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COSRX vs Kiehl's

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

COSRX and Kiehl's are distinct skincare brands founded in 2003 and 1851, respectively. COSRX is beloved for its serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and masks featuring hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide to suit oily and sensitive skin, while Kiehl's is known for its moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products featuring glycerin and squalane to suit dry and sensitive skin. Through these formulations, the former brand focuses on balancing moisture, soothing irritation, and reducing cell damage, whereas the latter emphasizes nourishment, restoring epidermal barrier function, and counteracting oxidative stress.

COSRX is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2013 and owned by Amorepacific Group since 2024.

koreajoongangdaily.combeautymatter.comprnewswire.com

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

Popular COSRX vs Kiehl's products

People Say

COSRXKiehl's
  • Glow and skin texture improvement Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “woke up with soft, supple skin — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “gives me that glass skin look — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
  • Lightweight and fast-absorbing Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly like water — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “sinks in immediately — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
  • Gentle and non-stripping formula Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “No stinging or irritation — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “doesn't strip my skin — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “no stinging — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
    • “savior for dry patches — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “skin drinks it up — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
  • Effective acne and pore control Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “helped to improve my acne after only 2 weeks — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “cleared up my spots — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “Melted blackheads right off — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “sucked the gunk out of my pores — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
  • High price and poor value Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive for me — COSRX The Hyaluronic Acid 3 Serum”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Allergic reactions and skin irritation Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “stings really bad if it accidentally gets in the eyes — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “burns eyes when sweating — COSRX Ultra-Light Invisible Sunscreen”
    • “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”
  • Dryness or insufficient moisture Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “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”
    • “left my face tight — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
  • No visible or slow results Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Takes a month to work — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “didn't do anything — COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner”
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Takes months to see — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”

COSRX vs Kiehl's routines for dry skin

Buy COSRX routine · A$239.37 · 91% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · A$685.63 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

COSRX vs Kiehl's routines for oily skin

Buy COSRX routine · A$330.57 · 92% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · A$767.92 · 85% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

COSRX vs Kiehl's routines for combination skin

Buy COSRX routine · A$311.08 · 89% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · A$693.88 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

COSRX or Kiehl's: which is better?

COSRX is better for sensitive and acne-prone skin because the products on this page achieve a Superior fit for those skin types. Kiehl's is better for deep hydration and moisturization.

What is the difference between COSRX and Kiehl's?

COSRX is more affordable and better suited for gentle formulas and acne control, while Kiehl's specializes in deep hydration with a higher price point. Both brands offer lightweight absorption and improve skin texture equally.

COSRX or Kiehl's for dry skin?

For dry skin, COSRX offers a Superior routine fit while Kiehl's provides a High routine fit. COSRX features key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and panthenol, which help hydrate the skin and support barrier repair.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002

COSRX or Kiehl's: which cleanser is better?

Both COSRX and Kiehl's offer effective cleansers, but COSRX is rated Superior for sensitive and dry sensitive skin, while Kiehl's features top options like the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash that are well-suited for oily skin.

Which is more affordable, COSRX or Kiehl's?

COSRX is more affordable, whereas Kiehl's features a high price point among its review themes.

COSRX or Kiehl's: which brand is more gentle and non-stripping?

COSRX is more gentle and non-stripping compared to Kiehl's. Reviewers on this page frequently praise COSRX for formulas that are gentle and non-irritating.

COSRX or Kiehl's: which is better for deep hydration and moisturization?

Kiehl's does better than COSRX for deep hydration and moisturization according to the reviewer themes on the page. Kiehl's offers products like the Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate, which provides superior deep hydration for dry skin.

COSRX or Kiehl's: which brand offers better acne and pore control?

COSRX offers better acne and pore control than Kiehl's, as it is noted for effective acne control and clearing while fitting acne-prone skin at a Superior level.

COSRX or Kiehl's for oily skin?

For oily skin, both COSRX and Kiehl's offer high routine fit levels, but COSRX is rated Superior while Kiehl's is High. COSRX also does better on the products on this page for effective acne and pore control.

COSRX or Kiehl's: which moisturizer is better?

Comparing moisturizer options on this page, COSRX fits dry skin at a Superior level with its Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence, while Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream fits dry skin at an Average level. Hyaluronic acid helps maintain skin hydration and wound healing.

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

COSRX or Kiehl's for sensitive skin?

COSRX is a better fit for sensitive skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Kiehl's High fit on this page. Reviewers report that COSRX offers a gentler and less-stripping formula.

COSRX or Kiehl's: which sunscreen is better?

Both COSRX and Kiehl's offer sunscreens with High Lovi fit levels for sensitive skin, skin with dark spots, mature skin, and oily skin on the products on this page. COSRX sunscreen formulas feature hyaluronic acid and panthenol, which help provide hydration and skin barrier support.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002

COSRX or Kiehl's for acne-prone skin?

COSRX is the better choice for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to High for Kiehl's. Reviewers indicate that COSRX does better for effective acne and pore 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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