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Kiehl's vs Simple

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

Kiehl's and Simple are two well-established skincare brands that offer thoughtful arrays of moisturizers, cleansers, toners, and more. The American brand is widely loved for its serums, eye products, and other items anchored by glycerin and squalane, suiting skin with dark spots and dry skin best. Conversely, the British brand is deeply loved for its makeup removers and gentle formulations that incorporate niacinamide and glycerin, suiting oily skin and acne-prone skin best. These two options ultimately differ in their key ingredients and targeted skin types, providing distinct approaches to daily hydration and care.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Simple is a British skincare brand founded in 1960 and owned by Unilever PLC since 2011.

en.wikipedia.orgsec.govprnewswire.comsimple.co.uk

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Simple products

People Say

Kiehl'sSimple
  • Gentle for sensitive skin Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Does not cause any form of irritation on the skin which I love. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
    • “The only cleanser that doesn't turn my face red. — Simple Micellar Water”
    • “no artificial perfume — Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Lightweight texture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “Absorbs quickly — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “sinks in instantly — Simple Water Boost Hydrating Gel Cream”
  • Non-drying and hydrating formulas Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “banished dryness within days — Simple Replenishing Rich Moisturiser”
    • “Instantly boosts skin's hydration... face doesn't feel dry and tight. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft, not tight. — Simple Micellar Water”
  • Makeup compatibility Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no pilling — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “makeup lays well — Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser”
    • “works well under foundation — Simple Replenishing Rich Moisturiser”
  • Affordable value Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “great value for money — Simple Kind to Skin Soothing Facial Toner”
    • “super affordable — Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser”
    • “Can't beat the price for the quality. — Simple Micellar Water”
  • Cleansing and pore care Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Takes off any makeup residue and makes my face feel refreshed. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
    • “Best morning cleanser — Simple Refreshing Facial Wash”
    • “Skin feels soft not dry — Simple Refreshing Facial Wash”
    • “sucked the gunk out of my pores — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
  • High price Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Causes breakouts and acne Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “cystic acne for some — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Gave me tiny bumps on my forehead. — Simple Micellar Water”
    • “caused major breakouts — Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser”
  • Insufficient moisture Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “skin felt tight after an hour — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “some extremely dry skin types need a thicker balm or oil on top — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “not moisturizing enough — Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser”

Kiehl's vs Simple routines for dry skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · AED 1,652.44 · 84% fitBuy Simple routine · AED 455.14 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs Simple routines for oily skin

Buy Simple routine · AED 790.31 · 88% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · AED 1,609.62 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs Simple routines for combination skin

Buy Simple routine · AED 644.67 · 85% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · AED 1,639.74 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Simple: which is better?

Simple tends to be better for sensitive skin, offering gentle and value-friendly formulas, while Kiehl's provides a wider variety of targeted serums and lightweight textures.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Simple?

Simple offers better gentleness for sensitive skin and more affordable value among the products on this page, while Kiehl's provides a more lightweight texture. Both brands achieve equal routine fit levels for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, mature, dark-spot, dry-sensitive, and oily-acne-prone skin types.

Kiehl's or Simple for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Simple achieve a High routine fit for dry skin among the products on this page. Kiehl's features key ingredients like glycerin and squalane alongside lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers, while Simple provides gentle, value-friendly hydration.

Kiehl's or Simple: which cleanser is better?

Simple cleanser is better for gentle, sensitive-skin care, while Kiehl's cleansers on this page offer superior fit levels for oily and acne-prone skin.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Simple?

Simple is more affordable, as reviewers often mention its affordable value while noting Kiehl's has a high price point.

Which brand has better fragrance-free options between Kiehl's and Simple?

Simple has better fragrance-free options because every product on this page for Simple lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas two products from Kiehl's contain fragrance.

How do the founding years and corporate owners of Kiehl's and Simple compare?

Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States and has been owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 2000, whereas Simple was founded in 1960 in the United Kingdom and has been owned by Unilever PLC since 2011.

Which brand is better suited for acne-prone skin according to the routine fit data?

Simple is better suited for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine fit as High while Kiehl's routine fit is rated as Average.

Kiehl's or Simple for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and Simple achieve a High routine fit for oily skin among the products on this page. Kiehl's features lightweight moisturizers and specialized pore-cleansing products, while Simple offers value-friendly cleansers and micellar waters.

Kiehl's or Simple: which moisturizer is better?

Simple offers more affordable, value-friendly moisturizers with gentle, non-drying formulas, whereas Kiehl's provides lightweight moisturizers with higher price points. Lovi rates the routine fit for dry skin as High for both brands.

Kiehl's or Simple for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Simple are a High fit for sensitive skin among the products on this page. Reviewers note that Simple does better for being gentle for sensitive skin, while Kiehl's offers lightweight textures across its products.

Kiehl's or Simple for acne-prone skin?

Simple achieves a High fit level for acne-prone skin, whereas Kiehl's is rated Average for this skin type on the products on this page.

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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