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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 well-established beauty houses that offer extensive selections of skincare essentials. Kiehl's is known for its nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, soothing toners, and gentle eye products featuring glycerin and squalane, making it best suited for mature and sensitive skin. Conversely, the French brand is beloved for its thoughtful range of serums, moisturizers, masks, and eye products incorporating hyaluronic acid and glycerin, which suit oily and combination skin best. While both brands share a parent company, they differ in their specific ingredient concentrations, targeted skin types, and geographic origins.

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 · CA$174.12 · 91% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · CA$413.99 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

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

Buy L'Oreal Paris routine · CA$311.86 · 94% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · CA$370.40 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

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

Buy L'Oreal Paris routine · CA$278.95 · 94% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · CA$373.49 · 79% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

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

Both Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris have strong product offerings, with Kiehl's providing a higher percentage of fragrance-free products while L'Oreal Paris achieves superior routine fit levels across several skin types on this page.

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

Kiehl's focuses on gentle formulas and lightweight textures with minimal fragrance, making it a strong option for sensitive skin, whereas L'Oreal Paris leans toward affordability and advanced anti-aging benefits.

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

For dry skin, Lovi finds that Kiehl's routine fit is High and L'Oreal Paris routine fit is Superior. Reviewers note that both brands provide deep hydration and moisturization for dry skin. Kiehl's is mostly mentioned for lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers, while L'Oreal Paris is frequently recognized for luxurious textures and anti-aging smoothing.

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

Both Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris offer moisturizers on this page that provide deep hydration and moisturization. Lovi finds L'Oreal Paris has a superior routine fit for dry skin, while Kiehl's is often noted for lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers.

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

L'Oreal Paris is more affordable, whereas reviewers often mention Kiehl's has a high price point.

Which brand has more fragrance-free options, Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris?

Kiehl's offers more fragrance-free options than L'Oreal Paris, with twenty-six out of twenty-eight products on this page listing no fragrance compared to only five out of ten for L'Oreal Paris.

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris: which is better for fading dark spots?

L'Oreal Paris does better for dark spot fading and brightening among the products on this page. Lovi rates the routine fit for skin with dark spots as Superior for L'Oreal Paris and High for Kiehl's.

How do the founding years and corporate ownership of Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris compare?

Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States and has been owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 2000, while L'Oreal Paris was founded earlier in 1909 in France and is also owned by L'Oréal S.A.

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

For oily skin, Lovi finds that Kiehl's has a High routine fit while L'Oreal Paris offers a Superior routine fit among the products on this page.

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

Both Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris have a High routine fit for sensitive skin on the products on this page. Reviewers note that Kiehl's is generally better for gentle formulas, while L'Oreal Paris may sometimes cause skin irritation or stinging.

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

For acne-prone skin, L'Oreal Paris offers a Superior routine fit, whereas Kiehl's provides an Average fit for the products on this page.

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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