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Kiehl's vs ISDIN

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

Kiehl's and ISDIN are esteemed skincare brands that offer thoughtful arrays of moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products designed to support daily skin health and comfort. The American brand is cherished for its nourishing ingredients like glycerin and squalane, suiting skin with dark spots and mature skin best through targeted relief, while the Spanish brand is beloved for its meticulous formulas that suit sensitive skin and dry skin best by providing gentle care. Ultimately, the two differ through their heritage and specific ingredient focuses, with the former anchoring its formulations in barrier-restoring glycerin and the latter driven by advanced sunscreens and expert solutions.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

ISDIN is a Spanish skincare brand founded in 1975 and owned by Puig.

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

Popular Kiehl's vs ISDIN products

People Say

Kiehl'sISDIN
  • Lightweight and Non-Greasy Texture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly — ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica”
    • “ultra-light fluid product, which makes it super easy to apply — ISDIN Fusion Water”
    • “Lightweight formula absorbs fast — ISDIN Hyaluronic Concentrate”
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
  • Gentle and Sensitive Skin Friendly Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Sensitive/reactive skin tolerates — ISDIN Hyaluronic Moisture”
    • “no excessive exfoliation — ISDIN Retinal Intense Serum”
    • “doesn't sting eyes — ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Deep and Intense Hydration Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “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”
    • “Improved moisture and texture — ISDIN Hyaluronic Moisture”
  • Makeup Compatibility Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “acts like a primer — ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica”
    • “My skin felt sooo hydrated and looks so plump and dewey. — ISDIN Fusion Water”
    • “Great under makeup — ISDIN Hyaluronic Concentrate”
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
  • Skin Barrier and Texture Improvement Often MentionedRarely 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 looked & felt smoother — Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Cream”
    • “skin was much smoother — ISDIN Retinal Intense Serum”
  • Brightening and Dark Spot Fading Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Skin looks radiant — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “faded acne scars — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “My hyperpigmentation has lightened and skin looks more even, even shines more. — ISDIN Flavo-C Serum”
  • High Price and Value Issues Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “very expensive — ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica”
    • “My only wish is that ISDIN would make this product in a bigger size bottle. — ISDIN Fusion Water”
  • Unpleasant Scent and Fragrance Issues Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells clinical — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “faint lab smell — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “smell is overpowering — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “smell is overpowering — ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica”
  • Ineffective or Slow Results Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “don't see result — ISDIN K-Ox Eyes”
    • “no noticeable changes yet — ISDIN Retinal Intense Serum”
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
  • Burning, Stinging, and Irritation Rarely 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”
    • “this did make my eyes water water in the sun. — ISDIN Fusion Water”
    • “mild redness or irritation — ISDIN K-Ox Eyes”

Kiehl's vs ISDIN routines for dry skin

Buy ISDIN routine · £127.49 · 94% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £181.95 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs ISDIN routines for oily skin

Buy ISDIN routine · £232.16 · 93% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £283.08 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs ISDIN routines for combination skin

Buy ISDIN routine · £221.17 · 93% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £285.07 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or ISDIN: which is better?

Both brands offer strong options, but ISDIN is Lovi rated Superior for dry skin while Kiehl's is rated High. ISDIN stands out for its ultralight sunscreens and sensitive-skin friendliness, whereas Kiehl's excels at deep hydration and brightening dark spots.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and ISDIN?

ISDIN is found to fit better for sensitive and dry skin types, while Kiehl's specializes in brightening and dark spot fading products on this page. Reviewers note that ISDIN offers more ultralight sunscreens, whereas Kiehl's focuses on deep hydration and barrier improvement.

Kiehl's or ISDIN for dry skin?

ISDIN offers Superior routine fit for dry skin, while Kiehl's routine fit is High. ISDIN features ultralight sunscreens and lightweight moisturizers, and Kiehl's is known for deep hydration and barrier improvement.

Kiehl's or ISDIN: which moisturizer is better?

ISDIN offers a better moisturizer fit overall, with Lovi rating their routine fit for dry skin as Superior compared to High for Kiehl's. ISDIN products on this page feature lightweight moisturizers that are mostly mentioned by reviewers, while Kiehl's moisturizers often cause breakouts and skin irritation.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or ISDIN?

Both Kiehl's and ISDIN are often mentioned by reviewers for having a high price point, meaning neither brand is clearly more affordable than the other.

Between Kiehl's and ISDIN, which brand is better suited for mature skin?

Both Kiehl's and ISDIN fit mature skin well, as Lovi rates their routines for mature skin as High and Superior, respectively. Kiehl's offers a wide range of targeted anti-aging and brightening serums, while ISDIN provides ultralight sunscreens and specialized treatments that help protect and improve skin quality.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Drug Delivery, 2017

Which brand performs better for brightening and fading dark spots?

Kiehl's performs better for brightening and fading dark spots. Lovi rates Kiehl's best for skin with dark spots, and reviewers note that it helps with brightening and fading dark spots.

How do the founding years and parent companies of Kiehl's and ISDIN compare?

Kiehl's was founded earlier in 1851 in the United States and is owned by L'Oréal S.A., while ISDIN was founded in 1975 in Spain and is owned by Puig.

Kiehl's or ISDIN for oily skin?

For oily skin, both Kiehl's and ISDIN provide great options, with Lovi rating ISDIN as Superior and Kiehl's as High. ISDIN shines with ultralight sunscreens like Fusion Water, whereas Kiehl's features products like Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash that help manage excess oil.

Kiehl's or ISDIN: which sunscreen is better?

ISDIN offers sunscreens like Eryfotona Actinica that achieve a Superior Lovi fit across sensitive skin and skin with dark spots, whereas Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum reaches a High fit for the same skin types. Reviewers mostly mention ISDIN sunscreens for their ultralight and makeup-friendly textures.

Kiehl's or ISDIN for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and ISDIN are great for sensitive skin, but ISDIN has a Superior routine fit compared to Kiehl's High fit level. ISDIN is known for ultralight, skin-friendly sunscreens that reviewers mostly mention as gentle.

Kiehl's or ISDIN for acne-prone skin?

Both Kiehl's and ISDIN are options for acne-prone skin, with Lovi rating Kiehl's routine fit as High and ISDIN as Superior. Kiehl's products on this page include several specialized options like Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution, while ISDIN offers high-performing sunscreens such as Fusion Water.

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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