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Kiehl's vs NIVEA

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

Kiehl's and NIVEA are established skincare brands that offer nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, and other essentials formulated with glycerin. Kiehl's is celebrated for its soothing toners and gentle eye products featuring squalane, suiting dry skin and mature skin best. Conversely, NIVEA is known for reliable sunscreens that suit combination skin and sensitive skin, thanks to formulas respecting natural balance. While both brands rely on glycerin to restore epidermal barrier function and improve hydration, they differ in their heritage, ownership, and targeted skin types.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

NIVEA is a German skincare brand founded in 1911 and owned by maxingvest GmbH & Co. KGaA since 2004.

beiersdorf.comen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular Kiehl's vs NIVEA products

People Say

Kiehl'sNIVEA
  • 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”
    • “Smoothed out dry flaky scales on my cheeks overnight — NIVEA Creme”
    • “skin feels moisturized — NIVEA Protect & Moisture Sun Lotion SPF50+”
  • Skin Barrier and Texture Improvement Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Makes my face feel smooth and soft. — NIVEA Soft”
    • “skin feels squeaky clean and soft — NIVEA DERMA SKIN CLEAR”
    • “skin feels smooth — NIVEA Derma Skin Clear Anti-Blemish Scrub”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
  • Texture and Absorption Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “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”
    • “It's lightweight on the skin and leaves a bit of subtle sheen. — NIVEA Soft”
  • Relaxing and Classic Scents Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like holiday — NIVEA Protect & Moisture Sun Lotion SPF50+”
    • “Smell brings me back to childhood — NIVEA Creme”
    • “smells really nice — NIVEA Derma Skin Clear Anti-Blemish Scrub”
    • “calming lavender smell — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
  • Gentleness and Sensitivity Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “doesn't irritate sensitive eyes — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “doesn't dry out skin — NIVEA Derma Skin Clear Anti-Blemish Scrub”
  • Value for Money Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “Works better than expensive luxury creams — NIVEA Creme”
    • “Best affordable vegan moisturizer. — NIVEA Soft”
    • “absolute steal for the price — NIVEA DERMA SKIN CLEAR”
  • High Price Point Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Greasiness and Heavy Residue Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “oil slick in summer — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “too radiant for oily skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “didn't absorb well — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “Leaves a shiny grease layer that doesn't go away — NIVEA Creme”
  • Breakouts and Acne Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “cystic acne for some — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Clogged my pores and caused bad acne — NIVEA Creme”
    • “I noticed some acne breakouts on my chin after using this crème for a while. — NIVEA Soft”

Kiehl's vs NIVEA routines for dry skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · S$209.58 · 92% fitBuy NIVEA routine · S$227.16 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs NIVEA routines for oily skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · S$287.99 · 90% fitBuy NIVEA routine · S$458.64 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs NIVEA routines for combination skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · S$287.99 · 90% fitBuy NIVEA routine · S$354.54 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or NIVEA: which is better?

Kiehl's is generally better on this page, offering Superior routine fit for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, and mature skin compared to NIVEA's High fit.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and NIVEA?

Kiehl's offers a larger variety of fragrance-free products on this page, while NIVEA provides a higher number of scented options.

Kiehl's or NIVEA for dry skin?

For dry skin, Kiehl's is the better choice as Lovi rates its routine as Superior, compared to High for NIVEA. Reviewers on the products on this page often mention deep hydration from Kiehl's, and emollients help support the skin barrier.

Kiehl's or NIVEA: which moisturizer is better?

When it comes to moisturizers, Kiehl's is generally better suited for dry skin, where Lovi rates its routine fit as Superior compared to NIVEA's High. Reviewers note that the products on this page for Kiehl's offer lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers and deep hydration.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or NIVEA?

NIVEA is more affordable, as value for money is noted as an advantage for the products on this page, while a high price point is often mentioned for Kiehl's.

Which brand has better fragrance options or fewer products with added fragrance, Kiehl's or NIVEA?

Kiehl's offers significantly better fragrance options for shoppers avoiding added scents, as 26 of the 28 products on this page list no fragrance. In contrast, NIVEA has a higher proportion of scented options, with only 3 of the 9 products on this page listing no fragrance.

How do the routines for dry skin compare between Kiehl's and NIVEA in terms of routine fit levels?

For dry skin, Lovi rates Kiehl's routine as Superior and NIVEA's routine as High.

Which brand performs better for skin barrier and texture improvement according to review themes?

According to the review themes on this page, NIVEA performs better than Kiehl's for skin barrier and texture improvement.

Kiehl's or NIVEA for oily skin?

For oily skin, Kiehl's is Superior while NIVEA has a High routine fit level on the products on this page.

Kiehl's or NIVEA: which sunscreen is better?

When comparing sunscreens on this page, both Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum and NIVEA Protect & Moisture Sun Lotion SPF50+ help provide strong protection, though Kiehl's is particularly noted for high fit levels across skin types like sensitive and acne-prone skin.

Kiehl's or NIVEA for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, Kiehl's is the better choice because Lovi rates its routine as Superior, compared to High for NIVEA. Furthermore, the products on this page by Kiehl's lean toward being fragrance-free, as 26 of 28 products list no fragrance.

Kiehl's or NIVEA for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, both brands offer High routine fit levels on this page. Kiehl's features mostly fragrance-free products, while NIVEA products on this page frequently include fragrance.

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

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