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The Ordinary vs Kiehl's

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

The Ordinary and Kiehl's are distinct skincare brands offering targeted serums, moisturizers, cleansers, toners, and more. The Canadian brand centers its formulations around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, suiting sensitive and dry sensitive skin best, whereas the American brand features trusted ingredients like glycerin and squalane to suit dry skin and skin with dark spots best. Both rely on glycerin and squalane to nourish the skin, but they differ in their founding eras, corporate owners, and specific product formulations.

The Ordinary is a Canadian skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 2021.

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Kiehl's products

People Say

The OrdinaryKiehl's
  • Texture and Pores Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “skin feels baby butt smooth — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “skin feels incredibly soft afterwards — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
  • Hydration and Moisture Sometimes NotedMostly 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”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Value and Pricing Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “lasts forever — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “can't beat the price — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “extremely affordable — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
  • Lightweight and Non-Greasy Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “works on dark skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
  • Brightening and Dark Spots Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Dark spots have faded noticeably — The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA”
    • “helped lighten post-acne scars — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “pimples disappear within a day — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “scars and hormonal acne faded — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “faded dark spots — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “keeps my oils at bay — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
  • Sticky or Heavy Finish Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin felt tight after an hour — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “oil slick in summer — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “too radiant for oily skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • High Price Point Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Expensive for Ordinary — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Skin Irritation and Stinging Sometimes NotedRarely 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”
    • “irritated AF the next day — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
  • Pilling and Makeup Compatibility Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “rolled off my face — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “pills under my makeup — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”

The Ordinary vs Kiehl's routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · SAR 814.57 · 90% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · SAR 2,309.98 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs Kiehl's routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · SAR 867.55 · 92% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · SAR 2,172.23 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs Kiehl's routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · SAR 981.41 · 92% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · SAR 2,149.18 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Kiehl's: which is better?

The Ordinary is generally better for value and acne care, while Kiehl's stands out for deep hydration and lightweight moisturizers. Lovi rates The Ordinary as Superior for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, and mature skin, whereas Kiehl's routines reach High fit levels across most of those skin types.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Kiehl's?

The Ordinary is a budget-friendly brand offering a high routine fit across all skin types on this page, while Kiehl's provides deeply hydrating and lightweight formulations at a higher price point. Both brands feature effective ingredient options, though Kiehl's products have a higher likelihood of causing skin irritation and heavy residue.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's for dry skin?

For dry skin, both brands work well, but Lovi rates The Ordinary as Superior and Kiehl's as High. The Ordinary features products like Glycolipid Cream Cleanser, which is rated Superior for dry skin on this page, while Kiehl's offers options like Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's: which cleanser is better?

The Ordinary offers better value and blemish control across its cleansers, while Kiehl's provides a higher price point with some options having a heavy residue. Lovi rates the cleansing products on this page as having a High fit for sensitive skin for both brands.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Kiehl's?

The Ordinary offers better value, as reviewers note it provides affordable and great value serums among the products on this page. In contrast, reviewers frequently mention a high price point for Kiehl's.

Between The Ordinary and Kiehl's, which brand is better for tackling dark spots and brightening?

Both brands perform equally well for brightening and fading dark spots based on the products on this page. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

How do the fragrance-free product offerings compare between The Ordinary and Kiehl's?

Every product on The Ordinary page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas Kiehl's has 26 out of 28 products on its page that list no fragrance.

Which brand performs better for texture and pore management according to reviewers?

According to reviewers, The Ordinary performs better for texture and pore management.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's for oily skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for oily skin, offering a Superior routine fit compared to Kiehl's High fit.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's: which moisturizer is better?

The products on this page show that both brands offer effective moisturizers, with The Ordinary achieving a Superior routine fit for dry skin compared to Kiehl's High fit level. The Ordinary moisturizers help provide exceptional hydration while maintaining a lower price point, whereas Kiehl's options are frequently noted for offering deep moisture and lightweight textures.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit, whereas Kiehl's has a High routine fit. The Ordinary products on this page list no fragrance, helping to avoid irritation.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's for acne-prone skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for acne-prone skin, offering a Superior routine compared to Kiehl's Average fit. The products on this page help with acne-clearing serums and blemish control.

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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