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Kiehl's vs Dermalogica

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

Kiehl's and Dermalogica are American skincare brands offering thoughtfully formulated moisturizers, cleansers, serums, and toners. The former relies on nourishing glycerin and squalane to suit mature skin and dark spots, while the latter utilizes hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and salicylic acid to balance oily and combination skin. While both brands feature targeted solutions for acne-prone skin, Kiehl's centers on time-tested hydration and barrier restoration, whereas Dermalogica focuses on active sebum control and resurfacing.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Dermalogica is an American skincare brand founded in 1986 and owned by Unilever since 2015.

en.wikipedia.orgcosmeticsbusiness.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Dermalogica products

People Say

Kiehl'sDermalogica
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
    • “Saved my dry skin — Dermalogica Super Rich Repair”
    • “super hydrating — Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque”
  • 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”
    • “blends seamlessly — Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50”
  • Improves skin barrier and texture Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “skin feels smoother — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “skin feels smooth as silk — Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant”
    • “Leaves a glistening glow — Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream”
  • Gentle formula for sensitive skin Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “doesn't strip skin — Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel”
    • “helps calm and nourish my skin — Dermalogica Stabilizing Repair Cream”
  • Brightens skin and fades dark spots Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Skin looks radiant — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “immediately brighter looking — Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant”
    • “skin looks amazing — Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque”
  • Oil control and pore reduction Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “keeps my oils at bay — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “keeps my T-zone matte — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “Brings out all the gunk — Dermalogica Blackhead Clearing Fizz Mask”
    • “doesn't clog pores — Dermalogica Active Moist”
  • High price point Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “hefty price tag — Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant”
    • “Expensive for cleanser — Dermalogica Precleanse”
  • Burning, stinging, and irritation Sometimes NotedSometimes 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”
    • “Stings eyes — Dermalogica Precleanse”
    • “burns immediately — Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque”
  • Unpleasant or strong scent Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells clinical — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “faint lab smell — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “smells like hot dog water — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “smells like puke — Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant”

Kiehl's vs Dermalogica routines for dry skin

Buy Dermalogica routine · £244.49 · 87% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £181.95 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs Dermalogica routines for oily skin

Buy Dermalogica routine · £375.97 · 90% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £283.08 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs Dermalogica routines for combination skin

Buy Dermalogica routine · £431.36 · 90% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £285.07 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Dermalogica: which is better?

Both brands offer products on this page with high or superior Lovi fit levels across most skin types, but Dermalogica achieves superior routine fit for oily and combination skin while Kiehl's is noted for lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Dermalogica?

Both brands offer effective routines for various skin types, but Dermalogica achieves a Superior Lovi fit for oily and combination skin compared to Kiehl's High fit. The products on this page from Kiehl's feature lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers and gentle serums, while Dermalogica focuses heavily on intense hydration and soothing formulas.

Kiehl's or Dermalogica for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Dermalogica are a High fit for dry skin, making them great choices depending on your personal preferences. Kiehl's offers lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers and deep hydration, while Dermalogica provides intense hydration and soothing moisturizers.

Kiehl's or Dermalogica: which cleanser is better?

Both Kiehl's and Dermalogica offer highly rated cleansers, with Dermalogica achieving a superior routine fit for oily and combination skin while Kiehl's also performs very well. Both brands provide gentle, non-stripping options that help cleanse the skin effectively without causing excessive dryness.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Dermalogica?

Both brands feature a high price point as a common drawback in reviewer feedback, so neither is clearly more affordable than the other.

Which brand performs better for oily acne-prone skin, Kiehl's or Dermalogica?

Dermalogica performs better for oily acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior while Kiehl's is High.

How do the fragrance profiles of Kiehl's and Dermalogica products compare?

Kiehl's features 26 fragrance-free products alongside two options that list fragrance, whereas every product on the Dermalogica page lists no fragrance. This means Kiehl's is more likely to present scent issues for sensitive shoppers.

Which brand has more products listing no fragrance, Kiehl's or Dermalogica?

Kiehl's and Dermalogica both offer fragrance-free options among the products on this page, with Dermalogica listing no fragrance in every product and Kiehl's listing no fragrance in 26 of its 28 products.

Kiehl's or Dermalogica for oily skin?

Dermalogica is the better fit for oily skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to High for Kiehl's. The products on this page help manage oil with key ingredients like salicylic acid and glycerin.

Kiehl's or Dermalogica: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and Dermalogica offer highly rated moisturizers, with Kiehl's providing lightweight, non-greasy textures and Dermalogica focusing on intense hydration and soothing relief. Reviewers frequently note that Kiehl's is great for lightweight moisture while Dermalogica excels in deep hydration, though both brands share a high price point.

Kiehl's or Dermalogica for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Dermalogica are a High fit for sensitive skin on the products on this page. Reviewers note that both brands provide gentle formulas and soothing moisturizers for sensitive skin.

Kiehl's or Dermalogica: which sunscreen is better?

Both Kiehl's and Dermalogica offer sunscreens with High fit levels for most skin types on this page. Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum has a High fit for skin with dark spots, combination skin, sensitive skin, and mature skin, while Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50 is rated Superior for mature skin.

Kiehl's or Dermalogica for acne-prone skin?

Both brands offer an equal fit level for acne-prone skin, as the routine fit for this skin type is High for Kiehl's and High for Dermalogica.

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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