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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 American skincare brands known for their reliable moisturizers, sunscreens, cleansers, toners, serums, and eye products. The first brand features glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and dimethicone, suiting oily acne-prone and acne-prone skin best, while the second brand utilizes glycerin and squalane to suit skin with dark spots and mature skin best. Ultimately, they differ in their founding dates, corporate ownership, specific ingredient combinations, and targeted skin concerns.

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 · 95% fit

Neutrogena vs Kiehl's routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 94% fit

Questions and answers

Neutrogena or Kiehl's: which is better?

Neutrogena is better for acne-safe and gentle formulas as well as lightweight textures, whereas Kiehl's is better for skin texture improvement and anti-aging. Both brands offer high routine fit levels for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, mature, and dark spot skin types on the products on this page.

What is the difference between Neutrogena and Kiehl's?

Neutrogena is best for oily acne-prone skin, acne-prone skin, and mature skin, while Kiehl's fits skin with dark spots, mature skin, and dry skin best. Neutrogena offers better acne-safe and gentle formulas and lightweight textures, whereas Kiehl's performs better for skin texture improvement and brightening.

Neutrogena or Kiehl's for dry skin?

Both Neutrogena and Kiehl's offer products on this page that achieve a High routine fit level for dry skin. The products on this page for both brands help provide deep hydration through ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid, though Kiehl's also features rich options like squalane.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Drug Delivery, 2017

Neutrogena or Kiehl's: which cleanser is better?

Neutrogena is better for acne-safe and gentle formulas among the products on this page, whereas Kiehl's ranks higher for improving skin texture.

Which is more affordable, Neutrogena or Kiehl's?

Neutrogena is more affordable, whereas Kiehl's is noted for a high price point.

Neutrogena or Kiehl's for dark spots?

Neutrogena is a better fit for acne-prone skin, while both brands offer products that help improve skin texture and reduce dark spots.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Neutrogena or Kiehl's: which brand is better for anti-aging and skin texture improvement?

Kiehl's does better than Neutrogena for skin texture improvement and anti-aging. Retinol helps reduce signs of aging by stimulating collagen accumulation.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Neutrogena or Kiehl's for oily skin?

Both Neutrogena and Kiehl's are a High fit for oily skin. The products on this page for both brands offer a range of lightweight and non-greasy moisturizers and targeted cleansers that help manage excess oil.

Neutrogena or Kiehl's: which moisturizer is better?

Neutrogena and Kiehl's both offer popular moisturizers on the products on this page, with the choice depending mainly on your skin type. Neutrogena is often praised for being acne-safe and lightweight, while Kiehl's tends to focus more on deep hydration and anti-aging benefits.

Neutrogena or Kiehl's for sensitive skin?

Neutrogena has a High routine fit for sensitive skin, whereas Kiehl's also has a High routine fit on this page.

Neutrogena or Kiehl's: which sunscreen is better?

Neutrogena and Kiehl's both offer sunscreens on their pages, but Neutrogena's options fit acne-prone skin and oily acne-prone skin at a High or Superior level compared to Kiehl's average ratings for those types. Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum holds a High fit for sensitive skin and skin with dark spots, matching Neutrogena's top sunscreen ratings for those specific needs.

Neutrogena or Kiehl's for acne-prone skin?

Neutrogena is the better choice for acne-prone skin on this page, as its products achieve a High routine fit level compared to Kiehl's Average. The products on this page help provide acne-safe and gentle formulations that are well-suited for breakouts.

Neutrogena or Kiehl's for mature skin?

Both Neutrogena and Kiehl's fit mature skin at a High level on Lovi. Neutrogena is noted for lightweight textures and gentle formulas, while Kiehl's is often chosen for texture improvement and brightening.

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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