🇨🇦Canada

Kiehl's vs Shiseido

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

Kiehl's and Shiseido are heritage beauty houses, with the American brand founded in 1851 and the Japanese counterpart established in 1872. The former is celebrated for nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, soothing toners, and gentle eye products relying on glycerin and squalane, whereas the latter is beloved for thoughtful moisturizers, cleansers, sunscreens, and serums formulated with glycerin. Both suit mature skin and sensitive skin best, offering barrier-supporting properties or gentle yet effective daily care. They differ primarily in their exact ingredient philosophies and regional formulation traditions.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Shiseido is a Japanese skincare brand founded in 1872 and owned by Shiseido Company, Limited.

corp.shiseido.comen.wikipedia.orgmarketscreener.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Shiseido products

People Say

Kiehl'sShiseido
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Immediate sensation of comfort — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “skin feels plump, soft and nourished, eliminates dryness, bouncy feel — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “Skin feels more hydrated — Shiseido Activating Essence”
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • 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”
    • “Airy-soft texture — Shiseido Essential Energy Hydrating Cream”
  • Skin barrier and texture improvement Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Velvety smooth — Shiseido FUTURE SOLUTION LX”
    • “makes skin baby soft — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Cream Enriched”
    • “smoothes rough skin — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
  • Radiance and relaxing experience Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Skin looks brighter, more radiant, and "glowy." — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “Pleasant floral fragrance, relaxing, luxurious smell. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “spa-like scent, high-quality packaging, little goes a long way — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
  • Luxurious texture and formula Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “silky smooth, rich but non-greasy, absorbs quickly, melts into skin — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “Velvety, rich cream texture — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “Velvety texture — Shiseido FUTURE SOLUTION LX”
  • Plumping and anti-aging Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Smoothed out crow's feet — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “tighter jawline, lifted appearance, improved elasticity, less sagging — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “wrinkles look softer — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Cream Enriched”
    • “Skin looks noticeably more plump — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • High price and cost value Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Very expensive for the size — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “Expensive, pricey, high cost for the amount. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
  • Unpleasant or strong scent 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”
    • “old lady smell — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
  • Greasy residue and oiliness Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “Stays tacky and shiny — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “feels a bit oily — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Cream Enriched”
    • “A little too much (too greasy) — Shiseido Bio-Performance Advanced Super Revitalizing Cream”
    • “oil slick in summer — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Lack of results or effectiveness Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “No change in deep wrinkles — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “No noticeable difference, not moisturizing enough on its own. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “no visible lifting, just a moisturizer, didn't erase deep wrinkles — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”

Kiehl's vs Shiseido routines for dry skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · CA$413.99 · 80% fitBuy Shiseido routine · CA$185.97 · 74% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs Shiseido routines for oily skin

Buy Shiseido routine · CA$313.33 · 84% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · CA$370.40 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs Shiseido routines for combination skin

Buy Shiseido routine · CA$256.43 · 83% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · CA$373.49 · 79% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Shiseido: which is better?

Both brands are great, but Kiehl's is a better fit for dry skin with a High routine fit level compared to Shiseido's Average level. Additionally, sodium hyaluronate benefits skin quality and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Shiseido?

Shiseido is often noted for providing deeper hydration and luxurious textures with a routine fit that is Average for dry skin, whereas Kiehl's is frequently praised for lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers and a High routine fit for dry skin. The products on this page show that Shiseido was founded in Japan in 1872 while Kiehl's originated in the United States in 1851.

Kiehl's or Shiseido for dry skin?

For dry skin, both brands offer products on this page with good results, but Kiehl's routine fit is rated High while Shiseido's is Average. Shiseido's formulas often feature hyaluronic acid to support skin hydration.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Kiehl's or Shiseido: which cleanser is better?

Both Kiehl's and Shiseido offer highly rated cleansers, but Kiehl's routine fit for dry skin is High while Shiseido's is Average. Shiseido's products on this page feature deep hydration and deep-cleansing properties.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Shiseido?

Both Kiehl's and Shiseido are comparable in price, as reviewers on this page frequently mention a high price point for the products on both brands.

How do the fragrance levels and key ingredients compare between Kiehl's and Shiseido products?

Kiehl's products on this page have much less added fragrance with only two formulas containing it, whereas most Shiseido products list fragrance. For key ingredients, Glycerin appears across both brands, while Kiehl's features Vitamin C, Squalane, Shea butter, and Vitamin E, and Shiseido relies on Hyaluronic acid.

Which brand has more products that are fragrance-free, Kiehl's or Shiseido?

Kiehl's has more products on this page that list no fragrance, with 26 out of 28 fragrance-free products compared to Shiseido's 5 out of 20.

How do the founding years and corporate ownerships of Kiehl's and Shiseido differ?

Kiehl's was founded in the United States in 1851 and has been owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 2000, whereas Shiseido was founded in Japan in 1872 and is owned by Shiseido Company, Limited.

Kiehl's or Shiseido for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and Shiseido fit oily skin at a High level, making them equally suitable for this skin type.

Kiehl's or Shiseido: which moisturizer is better?

For dry skin, Lovi rates Kiehl's routine High and Shiseido Average. Reviewers note that Kiehl's offers lightweight and non-greasy moisturizers, while Shiseido provides deep hydration.

Kiehl's or Shiseido for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Shiseido offer products with a high routine fit level for sensitive skin on the products on this page. Shiseido provides deep hydration, while Kiehl's is frequently noted for gentle serums and lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers.

Kiehl's or Shiseido: which sunscreen is better?

Kiehl's offers better sunscreen options than Shiseido for certain skin types, as Lovi rates Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum as High for skin with dark spots, combination skin, sensitive skin, acne-prone skin, and mature skin, while Shiseido's Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion receives Low ratings for skin with dark spots, oily skin, and acne-prone skin.

Kiehl's or Shiseido for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, Shiseido is the better choice because Lovi rates its routine fit as High, whereas Kiehl's is Average. Shiseido helps provide effective care for acne-prone skin through products like the Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Day Cream and Essential Energy Hydrating Day Cream.

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?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play