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Kiehl's vs L'Oreal Paris

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

Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris are respected beauty companies that offer targeted skincare for different complexions. Kiehl's is known for moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products featuring glycerin and squalane, which suit dry and sensitive skin best. Conversely, the French brand is celebrated for serums, moisturizers, masks, and eye products utilizing hyaluronic acid and glycerin, which suit oily and oily acne-prone skin best. These two options differ primarily in their core ingredient profiles and the specific skin types they naturally favor.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

L'Oreal Paris is a French skincare brand founded in 1909 and owned by L'Oréal S.A..

en.wikipedia.orgloreal.comloreal-paris.co.ukcosmeticsbusiness.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs L'Oreal Paris products

People Say

Kiehl'sL'Oreal Paris
  • Deep hydration and moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
    • “wake up with soft skin — L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Cream”
    • “Leaves my face feeling plump and dewy all day. — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy texture Mostly 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”
    • “Absorbs fast — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Night Cream”
  • Skin barrier and texture improvements Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin is a lot smoother — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Laser Pure Retinol Night Serum”
    • “My skin feels silky and soft to the touch. — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift”
    • “Smooth and creamy texture that spreads very nicely. — L'Oreal Paris Pure-Clay Mask”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
  • Dark spot fading and brightening Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin looks luminous — L'Oreal Paris Glycolic Bright”
    • “significant reduction in the appearance of dark spots — L'Oreal Paris Bright Reveal 12% Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum”
    • “skin looks glowing — L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Cream”
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
  • Gentle formula and suitability 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”
    • “perfect for retinol newbies — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “very gentle, didn't irritate my skin — L'Oreal Paris Bright Reveal 12% Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum”
  • Plumping and fine line reduction Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “diminished fine lines, under-eye discoloration as well Crow's feet — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Pressed Night Cream”
    • “fine lines around eyes less noticeable — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Laser Pure Retinol Night Serum”
    • “reduces puffiness under the eyes — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Eye Cream”
    • “Skin looks noticeably more plump — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • High price and poor value Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “a little bit pricy — L'Oreal Paris Glycolic Bright”
    • “taken aback by the price — L'Oreal Paris Bright Reveal 12% Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Burning, stinging, and irritation Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “left my face bright red — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “slight tingling the first few times — L'Oreal Paris Dark Spot Exfoliant Peel”
  • Unpleasant scent or strong fragrance Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “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 perfume smell is overwhelming and lingers. — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift”

Kiehl's vs L'Oreal Paris routines for dry skin

Buy L'Oreal Paris routine · A$193.90 · 90% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · A$685.63 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs L'Oreal Paris routines for oily skin

Buy L'Oreal Paris routine · A$414.37 · 95% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · A$767.92 · 85% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs L'Oreal Paris routines for combination skin

Buy L'Oreal Paris routine · A$357.85 · 93% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · A$693.88 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris: which is better?

Both brands offer strong options, but L'Oreal Paris achieves a Superior routine fit for most skin types on the products on this page, whereas Kiehl's is known for having fewer fragrances across its line.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris?

Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris are both owned by L'Oréal S.A., but Kiehl's best fits dry, sensitive, and mature skin, whereas L'Oreal Paris focuses more on oily and acne-prone skin. The products on this page show that Kiehl's generally avoids added fragrance in most formulas, while L'Oreal Paris includes it in half of its featured products.

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris offer products for dry skin, with Lovi fit levels of High and Superior respectively for dry skin routines. Kiehl's features a high proportion of fragrance-free products on this page, while L'Oreal Paris is noted for deep hydration and moisturization.

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris offer moisturizers on this page that help deliver deep hydration, with Lovi fit levels varying by your skin type. Kiehl's is often noted for lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers, while L'Oreal Paris products on this page frequently provide deep hydration and moisturization.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris?

L'Oreal Paris is more affordable, as reviewers often note value and affordability for the brand, whereas a high price point is frequently mentioned for Kiehl's.

How do the fragrance levels compare between Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris skincare products?

Kiehl's products on this page generally feature fewer added scents, as 26 of 28 options list no fragrance, whereas half of L'Oreal Paris products include fragrance. Reviewers also note that Kiehl's is more likely to cause strong scents.

Which brand performs better for dark spot fading and brightening according to review themes?

According to the review themes on this page, L'Oreal Paris performs better than Kiehl's for dark spot fading and brightening.

What are the key differences in founding year and country of origin between Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris?

Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States, whereas L'Oreal Paris was founded in 1909 in France. Both brands are currently owned by L'Oréal S.A.

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris for oily skin?

For oily skin, both brands work well, with Lovi rating Kiehl's routine fit as High and L'Oreal Paris routine fit as Superior. The products on this page help provide effective cleansing and oil control.

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin among the products on this page. Kiehl's is particularly well-known for its gentle formulas, while L'Oreal Paris also provides suitable options for this skin type.

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris for acne-prone skin?

Both brands offer products for acne-prone skin, but Lovi rates L'Oreal Paris as Superior and Kiehl's as High for this skin type.

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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