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The Ordinary vs Kiehl's

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

The Ordinary and Kiehl's are distinct skincare brands offering dedicated ranges of serums, moisturizers, cleansers, toners, and more. The Canadian brand specializes in formulations built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane that suit dry skin and dry sensitive skin best, while the American brand is cherished for its nourishing options anchored by glycerin and squalane that suit skin with dark spots and mature skin best. Both utilize glycerin to significantly increase hydration and barrier function along with squalane, yet they differ in their specific ingredient applications and targeted relief for unique skin concerns.

The Ordinary is a Canadian skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 2021.

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

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 The Ordinary and Kiehl's products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular The Ordinary vs Kiehl's products

People Say

The OrdinaryKiehl's
  • Texture and Pores Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “skin feels baby butt smooth — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “skin feels incredibly soft afterwards — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
  • Hydration and Moisture Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Value and Pricing Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “lasts forever — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “can't beat the price — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “extremely affordable — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
  • Lightweight and Non-Greasy Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “works on dark skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
  • Brightening and Dark Spots Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Dark spots have faded noticeably — The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA”
    • “helped lighten post-acne scars — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “pimples disappear within a day — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “scars and hormonal acne faded — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “faded dark spots — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “keeps my oils at bay — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
  • Sticky or Heavy Finish Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin felt tight after an hour — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “oil slick in summer — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “too radiant for oily skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • High Price Point Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Expensive for Ordinary — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Skin Irritation and Stinging Sometimes NotedRarely 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”
    • “left my face bright red — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “irritated AF the next day — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
  • Pilling and Makeup Compatibility Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “rolled off my face — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “pills under my makeup — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”

The Ordinary vs Kiehl's routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · £90.51 · 97% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £181.95 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

The Ordinary vs Kiehl's routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · £120.07 · 93% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £283.08 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs Kiehl's routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · £134.25 · 92% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £285.07 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Kiehl's: which is better?

The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit across all skin types on this page, whereas Kiehl's is rated High. Reviewers note that The Ordinary offers better value, acne control, and texture smoothing, while Kiehl's excels in hydration.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Kiehl's?

The Ordinary offers better value, acne control, and texture-smoothing serums, while Kiehl's provides superior hydration and lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers across the products on this page. Lovi rates The Ordinary as Superior for dry skin, dry sensitive skin, and sensitive skin, whereas Kiehl's fits these skin types at a High level.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's for dry skin?

For dry skin, both brands work well, but The Ordinary offers a superior routine fit compared to Kiehl's. Every product on this page from The Ordinary lists no fragrance, and its routine fit for dry skin is rated as Superior.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's: which cleanser is better?

The products on this page show that both brands offer cleansers with strong ratings, but The Ordinary is better for value while Kiehl's leans toward lightweight hydration.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Kiehl's?

The Ordinary offers better value and pricing among the products on this page, whereas Kiehl's reviewers often mention a high price point.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's: which brand is better for reducing dark spots and brightening skin?

Both The Ordinary and Kiehl's are equal when it comes to brightening and fading dark spots based on the products on this page. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppresses melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Which brand has a better performance for skin texture and pores, The Ordinary or Kiehl's?

The Ordinary performs better for skin texture and pores based on reviewer themes on the page. The products on this page help smooth texture and manage acne.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's: which brand offers better options without fragrance?

The Ordinary offers better options without fragrance, as every single product on its page lists no fragrance in its ingredients. In comparison, Kiehl's includes fragrance in two of the products on its page.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's for oily skin?

For oily skin, Lovi rates both The Ordinary and Kiehl's as having a Superior routine fit. Reviewers note that The Ordinary provides better acne and blemish control, while Kiehl's offers lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's: which moisturizer is better?

Both The Ordinary and Kiehl's offer effective moisturizers, with The Ordinary rated as having a Superior routine fit for dry skin, while Kiehl's is noted for deep hydration and lightweight, non-greasy formulas. The Ordinary features key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and squalane, whereas Kiehl's incorporates glycerin, vitamin C, and squalane across the products on this page.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Drug Delivery, 2017

The Ordinary or Kiehl's for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, both The Ordinary and Kiehl's are good options, as Lovi rates both brands as having a Superior routine fit for sensitive skin. The Ordinary offers fragrance-free formulas across all products on this page and is often noted by reviewers for being gentle and non-irritating.

The Ordinary or Kiehl's for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, both brands offer good options, but The Ordinary is the better fit overall with a routine fit of Superior compared to Kiehl's High. The Ordinary also does better on acne and blemish control according to reviewers.

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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