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Kiehl's vs Dr. Barbara Sturm

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

Kiehl's and Dr. Barbara Sturm are heritage and science-driven skincare lines offering dedicated moisturizers, serums, and cleansers with ingredients like glycerin, squalane, and vitamin C. Kiehl's suits dry skin and skin with dark spots best, whereas the German brand suits sensitive, dry, and balanced skin best through deep hydration and barrier support. While the American brand features trusted components like calendula to counteract oxidative stress, the latter brand uses scientifically advanced formulas to keep the complexion calm, smooth, and radiant. Ultimately, both brands differ in their founding eras and proprietary approaches to restoring epidermal barrier function.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Dr. Barbara Sturm is a German skincare brand founded in 2014 and owned by Puig since 2024.

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Dr. Barbara Sturm products

People Say

Kiehl'sDr. Barbara Sturm
  • Gentle on Sensitive Skin Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “doesn't irritate my sensitive skin — Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum”
    • “reduced redness — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Deep and Intense Hydration Often 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”
    • “skin drank it up — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
  • 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”
    • “sinks in immediately — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
  • Skin Barrier and Texture Improvement Often MentionedOften 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 texture is immediately more even — Dr. Barbara Sturm Enzyme Cleanser”
  • Visible Plumping and Fine Lines Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “lines less visible — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
    • “skin feels softer — Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum”
    • “Skin looks noticeably more plump — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • Fades Dark Spots and Brightens Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “skin looks brighter — Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum”
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
  • High Price and Cost Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “overpriced for what it does — Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Cream”
    • “way too expensive — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
  • Ineffective or Slow Results Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Takes months to see — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “results were subtle — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “did nothing — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
  • Insufficient Hydration or Richness Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “skin felt tight after an hour — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “some extremely dry skin types need a thicker balm or oil on top — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “face feels a bit tight — Dr. Barbara Sturm Enzyme Cleanser”

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Dr. Barbara Sturm: which is better?

Dr. Barbara Sturm is better for sensitive skin, visible plumping, and fading dark spots, whereas Kiehl's is better for lightweight and non-greasy textures. Both brands perform equally for deep hydration and skin barrier improvement, but the products on this page for Kiehl's are more frequently noted by reviewers for high prices and breakouts.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Dr. Barbara Sturm?

Kiehl's offers a wide range of lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers and targeted serums, whereas Dr. Barbara Sturm tends to do better at being gentle on sensitive skin and fading dark spots. Lovi rates Kiehl's as having high fit levels for dry skin, skin with dark spots, and combination skin among the products on this page.

Kiehl's or Dr. Barbara Sturm: which moisturizer is better?

For a moisturizer, Kiehl's is better for lightweight and non-greasy textures, while Dr. Barbara Sturm is better for visible plumping and fine lines. Lovi rates the Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate from Kiehl's as a Superior fit for dry skin, whereas the Hyaluronic Serum from Dr. Barbara Sturm is rated as a High fit for oily skin and an Average fit for dry skin.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Dr. Barbara Sturm?

Kiehl's is more affordable, although high price point is often mentioned for the products on this page. Dr. Barbara Sturm has a higher price and cost according to the review themes.

Which causes fewer breakouts, Kiehl's or Dr. Barbara Sturm?

Dr. Barbara Sturm is gentler on sensitive skin compared to Kiehl's, where reviewers frequently mention breakouts and skin irritation. Lovi rates Dr. Barbara Sturm as having a High fit for acne-prone skin on products like Enzyme Cleanser and The Good C Vitamin C Serum, whereas Kiehl's products on this page show varying fit levels with frequent user complaints of irritation.

How do the founding years and countries of origin compare between Kiehl's and Dr. Barbara Sturm?

Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States, whereas Dr. Barbara Sturm was established in 2014 in Germany. Kiehl's has been owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 2000, and Dr. Barbara Sturm has been owned by Puig since 2024.

Which brand has products containing fragrance, Kiehl's or Dr. Barbara Sturm?

Kiehl's features products containing fragrance, while every product on this page by Dr. Barbara Sturm lists no fragrance.

How does the Lovi fit level of the Enzyme Cleanser compare across different skin types for Dr. Barbara Sturm?

For Dr. Barbara Sturm, Lovi rates the Enzyme Cleanser at a Superior fit for skin with dark spots. It reaches a High fit for mature skin, oily skin, combination skin, sensitive skin, and oily acne-prone skin. The fit is Average for dry sensitive skin and dry 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?

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