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Kiehl's vs Minimalist

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

Kiehl's and Minimalist are two distinct skincare brands offering diverse solutions for daily routines. Kiehl's is an American brand known for its moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products featuring glycerin and squalane, which suit dry skin and dark spots best. Conversely, the Indian brand focuses on sunscreens, moisturizers, and cleansers that fit oily skin and acne-prone skin best. Ultimately, both differ primarily in their founding heritage, targeted skin concerns, and signature ingredient profiles.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Minimalist is an Indian skincare brand founded in 2020 and owned by Unilever PLC since 2025.

m.economictimes.comunilever.combeminimalist.copersonalcareinsights.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Minimalist products

People Say

Kiehl'sMinimalist
  • Lightweight and Non-Greasy Texture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “leaves absolutely no white cast — Minimalist SPF 50 Sunscreen”
    • “absorbs quickly and doesn't feel greasy — Minimalist Vitamin B5 10% Moisturizer”
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
  • Hydration and Moisture 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”
    • “very moisturizing — Minimalist SPF 50 Sunscreen”
    • “calmed it when my skin was super irritated — Minimalist Vitamin B5 10% Moisturizer”
  • Oil Control Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “acne cleared up in a week — Minimalist Salicylic Acid + LHA 2% Face Cleanser”
    • “perfect moisturizer for oily skin — Minimalist Vitamin B5 10% Moisturizer”
    • “keeps skin oil-free for hours — Minimalist Salicylic Acid + LHA 2% Face Cleanser”
    • “keeps my T-zone matte — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
  • Consistency and Scent Notes Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “zero smell — Minimalist Vitamin B5 10% Moisturizer”
    • “great for sensitive skin — Minimalist Salicylic Acid + LHA 2% Face Cleanser”
    • “calming lavender smell — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
  • Gentle on 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 make skin feel tight — Minimalist Salicylic Acid + LHA 2% Face Cleanser”
  • Skin Barrier and Texture Improvement Often MentionedNot 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”
  • Greasy or Oily Finish Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “oil slick in summer — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “too radiant for oily skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “didn't absorb well — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “makes face very oily — Minimalist SPF 50 Sunscreen”
  • Texture and Drying Issues Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “consistency is like water — Minimalist Salicylic Acid + LHA 2% Face Cleanser”
  • High Price and Poor Value Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Unpleasant Scent and Chemical Smell 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 chemicals — Minimalist Salicylic Acid + LHA 2% Face Cleanser”
  • Packaging and Application Issues Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “dipping fingers is unsanitary — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “hard to spread — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “cap leaks during travel — Minimalist Salicylic Acid + LHA 2% Face Cleanser”

Kiehl's vs Minimalist routines for dry skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · AED 1,652.44 · 84% fitBuy Minimalist routine · AED 286.20 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs Minimalist routines for oily skin

Buy Minimalist routine · AED 752.43 · 94% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · AED 1,609.62 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs Minimalist routines for combination skin

Buy Minimalist routine · AED 699.49 · 93% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · AED 1,639.74 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Minimalist: which is better?

Minimalist performs better for oily, acne-prone, and dark-spot-prone skin types, while Kiehl's is better suited for skin barrier and texture improvement. Reviewers indicate that Minimalist offers better oil control and a lightweight texture, whereas Kiehl's products on this page are frequently noted for a high price point and occasional breakouts.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Minimalist?

Kiehl's fits best for skin with dark spots, dry skin, and mature skin, while Minimalist fits best for acne-prone skin, oily skin, and combination skin. Reviewers find that the products on this page by Minimalist offer better lightweight textures and oil control, whereas Kiehl's excels in skin barrier and texture improvement.

Kiehl's or Minimalist for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Minimalist achieve a High Lovi fit level for dry skin, making them equally suitable options on this page.

Kiehl's or Minimalist: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and Minimalist offer moisturizers that fit dry skin at a High level on this page. Reviewers note that Kiehl's provides lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers, while Minimalist features products with fragrance-free formulations.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Minimalist?

Minimalist offers better value, while reviewers often note Kiehl's has a high price point.

Which brand performs better for oil control, Kiehl's or Minimalist?

Minimalist performs better for oil control, as the products on this page achieve a superior routine fit for oily skin compared to Kiehl's High level.

Do Kiehl's products contain added fragrance?

Most Kiehl's products on this page list no fragrance in their ingredients. Only two products, Age Defender Moisturizer and Facial Fuel Energizing Moisture Treatment for Men, contain added fragrance.

Which brand is better for improving skin barrier and texture?

Kiehl's does better than Minimalist for skin barrier and texture improvement. Lovi rates Kiehl's routine fit as High for dry, sensitive, mature, and dry sensitive skin, and the products on this page help improve skin texture.

Kiehl's or Minimalist for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, both Kiehl's and Minimalist achieve a High routine fit level on this page. Reviewers note that both brands are gentle on skin, and all products on this page for Minimalist and almost all for Kiehl's list no fragrance.

Kiehl's or Minimalist: which sunscreen is better?

Both Kiehl's and Minimalist offer sunscreens on this page with a High fit level for acne-prone skin, combination skin, mature skin, sensitive skin, and dry sensitive skin. Minimalist also achieves a High fit level for oily skin and oily acne-prone skin, whereas Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum has an Average fit level for those two skin types.

Kiehl's or Minimalist for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, Minimalist does better, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior while Kiehl's is Average. The products on this page from Minimalist also tend to have a lightweight and non-greasy texture that helps with oil control.

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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