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Kiehl's vs Olay

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

Kiehl's and Olay are two popular skincare brands that offer thoughtfully formulated moisturizers, serums, toners, cleansers, and eye products. The American brand Kiehl's relies on glycerin and squalane to suit dry skin and dark spots best, while Olay uses niacinamide and glycerin to suit sensitive skin and acne-prone skin best. Ultimately, both brands differ in their key ingredient profiles and target skin concerns, yet they each provide reliable daily hydration and targeted care.

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Olay products

People Say

Kiehl'sOlay
  • Texture and Absorption Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “sinks in quickly — Olay Super Serum”
    • “absorbs quickly — Olay Vitamin C Serum”
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
    • “Instantly smoother, softer, and more hydrated — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
    • “light and smooth — Olay Ultimate Eye Cream”
  • Skin Smoothing and Barrier Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin feels baby soft — Olay Retinol24”
    • “Skin feels like silk — Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer”
    • “Makeup goes on so smooth — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
  • 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”
    • “iridescent glow — Olay Super Serum”
    • “hides dark shadows — Olay Ultimate Eye Cream”
  • Gentle on Skin Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “fragrance-free — Olay Eye Lifting Serum”
    • “No irritation at all — Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer”
  • Makeup Compatibility Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no pilling — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “absorbs instantly — Olay Eye Lifting Serum”
    • “acts as primer — Olay Super Serum”
  • High Price Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “expensive for drugstore — Olay Super Serum”
    • “expensive — Olay Super Serum Night Repair”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Breakouts and Irritation Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “burned my face immediately — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “caused cystic acne — Olay Retinol24”
    • “Caused breakouts — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
  • Product Ineffectiveness Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “no difference — Olay Vitamin C Serum”
    • “not moisturizing enough — Olay Super Serum”
    • “didn't see a difference — Olay Retinol24”
    • “skin felt tight after an hour — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”

Kiehl's vs Olay routines for dry skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · AED 1,652.44 · 84% fitBuy Olay routine · AED 586.47 · 74% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs Olay routines for oily skin

Buy Olay routine · AED 897.24 · 84% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · AED 1,609.62 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs Olay routines for combination skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · AED 1,639.74 · 83% fitBuy Olay routine · AED 877.60 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Olay: which is better?

Both Kiehl's and Olay offer strong options, with Kiehl's providing a High routine fit for dry skin while Olay has a High routine fit for acne-prone skin.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Olay?

Kiehl's and Olay both offer effective products, but Kiehl's achieves a High routine fit for dry skin while Olay achieves an Average fit. For acne-prone skin, Olay reaches a High routine fit compared to Kiehl's Average fit.

Kiehl's or Olay for dry skin?

For dry skin, Kiehl's offers High routine fit while Olay has Average routine fit on the products on this page. Reviewers note that Kiehl's provides deep hydration.

Kiehl's or Olay: which cleanser is better?

Both Kiehl's and Olay offer cleansers that target various skin needs effectively. Kiehl's cleansing range on this page features products like the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash, which has a Superior Lovi fit for oily and oily acne-prone skin. Meanwhile, Olay provides options such as the Regenerating Cream Cleanser, which has a High Lovi fit for acne-prone, mature, and oily skin.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Olay?

Olay is more affordable, as reviewers on this page frequently note a high price point for Kiehl's while citing price benefits for Olay.

Which brand has a better routine fit for dry sensitive skin, Kiehl's or Olay?

Both Kiehl's and Olay show a High routine fit for dry sensitive skin on the products on this page. Lovi rates both brands equally for this skin type.

Kiehl's or Olay: which brand has more fragrance-free options?

Both Kiehl's and Olay offer twenty-six fragrance-free options among the products on this page.

Kiehl's or Olay for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and Olay offer products on this page that are a High fit for oily skin. Reviewers note that both brands provide lightweight, non-greasy options.

Kiehl's or Olay: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and Olay offer moisturizers that help deliver intense hydration and smooth skin texture. Kiehl's features lightweight, non-greasy options like the Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate, whereas Olay provides formulas such as the Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream that are well-suited for skin smoothing and barrier support.

Kiehl's or Olay for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Olay offer great options for sensitive skin, as Lovi rates their routines as High for this skin type. Kiehl's is mostly fragrance-free across the products on this page and features gentle soothing ingredients like Calendula officinalis flower extract, which helps prevent skin irritation.

Kiehl's or Olay: which sunscreen is better?

Both Kiehl's and Olay offer sunscreens with High Lovi fit levels for several skin types. Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum has a High fit for skin with dark spots, combination, sensitive, acne-prone, and mature skin, while Olay Regenerist Whip Face Moisturizer SPF 25 is High across mature, dry sensitive, dark spots, dry, oily acne-prone, combination, sensitive, oily, and acne-prone skin.

Kiehl's or Olay for acne-prone skin?

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

Kiehl's or Olay for mature skin?

Both Kiehl's and Olay are great options for mature skin, as Lovi rates both brands as having a High routine fit. Olay uses ingredients like niacinamide that help reduce signs of aging and pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

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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