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Kiehl's vs Avène

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

Kiehl's and Avène are respected skincare brands, with the American label founded in 1851 and the French counterpart established in 1990. Kiehl's is known for moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products featuring glycerin and squalane that suit dry and sensitive skin, while Avène is loved for rich moisturizers, sunscreens, targeted serums, and gentle cleansers featuring hydrating glycerin that suit oily and acne-prone skin best. Both rely on science-backed formulations and nourishing ingredients to increase hydration, restore epidermal barrier function, counteract oxidative stress, and stimulate fibroblast migration, though they differ in their origin and specific standout treatments. Ultimately, each brand provides thoughtful selections to ensure every consumer enjoys a calm and balanced complexion.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Avène is a French skincare brand founded in 1990 and owned by Fondation Pierre Fabre.

pierre-fabre.comavene.co.ukaveneusa.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Avène products

People Say

Kiehl'sAvène
  • Skin Barrier and Tone Improvement Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “Saves my skin in winter — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “immediate radiance boost — Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum”
  • Texture and Absorption Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “Thick but absorbs well eventually — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “absorbs very quickly — Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated 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”
    • “Restores moisture barrier — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “Leaves my skin feeling soft and hydrated. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
  • Gentleness and Sensitive Skin Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “leaves face clean but not dry — Avène Cleanance”
    • “Perfect cleanser for sensitive skin. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
    • “no irritation at all — Avène Hydrance+”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Pores and Oil Control Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “sucked the gunk out of my pores — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “keeps my oils at bay — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “Keeps me matte for hours — Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel”
    • “keeps skin matte — Avène Cleanance”
  • Soothing Irritation and Redness Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “Calmed my angry red skin overnight — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “Nothing has ever worked to soothe or heal my skin like these before. — Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm”
    • “Calms angry, red skin — Avène Soothing Radiance Mask”
  • Price and Value Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Its a bit pricey but so worth it!! — Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm”
    • “a bit pricey — Avène Cleanance”
    • “Tiny tube for the money — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Application and Texture Difficulties Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “hard to spread — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “leaves a tacky film — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “Tube squirted water everywhere — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “too thick — Avène Hydrance+”
  • Breakouts and Acne Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “cystic acne for some — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Woke up with tiny whiteheads all over — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “Caused small bumps/texture — Avène Soothing Radiance Mask”
  • Scents and Fragrance Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “smells clinical — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “faint lab smell — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “smell is overpowering — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “The fragrance is very present. — Avène Milk Cleanser”

Kiehl's vs Avène routines for dry skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · A$685.63 · 86% fitBuy Avène routine · A$239.08 · 78% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs Avène routines for oily skin

Buy Avène routine · A$394.87 · 87% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · A$767.92 · 85% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs Avène routines for combination skin

Buy Avène routine · A$381.11 · 87% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · A$693.88 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Avène: which is better?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer equal routine fit across most skin types, while Avène does better for gentleness and sensitive skin. Kiehl's has fewer fragranced products on this page than Avène.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Avène?

Kiehl's and Avène both offer high fit routines across all skin types, but Avène stands out for soothing irritation and sensitivity. For fragrance, Kiehl's does better on this page as most of its products list no fragrance.

Kiehl's or Avène for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer a High routine fit level for dry skin. Kiehl's is unlikely to irritate as most products on this page list no fragrance, whereas Avène includes fragrance in several of its options.

Kiehl's or Avène: which cleanser is better?

Kiehl's and Avène both offer cleansers with strong performance depending on your skin type. For oily and oily acne-prone skin, Lovi rates Kiehl's cleansers as Superior, while Avène cleansers like Cleanance Cleansing Gel are also rated High for oily skin and oily acne-prone skin. Kiehl's is generally better for fragrance-sensitive shoppers since 26 of its 28 products on this page list no fragrance, whereas over half of Avène's products on this page include fragrance.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Avène?

Avène is better on price and value according to the review themes on this page. Kiehl's reviewers often mention a high price point as a drawback.

Which brand has more fragrance-free products, Kiehl's or Avène?

Kiehl's has more fragrance-free products on this page, with 26 out of 28 products listing no fragrance compared to Avène's 7 out of 15 products.

How do Kiehl's and Avène compare when it comes to soothing irritation and redness?

When it comes to soothing irritation and redness, Avène does better than Kiehl's. Avène provides products like Eau Thermale Thermal Spring Water which is rated Superior for sensitive skin, while Kiehl's products on this page list no fragrance in 26 of 28 items.

What are the founding countries and years for Kiehl's and Avène?

Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States, while Avène was founded in 1990 in France.

Kiehl's or Avène for oily skin?

For oily skin, both Kiehl's and Avène fit well. Kiehl's offers products like the Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner with a Superior fit, while Avène provides options like the Cleanance sunscreen with a Superior fit.

Kiehl's or Avène: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer moisturizers with high Lovi fit levels for dry skin, with Kiehl's providing an option like Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate that has a Superior fit and Avène featuring Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm with a Superior fit. Kiehl's moisturizers on this page feature lightweight, non-greasy formulas with minimal fragrance, whereas Avène options help soothe irritation effectively.

Kiehl's or Avène for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Avène achieve a High Lovi fit level for sensitive skin, but Avène does better on gentleness and sensitive skin. Kiehl's is better on scents and fragrance, as 26 of its 28 products on this page list no fragrance.

Kiehl's or Avène: which sunscreen is better?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer sunscreens on this page with High fit levels for acne-prone skin, combination skin, mature skin, and skin with dark spots. Avène is better for gentleness and sensitive skin, while Kiehl's has fewer products with added fragrance.

Kiehl's or Avène for acne-prone skin?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer products on this page that are a High fit for acne-prone skin. Avène also provides a Superior routine fit for oily acne-prone skin.

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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