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Kiehl's vs Elemis

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

Kiehl's and Elemis are esteemed skincare brands that offer a thoughtful array of moisturizers, serums, toners, and cleansers. Kiehl's relies on glycerin and squalane to suit dry and sensitive skin, while Elemis utilizes glycerin and shea to best serve dry and mature skin. Both brands differ in their founding heritage and targeted formulations, providing distinct paths to increased hydration and restored 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

Elemis is a British skincare brand founded in 1989 and owned by L'Occitane Group since 2019.

elemis.comau.elemis.comen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Elemis products

People Say

Kiehl'sElemis
  • Deep hydration 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”
    • “The cream really hydrates and my face looks amazing. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream”
    • “Quenches thirsty skin... immediate improvement. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
  • 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”
    • “healthy glow — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
    • “instantly fresh glow — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
  • Lightweight texture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “Absorbs quickly — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Absorbs almost immediately, and my skin feels well hydrated all day. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
    • “weightless serum — Elemis Pro-Collagen Advanced Eye Treatment”
  • Skin barrier and texture improvement Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “skin feels smoother — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “baby soft — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
    • “skin feels baby soft — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
  • Relaxing or spa-like scent Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like a spa — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
    • “smells like a holiday — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “smells like a tropical cocktail — Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial”
    • “calming lavender smell — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
  • Gentle for sensitive skin Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “doesn't irritate sensitive eyes — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no stinging or redness — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
  • High price Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Complete waste of money for me. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
    • “very expensive — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
  • Burning, stinging, and irritation Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “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”
    • “blurry vision — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
    • “Developed milia and closed comedones. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
  • Ineffective or slow 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 see a difference — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “didn't see difference — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”

Kiehl's vs Elemis routines for dry skin

Buy Elemis routine · A$549.28 · 91% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · A$685.63 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs Elemis routines for oily skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · A$767.92 · 85% fitBuy Elemis routine · A$653.08 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs Elemis routines for combination skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · A$693.88 · 83% fitBuy Elemis routine · A$720.04 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Elemis: which is better?

Both brands offer great options, but Kiehl's is often better for sensitive skin while Elemis tends to provide a more relaxing, spa-like scent. For dry skin and mature skin, Lovi rates Elemis as Superior and Kiehl's as High.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Elemis?

Kiehl's offers better fit for sensitive skin on the products on this page, whereas Elemis provides a more relaxing or spa-like scent.

Kiehl's or Elemis for dry skin?

Both brands offer products on this page that suit dry skin well, but Elemis achieves a Superior routine fit compared to Kiehl's High fit level. Elemis features specialized options like the Pro-Collagen Marine Cream, while Kiehl's provides deeply hydrating choices such as the Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate.

Kiehl's or Elemis: which cleanser is better?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis offer cleansers with strong performance, but Kiehl's stands out for having more fragrance-free options across the products on this page. Lovi rates Kiehl's Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash at Superior for oily and oily acne-prone skin.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Elemis?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis feature a high price point as a common drawback noted by reviewers, so neither stands out as more affordable than the other on this page.

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

Kiehl's has more fragrance-free products than Elemis on this page, with 26 out of 28 products listing no fragrance compared to only 4 out of 22 for Elemis.

Kiehl's or Elemis for dark spots?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis are options for dark spots, as the products on this page show high and average fits for skin with dark spots. Reviewers note that both brands help with brightening and fading dark spots.

Kiehl's or Elemis for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis achieve a High routine fit for oily skin. The products on this page show that Kiehl's features a high proportion of fragrance-free formulas, while Elemis often includes added fragrance.

Kiehl's or Elemis: which moisturizer is better?

When it comes to moisturizers, Elemis has a superior routine fit for dry and mature skin compared to Kiehl's, while Kiehl's features a high proportion of fragrance-free products on this page to help sensitive skin.

Kiehl's or Elemis for sensitive skin?

Kiehl's is better for sensitive skin as the products on this page are generally gentler, with almost all listings being fragrance-free compared to Elemis.

Kiehl's or Elemis for acne-prone skin?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis achieve a High routine fit for acne-prone skin on the products on this page. Kiehl's is noted as being gentler for sensitive skin, whereas Elemis offers a spa-like scent.

Kiehl's or Elemis for mature skin?

For mature skin, Elemis offers a Superior routine fit, whereas Kiehl's provides a High fit on this page. Elemis also features specialized products like the Pro-Collagen Marine Cream that achieves a Superior fit for mature 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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