Kiehl's routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Neutrogena or Kiehl's: which is better?

Neutrogena and Kiehl's are both great brands, with Neutrogena having an Average to High Lovi fit for acne-prone skin while Kiehl's has an Average fit.

What is the difference between Neutrogena and Kiehl's?

Neutrogena tends to be more affordable and is often favored for acne-safe, gentle, and lightweight formulas, whereas Kiehl's generally comes at a higher price point and focuses more on skin texture improvement, brightening, and anti-aging benefits.

Neutrogena or Kiehl's for dry skin?

Both Neutrogena and Kiehl's achieve a High routine fit level for dry skin on this page, offering deeply hydrating moisturizers that help improve moisture retention. Reviewers note that Neutrogena is often praised for being acne-safe and lightweight, while Kiehl's is frequently recognized for providing deep hydration.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Neutrogena or Kiehl's: which cleanser is better?

Neutrogena is better for acne-prone and sensitive skin because the products on this page achieve a High to Superior Lovi fit across those skin types, whereas Kiehl's cleansers lean more toward oily skin. Additionally, reviewers report that Neutrogena offers more acne-safe and gentle formulas.

Which is more affordable, Neutrogena or Kiehl's?

Neutrogena is more affordable, as Kiehl's is noted by reviewers for a high price point while Neutrogena faces price and quantity concerns.

Neutrogena or Kiehl's for dark spots?

Neutrogena and Kiehl's are both a High fit for skin with dark spots on this page, as both brands offer targeted options like serums and correctors. Neutrogena often features retinol and niacinamide to help fade discoloration, while Kiehl's uses vitamin C to help brighten the skin tone.

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

Neutrogena or Kiehl's for fragrance-free products?

Neutrogena offers a higher proportion of fragrance-free options among the products on this page, with thirty-five of thirty-nine formulas listing no fragrance. Kiehl's also provides mostly fragrance-free choices, as twenty-six of twenty-eight products on this page omit fragrance.

Neutrogena or Kiehl's for oily skin?

Both Neutrogena and Kiehl's offer a High Lovi fit for oily skin. The products on this page for both brands provide options that help manage oil, though reviewers note that Kiehl's has more frequent complaints about skin irritation.

Neutrogena or Kiehl's: which moisturizer is better?

Neutrogena and Kiehl's both offer high fit levels for their dry skin moisturizers on this page. Reviewers report that Neutrogena moisturizers are deeply hydrating, lightweight, and non-greasy, while Kiehl's formulas provide deep hydration and improve skin texture.

Neutrogena or Kiehl's for sensitive skin?

Both Neutrogena and Kiehl's fit sensitive skin well, as Lovi rates their routines as High for this skin type. Neutrogena may be a better choice if you prefer fragrance-free options, since a larger portion of the products on this page list no fragrance.

Neutrogena or Kiehl's: which sunscreen is better?

Neutrogena offers multiple sunscreens with a Superior Lovi fit level for specific skin types, such as Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen for combination and sensitive skin, and Clear Face Liquid Lotion Sunscreen for oily and sensitive skin. Kiehl's features Better Screen UV Serum, which has a High fit level for skin with dark spots and sensitive skin.

Neutrogena or Kiehl's for acne-prone skin?

Neutrogena is a better fit for acne-prone skin, as the products on this page achieve a High routine fit level compared to Kiehl's Average level. Reviewers indicate that Neutrogena offers more acne-safe and gentle formulas.

Neutrogena or Kiehl's for mature skin?

Both Neutrogena and Kiehl's are a High fit for mature skin on this page, and retinoids like retinol in products such as Neutrogena's Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream may help stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged human skin. Reviewers often mention the anti-aging benefits of Neutrogena's moisturizers and the skin texture improvements offered by Kiehl's.

The 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?

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