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Kiehl's vs SkinCeuticals

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

Kiehl's and SkinCeuticals are heritage American skincare brands owned by L'Oréal that offer thoughtful moisturizers, serums, cleansers, and eye products. The former is cherished for formulas anchored by glycerin and squalane to suit skin with dark spots and mature skin best, while the latter is loved for targeted solutions formulated with glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and dimethicone that suit dry skin and dry sensitive skin best. They differ through their distinct standout choices, such as the former featuring the Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner, Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash, and Ultra Facial Toner, whereas the latter highlights C E Ferulic, Sheer Physical UV Defense SPF 50, and A.G.E. Advanced Eye. Both support complexions effectively because their shared ingredient glycerin significantly increases hydration and restores epidermal barrier function.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

SkinCeuticals is an American skincare brand founded in 1994 and owned by L'Oréal since 2005.

loreal.comskinceuticals-za.compitchbook.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs SkinCeuticals products

People Say

Kiehl'sSkinCeuticals
  • Texture and Absorption Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “works on dark skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “silky and non-greasy — SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Advanced Eye”
    • “absorbs quickly — SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense Serum”
  • 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”
    • “Hydrated my skin beautifully. — SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2”
    • “Pure hydration in a bottle — SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 Gel”
  • Skin Barrier and Texture Improvement Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “definitely gave me a glass skin texture — SkinCeuticals P-TOX”
    • “pores appeared less noticeable — SkinCeuticals P-Tiox”
    • “My skin is softer to the touch. — SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
  • Gentle and Sensitive Skin Care Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “perfect for retinol newbies — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “Perfect starting strength — SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.3”
  • Brightening and Dark Spot Fading Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Skin looks radiant — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “I really love this product, as my skin is brighter. — SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF”
    • “Really fades brown spots, perfect for men and a little goes a long way! — SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF”
  • Pore Cleansing and Oil Control Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “sucked the gunk out of my pores — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “keeps my oils at bay — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “gets rid of blackheads — SkinCeuticals LHA Cleanser Gel”
    • “reduces oil — SkinCeuticals LHA Cleanser Gel”
  • High Price Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Too pricey for the hype — SkinCeuticals P-TOX”
  • Lack of Results Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Takes months to see — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “haven't noticed much change on the deeper lines — SkinCeuticals P-TOX”
    • “did nothing — SkinCeuticals P-Tiox”
  • Greasiness and Heavy Residue Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “feels tacky — SkinCeuticals H.A. Intensifier”
    • “sticky residue — SkinCeuticals Phyto Corrective Gel”
    • “oil slick in summer — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Breakouts and Acne Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “skin went through a slight purge — SkinCeuticals P-TOX”
    • “made me break out — SkinCeuticals Phyto Corrective Gel”
    • “caused cystic acne — SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense Serum”
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”

Kiehl's vs SkinCeuticals routines for dry skin

Buy SkinCeuticals routine · £181.39 · 92% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £181.95 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs SkinCeuticals routines for oily skin

Buy SkinCeuticals routine · £90.27 · 89% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £283.08 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs SkinCeuticals routines for combination skin

Buy SkinCeuticals routine · £247.63 · 90% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £285.07 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or SkinCeuticals: which is better?

Both brands perform well, but SkinCeuticals achieves Superior routine fit levels for dry, combination, acne-prone, and mature skin types on this page, whereas Kiehl's is noted as doing better for gentle and sensitive skin care. SkinCeuticals products frequently incorporate ingredients like retinol and hyaluronic acid that may help stimulate collagen accumulation and improve skin quality.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

What is the difference between Kiehl's and SkinCeuticals?

Kiehl's and SkinCeuticals are both U.S. skincare brands owned by L'Oréal, with Kiehl's founded in 1851 and SkinCeuticals in 1994. Reviewers note that Kiehl's does better for gentle and sensitive skin care, while SkinCeuticals does better for skin barrier and texture improvement. SkinCeuticals achieves superior routine fit for dry skin, dry sensitive skin, mature skin, skin with dark spots, combination skin, and acne-prone skin on this page, whereas Kiehl's routine fit is high for those skin types.

Kiehl's or SkinCeuticals for dry skin?

For dry skin, both brands offer products on this page that are suitable, though SkinCeuticals achieves a superior routine fit level compared to Kiehl's High level. SkinCeuticals is founded in the United States and owned by L'Oréal, featuring key ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid which helps hydrate the skin.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

Kiehl's or SkinCeuticals: which cleanser is better?

When it comes to cleansers on this page, both Kiehl's and SkinCeuticals offer strong options, with Kiehl's standing out for gentle and sensitive skin care and SkinCeuticals showing strong performance for oily and acne-prone skin types.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or SkinCeuticals?

When it comes to affordability, high price point is noted as a drawback for the products on this page for both Kiehl's and SkinCeuticals.

Between Kiehl's and SkinCeuticals, which brand is better for sensitive skin care?

Kiehl's does better for sensitive skin care, while SkinCeuticals rates as High for sensitive skin. Kiehl's is owned by L'Oréal S.A., whereas SkinCeuticals is owned by L'Oréal.

How do Kiehl's and SkinCeuticals compare regarding greasiness and heavy residue?

SkinCeuticals is noted by reviewers for greasiness and heavy residue, while Kiehl's is not mentioned as having this drawback. Reviewer feedback shows that Kiehl's does better than SkinCeuticals on this point.

Which brand performs better for skin barrier and texture improvement?

SkinCeuticals does better than Kiehl's for skin barrier and texture improvement. The products on this page help with skin barrier and texture improvement through key ingredients like retinol, which stimulates collagen accumulation in naturally aged human skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Kiehl's or SkinCeuticals for oily skin?

For oily skin, both Kiehl's and SkinCeuticals offer a High routine fit on this page. Kiehl's features standout options like the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash, while SkinCeuticals provides treatments such as Silymarin CF to help manage excess oil.

Kiehl's or SkinCeuticals: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and SkinCeuticals offer great moisturizers, with SkinCeuticals achieving a Superior routine fit for dry skin compared to Kiehl's High fit. SkinCeuticals is noted for barrier and texture improvement, while Kiehl's is often praised for lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers.

Kiehl's or SkinCeuticals for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, Lovi rates both Kiehl's and SkinCeuticals as High, but reviewers note that Kiehl's does better for gentle and sensitive skin care. Topical treatments with ingredients like emollients help support the skin barrier, which may reduce irritation for sensitive types.

Kiehl's or SkinCeuticals: which sunscreen is better?

SkinCeuticals is the better choice for sun protection, as Lovi rates Sheer Physical UV Defense SPF 50 as Superior for skin with dark spots, whereas Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum reaches a High fit level for that same concern.

Kiehl's or SkinCeuticals for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, Lovi rates Kiehl's routine fit as High and SkinCeuticals as Superior. The products on this page show that both brands offer high-performing acne and oil-controlling serums, but reviewers note that SkinCeuticals is more frequently linked to breakouts and acne.

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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