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Kiehl's vs Elemis

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

Kiehl's and Elemis are established skincare brands that offer thoughtfully formulated moisturizers, serums, toners, and more. Kiehl's is known for nourishing ingredients like glycerin and squalane, suiting skin with dark spots and dry skin best, while Elemis harnesses glycerin and shea to suit mature skin and dry sensitive skin best. The American brand provides targeted standout products like the Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner, whereas the British brand features solutions such as the Pro-Collagen Marine Cream. Ultimately, while both brands actively support the skin with hydrating glycerin, the former brand relies on squalane to counteract oxidative stress, and the latter brand utilizes shea to reduce inflammation.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Elemis is a British skincare brand founded in 1989 and owned by L'Occitane Group since 2019.

elemis.comau.elemis.comen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Elemis products

People Say

Kiehl'sElemis
  • Deep hydration Often 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”
    • “The cream really hydrates and my face looks amazing. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream”
    • “Quenches thirsty skin... immediate improvement. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
  • Brightening and radiance Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “healthy glow — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
    • “instantly fresh glow — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
  • Lightweight texture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “Absorbs quickly — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Absorbs almost immediately, and my skin feels well hydrated all day. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
    • “weightless serum — Elemis Pro-Collagen Advanced Eye Treatment”
  • Skin barrier and texture improvement Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “skin feels smoother — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “baby soft — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
    • “skin feels baby soft — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
  • Relaxing or spa-like scent Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like a spa — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
    • “smells like a holiday — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “smells like a tropical cocktail — Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial”
    • “calming lavender smell — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
  • Gentle for sensitive skin Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “doesn't irritate sensitive eyes — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no stinging or redness — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
  • High price Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Complete waste of money for me. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
    • “very expensive — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
  • 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”
    • “blurry vision — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
    • “Developed milia and closed comedones. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
  • Ineffective or slow 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”
    • “didn't see a difference — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “didn't see difference — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”

Kiehl's vs Elemis routines for dry skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · AED 1,652.44 · 84% fitBuy Elemis routine · AED 2,268.50 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs Elemis routines for oily skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · AED 1,609.62 · 80% fitBuy Elemis routine · AED 1,630.94 · 77% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs Elemis routines for combination skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · AED 1,639.74 · 83% fitBuy Elemis routine · AED 1,644.88 · 79% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Elemis: which is better?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis achieve equal High routine fit levels for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, mature, dark spot, dry sensitive, and oily acne-prone skin, while Elemis reaches a High routine fit for acne-prone skin compared to Kiehl's Average. Reviewers note that Kiehl's is generally better for sensitive skin, whereas Elemis offers a more relaxing, spa-like scent.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Elemis?

Kiehl's tends to be gentler for sensitive skin, while Elemis offers a more relaxing, spa-like scent.

Kiehl's or Elemis for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis are good choices for dry skin, offering an equal High level of routine fit on this page.

Kiehl's or Elemis: which cleanser is better?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis offer cleansers with high or superior Lovi fit levels for various skin types, but Kiehl's is generally better suited for sensitive skin. Reviewers note that Kiehl's is more gentle for sensitive skin, whereas Elemis products on this page more often feature added fragrance.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Elemis?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis share a high price point among the products on this page, so neither brand is more affordable.

How do Kiehl's and Elemis differ in their use of fragrance across their product lines?

Kiehl's products on this page are mostly fragrance-free, with only 2 out of 28 listing fragrance. In contrast, Elemis products on this page frequently contain fragrance, with 18 out of 22 listing it.

Which brand performs better for acne-prone skin based on routine fit?

Elemis performs better for acne-prone skin, achieving a High routine fit compared to an Average routine fit for Kiehl's on this page.

What are the main key ingredients found across products for each brand?

Kiehl's features key ingredients such as glycerin, vitamin C, squalane, shea butter, and vitamin e across its products on this page. Elemis utilizes glycerin and shea butter as the primary key ingredients across its products on this page.

Kiehl's or Elemis for oily skin?

For oily skin, both Kiehl's and Elemis offer a High routine fit for the products on this page. Kiehl's has 26 of 28 products listing no fragrance, while Elemis has 4 of 22 products listing no fragrance.

Kiehl's or Elemis: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis offer well-regarded moisturizers, with Kiehl's providing particularly lightweight formulas and Elemis delivering luxurious textures. Lovi fit levels show that both brands achieve High routines for dry skin, mature skin, and dry sensitive skin.

Kiehl's or Elemis for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis achieve a High routine fit level for sensitive skin, but Kiehl's does better for sensitive skin according to reviewers.

Kiehl's or Elemis for acne-prone skin?

Elemis is a better choice for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine as High compared to an Average fit for Kiehl's.

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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