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Anua vs Kiehl's

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

Anua and Kiehl's are two prominent skincare labels that offer moisturizers, toners, serums, cleansers, and more. The Korean brand is known for utilizing hyaluronic acid, heartleaf, and niacinamide to suit dry and oily acne-prone skin best, whereas the American house relies on glycerin and squalane to nourish mature and sensitive skin. Hyaluronic acid lengthens the duration of wrinkle reduction and niacinamide decreases hyperpigmentation and increases skin lightness, while glycerin significantly increases hydration and restores epidermal barrier function and squalane counteracts oxidative stress and stimulates fibroblast migration. Ultimately, these formulations differ through their specific ingredient philosophies and regional heritage, despite both providing targeted solutions for concerns such as acne, dark spots, and aging.

Anua is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2019 and owned by The Founders Inc..

prnewswire.comkedglobal.comtracxn.comv.daum.net

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

Popular Anua vs Kiehl's products

People Say

AnuaKiehl's
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “complexion feels so plump — Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum”
    • “leaves skin plump — Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner”
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • Texture and Lightweight Feel Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “melts into skin — Anua Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sun Cream”
    • “Feels like water, not heavy oil — Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil”
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
  • Brightening and Dark Spots Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Significant reduction in hyperpigmentation from acne scarring. — Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum”
    • “Gives a nice healthy glow — Anua PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM”
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
  • Sensitive Skin Care Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Calms my redness instantly — Anua Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner”
    • “calmed my red spots — Anua Heartleaf 77% Clear Pad”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Skin Smoothing and Texture Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Skin feels super smooth — Anua PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM”
    • “skin feels so smooth — Anua BHA 2% Gentle Exfoliating Toner”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “skin feels smoother — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Glow and Radiance Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “glass-like glow — Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner”
    • “glassy skin look — Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum”
    • “beautiful glow — Anua Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sun Cream”
    • “Skin looks noticeably more plump — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • Price and Value Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “price feels way too high — Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum”
    • “small size, the price is expensive — Anua Rice Enzyme Brightening Cleansing Powder”
    • “bottle too small — Anua NANO RETINOL™ 0.3% + NIACIN RENEWING SERUM”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Breakouts and Acne Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “cystic acne for some — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “developed tiny white bumps — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “Wrecked my skin barrier — Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil”
  • Sticky or Greasy Finish Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Left such a gross tacky finish that refused to dry. — Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum”
    • “leaves a tacky finish — Anua BHA 2% Gentle Exfoliating Toner”
    • “oil slick in summer — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “too radiant for oily skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”

Anua vs Kiehl's routines for dry skin

Buy Anua routine · CA$204.76 · 87% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · CA$413.99 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Anua vs Kiehl's routines for oily skin

Buy Anua routine · CA$320.12 · 85% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · CA$370.40 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Anua vs Kiehl's routines for combination skin

Buy Anua routine · CA$249.24 · 85% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · CA$373.49 · 79% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Anua or Kiehl's: which is better?

Anua and Kiehl's are both great brands, with Anua offering a High routine fit for acne-prone skin while Kiehl's provides an Average fit. Anua does better for glow and radiance and price and value among the products on this page.

What is the difference between Anua and Kiehl's?

Anua products on this page are owned by The Founders Inc. and founded in South Korea in 2019, whereas Kiehl's is owned by L'Oréal S.A. and was founded in the United States in 1851. Anua achieves a High routine fit for acne-prone skin, while Kiehl's fits acne-prone skin at an Average level.

Anua or Kiehl's for oily skin?

Both Anua and Kiehl's offer a High routine fit for oily skin on the products on this page. Reviewers note that Anua provides glow and radiance, while Kiehl's features lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers.

Anua or Kiehl's: which cleanser is better?

Both Anua and Kiehl's offer effective cleansers, with Anua featuring options like the Heartleaf Quercetin Pore Deep Cleansing Foam that fits acne-prone and oily skin at a High level, while Kiehl's provides choices such as the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash that achieves a Superior fit for oily skin. Reviewers note that Kiehl's formulas can sometimes cause breakouts and skin irritation, whereas Anua's page explicitly highlights that every product lists no fragrance.

Which is more affordable, Anua or Kiehl's?

Anua is more affordable than Kiehl's, as price and value is an area where Anua does better. Kiehl's reviewers often note a high price point.

Anua or Kiehl's for dark spots?

Both Anua and Kiehl's offer products on this page that are a High fit for skin with dark spots. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Anua or Kiehl's for sensitive skin?

Both Anua and Kiehl's offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin among the products on this page. Reviewers note that Anua features gentle, non-irritating toners, while Kiehl's provides gentle serums.

Anua or Kiehl's: which moisturizer is better?

Both Anua and Kiehl's offer moisturizers that fit dry skin, oily skin, combination skin, and other skin types at similar levels, with Anua achieving a High routine fit for acne-prone skin while Kiehl's achieves an Average fit. Anua moisturizers focus on ingredients like heartleaf, glycerin, and ceramides, whereas Kiehl's features formulas with glycerin, squalane, and shea butter.

Anua or Kiehl's for acne-prone skin?

Anua fits acne-prone skin better, showing a High routine fit level compared to Kiehl's Average. Niacinamide helps control skin aging and pigmentation, while fragrance-free formulas on the page support sensitive areas.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Anua or Kiehl's: which sunscreen is better?

Both Anua and Kiehl's offer sunscreens on the products on this page with High fit levels for sensitive skin and skin with dark spots. Anua Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sun Cream features a High fit across combination, oily, and dry skin, while Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum also shows High fit levels for combination skin and mature skin.

Anua or Kiehl's for mature skin?

Both Anua and Kiehl's offer a High routine fit for mature skin among the products on this page. Reviewers note that Anua is better for glow and radiance, while Kiehl's focuses its routines on mature skin, sensitive skin, and dark spots.

Anua or Kiehl's: which toner is better?

Both Anua and Kiehl's offer top-performing toners on this page, with Anua favored for its glass skin glow and lightweight formulas, while Kiehl's features highly rated options like the Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner.

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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