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Kiehl's vs Clarins

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

Kiehl's and Clarins are two respected skincare houses, with the former founded in America in 1851 and the latter established in France in 1954. Kiehl's is known for nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, soothing toners, and gentle eye products relying on glycerin and squalane, whereas the French brand is loved for luxurious moisturizers, potent serums, soothing eye products, and gentle toners enriched with shea and squalane. Both suit sensitive skin best, while the American label also suits mature skin and the European house also suits dry sensitive skin. Ultimately, they differ in their specific botanical highlights, ownership backgrounds, and targeted formulations for concerns like acne, dark spots, and aging.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Clarins is a French skincare brand founded in 1954 and owned by Famille C (Groupe Clarins).

groupeclarins.comen.wikipedia.orghappi.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Clarins products

People Say

Kiehl'sClarins
  • Deep hydration Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin drinks it up — Clarins Double Serum”
    • “keeps skin moist — Clarins Multi-Active Jour”
    • “woke up with baby soft skin — Clarins Multi-Active Nuit”
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy texture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “absorbs immediately — Clarins Double Serum Eye”
    • “sinks in immediately — Clarins Double Serum Light Texture”
  • No white cast and glowing skin Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “works on dark skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “skin looks brighter immediately — Clarins Cryo-Flash Cream-Mask”
    • “Gives off the most stunning natural radiance I've ever come across. — Clarins Beauty Flash Balm”
  • Skin barrier and texture improvement Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “skin feels smoother — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “neck feels smoother — Clarins Extra-Firming Neck & Décolleté Cream”
    • “visibly tighter, lifted skin — Clarins Super Restorative Night Cream”
  • Makeup base and primer compatibility Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no pilling — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Clarins Total Eye Lift”
    • “Perfect primer for any foundation, which all glide on smoothly. — Clarins Beauty Flash Balm”
  • Rich and creamy texture Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “melting non-oily texture — Clarins Extra-Firming Neck & Décolleté Cream”
    • “Creamy texture feels luxurious upon application — Clarins Extra-Firming Day Cream”
    • “feels like silk — Clarins Double Serum”
    • “feels luxurious and thick — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
  • High price point and poor value Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “way too expensive — Clarins Double Serum”
    • “too expensive for results — Clarins Total Eye Lift”
  • Scent and fragrance complaints Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells clinical — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “faint lab smell — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “smells like perfume — Clarins Multi-Active Jour”
  • Breakouts and skin irritation Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Clarins Double Serum”
    • “caused redness — Clarins Double Serum Eye”
    • “made my face burn — Clarins Cryo-Flash Cream-Mask”
    • “burned my face immediately — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
  • 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 lift — Clarins Total Eye Lift”
    • “no change in circles — Clarins Double Serum Eye”

Kiehl's vs Clarins routines for dry skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · CA$413.99 · 80% fitBuy Clarins routine · CA$332.00 · 77% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs Clarins routines for oily skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · CA$370.40 · 80% fitBuy Clarins routine · CA$468.45 · 71% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs Clarins routines for combination skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · CA$373.49 · 79% fitBuy Clarins routine · CA$408.46 · 74% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Clarins: which is better?

Both brands perform well, but Kiehl's is a better fit for oily and combination skin types on the products on this page, while Clarins is more heavily fragranced. Reviewers mention that Kiehl's helps provide lightweight moisturizers, whereas Clarins is noted for deep hydration and luxurious textures.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Clarins?

Kiehl's offers a higher routine fit for oily and oily acne-prone skin than Clarins, while Clarins tends to use fragrance in nearly all its products compared to very few at Kiehl's. Reviewers frequently mention strong fragrance complaints for Clarins and breakouts or skin irritation for Kiehl's.

Kiehl's or Clarins for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Clarins provide a High routine fit for dry skin on this page. Kiehl's is mostly mentioned for lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers, while Clarins is frequently noted for providing hydrating and smoothing moisturizers.

Kiehl's or Clarins: which cleanser is better?

Kiehl's cleansers fit oily and oily acne-prone skin at a High level on this page, whereas Clarins cleansers fit these skin types at an Average level. Review themes show that Kiehl's may be less prone to fragrance issues since almost all of its products on the page list no fragrance, while almost all Clarins products list fragrance.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Clarins?

Both Kiehl's and Clarins share a high price point according to reviewers on the page, meaning neither stands out as more affordable than the other.

Between Kiehl's and Clarins, which brand has fewer products containing added fragrance?

Kiehl's has fewer products containing added fragrance, because only 2 of its 28 products on this page list fragrance compared to almost all of the products from Clarins.

How do the founding years and countries of origin differ between Kiehl's and Clarins?

Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States, whereas Clarins was founded in 1954 in France.

Which brand performs better for oily acne-prone skin according to their routine fit levels?

Kiehl's performs better for oily acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine fit as High compared to an Average fit for Clarins.

Kiehl's or Clarins for oily skin?

Kiehl's is a better match for oily skin, as Lovi rates its routine as High while Clarins is Average. Reviewers often mention Kiehl's products on this page as lightweight and non-greasy.

Kiehl's or Clarins: which moisturizer is better?

Clarins is better for deep hydration and luxurious textures on the products on this page, whereas Kiehl's is better for lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers and a lower fragrance count.

Kiehl's or Clarins for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Clarins are a High fit for sensitive skin on the products on this page. Kiehl's may be the better pick if you prefer fragrance-free formulas, as nearly all of its products on this page list no fragrance, whereas almost all of Clarins' products include fragrance.

Kiehl's or Clarins for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, Kiehl's is a better fit with a High routine level, while Clarins has an Average routine level.

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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