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Kiehl's vs The INKEY List

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

Kiehl's and The INKEY List are well-regarded skincare brands that offer moisturizers, serums, toners, eye products, and more. Kiehl's is known for nourishing ingredients like glycerin and squalane, while the British brand builds its products around glycerin. The American brand suits skin with dark spots and dry skin best, whereas the other brand fits sensitive skin and combination skin best. They differ primarily in their heritage and specific formulation approaches, though both utilize key ingredients that significantly increase hydration and restore epidermal barrier function.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

The INKEY List is a British skincare brand founded in 2018 and owned by Brand Evangelists for Beauty Limited.

cosmeticsbusiness.comprnewswire.comtheinkeylist.comtracxn.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs The INKEY List products

People Say

Kiehl'sThe INKEY List
  • Lightweight Texture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “sits beautifully under makeup — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “Gel consistency — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly 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”
    • “Super hydrating — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
    • “intense nourishment — The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum”
  • 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”
    • “Great for sensitive skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
    • “Safe and gentle especially for my dry, sensitive skin — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
  • Makeup Compatibility Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no pilling — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Melts away makeup and impurities without drying — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “no pilling under makeup — The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
  • Skin Barrier and Texture Often MentionedSometimes 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”
    • “calmed my menopausal redness — The INKEY List ECTOIN HYDRO-BARRIER SERUM”
  • Affordable Price Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “Good for the price — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “One of the best balms for quality and also price — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “unbeatable value — The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
  • High Price Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Packaging Issues Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “dipping fingers is unsanitary — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Dropper doesn't reach bottom — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Pump breaks easily — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
  • Efficacy and 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 do anything for circles — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “did absolutely nothing — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
  • Breakouts and Acne Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “cystic acne for some — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “did cause major breakouts — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
    • “New formula breaks me out — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”

Kiehl's vs The INKEY List routines for dry skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · AED 1,652.44 · 84% fitBuy The INKEY List routine · AED 474.43 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · AED 776.59 · 87% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · AED 1,609.62 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · AED 725.13 · 89% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · AED 1,639.74 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or The INKEY List: which is better?

Both brands offer products on this page that perform well, with The INKEY List providing a more affordable price point and better fit for sensitive skin, while Kiehl's is noted for supporting the skin barrier and texture. Reviewers find both brands equally effective for hydration, lightweight texture, and makeup compatibility.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and The INKEY List?

Kiehl's and The INKEY List both offer effective routines for various skin types, but Lovi shows that The INKEY List has a Superior fit for sensitive skin compared to Kiehl's. Reviewers note that The INKEY List provides more affordable options, while Kiehl's is often associated with higher prices and packaging issues.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List for dry skin?

Both brands offer an equal fit level for dry skin, with routines rated as High. The products on this page for both Kiehl's and The INKEY List provide hydrating moisturizers and deep moisture. Sodium hyaluronate in their formulas may help improve skin quality and hydration.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

Kiehl's or The INKEY List: which cleanser is better?

Both Kiehl's and The INKEY List offer cleansers that receive strong praise from shoppers, with Lovi fit levels reaching High or Superior for various skin types on the products on this page. The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser and Kiehl's Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash both help target specific concerns like oiliness and acne-prone skin.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or The INKEY List?

The products on this page show that The INKEY List is more affordable, whereas reviewers often note that Kiehl's has a high price point.

How do Kiehl's and The INKEY List compare when it comes to packaging issues?

When it comes to packaging issues, Kiehl's is noted by reviewers as having more concerns than The INKEY List.

Which brand performs better for skin barrier and texture improvement, Kiehl's or The INKEY List?

Kiehl's performs better for skin barrier and texture improvement. Review themes note that Kiehl's does better in this area.

Which brand is fragrance-free across all its products, Kiehl's or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List is completely fragrance-free across all the products on this page, whereas Kiehl's includes fragrance in a couple of items like the Age Defender Moisturizer and Facial Fuel Energizing Moisture Treatment for Men.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and The INKEY List fit oily skin well, as the products on this page achieve a High routine fit for this skin type. Reviewers note that both brands offer lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers and hydrating formulas that help maintain balanced skin.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and The INKEY List offer moisturizers that provide deep hydration and lightweight textures, with Kiehl's providing better options for skin barrier and texture and The INKEY List offering more affordable choices. Lovi rates the routine fit for dry skin as High for both brands, while Kiehl's is known for rich formulas like the Ultra Facial Cream and Super Multi-Corrective Cream, and The INKEY List features popular hydrating options such as the Omega Water Cream and Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, The INKEY List is a better option because Lovi gives it a Superior routine fit compared to the High fit of Kiehl's. Reviewers also note that The INKEY List has no fragrance in its products.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, The INKEY List is a better fit with a High routine level, whereas Kiehl's has an Average routine fit level.

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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