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CeraVe vs Kiehl's

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

CeraVe and Kiehl's are American skincare brands owned by L'Oreal that offer thoughtfully formulated moisturizers, cleansers, serums, and more, which harness hydrating ingredients like glycerin. Skincare enthusiasts love CeraVe for its soothing formulations that suit acne-prone skin and dry skin best, whereas the brand is cherished for its nourishing options featuring squalane that suit skin with dark spots and mature skin best. Both differ through their key ingredients and targeted choices, as the former utilizes hyaluronic acid while the latter incorporates squalane to address specific concerns.

CeraVe is an American skincare brand founded in 2005 and owned by L'Oréal since 2017.

en.wikipedia.orghappi.comloreal-finance.comcerave.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 CeraVe and Kiehl's products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular CeraVe vs Kiehl's products

People Say

CeraVeKiehl's
  • Fragrance-free and gentle formulas Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “doesn't leave face tight — CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser”
    • “no burning sensation — CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum”
    • “No scent, no irritation — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy texture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Absorbs into skin without residue — CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “Sinks right into your skin — CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “works on dark skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Saved my dry winter skin — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “woke up with plump skin — CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream”
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • Improving skin texture and acne marks Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “difference in my skin's texture is noticeable — CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser”
    • “lightened dark spots — CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “skin feels smoother — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Oil control and acne clearing Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “dialed back oiliness — CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser”
    • “Never breaks me out — CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “helped to stop my breakout in its tracks — CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser”
    • “keeps my oils at bay — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
  • Brightening and complexion enhancement 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”
    • “skin is literally glowing — CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum”
  • Price point and value concerns Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive Vaseline — CeraVe Healing Ointment”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Texture and consistency issues Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “feels like washing with conditioner — CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser”
    • “face feels stripped — CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser”
    • “too radiant for oily skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “leaves a tacky film — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
  • Breakouts and acne Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Gave me cystic acne — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “gave me closed comedones — CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser”
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “developed tiny white bumps — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”

CeraVe vs Kiehl's routines for dry skin

Buy CeraVe routine · £78.52 · 89% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £181.95 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

CeraVe vs Kiehl's routines for oily skin

Buy CeraVe routine · £185.98 · 84% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £283.08 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

CeraVe vs Kiehl's routines for combination skin

Buy CeraVe routine · £145.74 · 87% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £285.07 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

CeraVe or Kiehl's: which is better?

CeraVe and Kiehl's are both great choices, with CeraVe offering superior performance for acne-prone skin and every product on its page being fragrance-free. Kiehl's also performs well across major skin types, but it has a higher price point and includes fragrance in a couple of items.

What is the difference between CeraVe and Kiehl's?

CeraVe and Kiehl's both offer high routine fit across major skin types, but CeraVe achieves a superior fit for acne-prone skin with fragrance-free formulas. Kiehl's is frequently noted for brightening benefits and a higher price point, whereas CeraVe features ceramide-dominant barrier repair lipids.

CeraVe or Kiehl's for dry skin?

Both CeraVe and Kiehl's are great options for dry skin, offering an equal High routine fit on this page. CeraVe formulas help repair the skin barrier using ceramides, while Kiehl's products provide deep hydration with key ingredients like glycerin and squalane.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

CeraVe or Kiehl's: which cleanser is better?

CeraVe offers superior fit levels for acne-prone skin and oily acne-prone skin on this page, whereas Kiehl's features strong options like the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash with a Superior fit for oily skin and oily acne-prone skin. Reviewers note that CeraVe provides gentle, non-stripping cleansers while Kiehl's cleansers are often associated with a higher price point.

Which is more affordable, CeraVe or Kiehl's?

CeraVe is generally more affordable than Kiehl's, as price point and value concerns are noted less frequently for CeraVe.

CeraVe or Kiehl's: which brand is better for brightening and fading dark spots?

Kiehl's does better for brightening and complexion enhancement, while both brands are equal for improving skin texture and acne marks. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

CeraVe or Kiehl's: which brand is completely free of fragrance across its products?

CeraVe is completely free of fragrance across the products on this page, whereas Kiehl's includes fragrance in two of its products.

CeraVe or Kiehl's: which brand is better suited for mature skin?

Both CeraVe and Kiehl's offer a high routine fit for mature skin among the products on this page. CeraVe features fragrance-free formulas with ceramides that help repair the skin barrier, while Kiehl's is frequently noted for its brightening serums and anti-aging treatments.

CeraVe or Kiehl's for oily skin?

Both CeraVe and Kiehl's are a High fit for oily skin. CeraVe features fragrance-free formulas with key ingredients like ceramides and salicylic acid, while Kiehl's uses ingredients like squalane and glycerin.

CeraVe or Kiehl's: which moisturizer is better?

CeraVe and Kiehl's both offer high routine fit levels for moisturizers, with CeraVe standing out for fragrance-free formulas and better suitability for acne-prone skin. CeraVe moisturizers often feature ceramides and hyaluronic acid to help support the skin barrier, whereas Kiehl's options frequently incorporate squalane and glycerin to deliver deep hydration.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

CeraVe or Kiehl's for sensitive skin?

CeraVe and Kiehl's are both a High fit for sensitive skin on this page, but CeraVe scores better for fragrance-free and gentle formulas. CeraVe includes ceramide-dominant barrier repair lipids that may help alleviate skin irritation and protect the skin barrier.

CeraVe or Kiehl's: which sunscreen is better?

Both CeraVe and Kiehl's offer sunscreens with high Lovi fit levels for skin types such as mature, dry, and combination skin on this page. CeraVe formulas feature key ingredients like ceramides and hyaluronic acid to help maintain moisture, while Kiehl's options incorporate vitamin C and squalane to help brighten the complexion.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

CeraVe or Kiehl's for acne-prone skin?

CeraVe fits acne-prone skin with a Superior routine level, whereas Kiehl's achieves a High level. CeraVe offers more fragrance-free options and is generally better suited for oil control and acne clearing.

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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