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Kiehl's vs Simple

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

Kiehl's and Simple are heritage skincare brands, with the American brand founded in 1851 and the British brand established in 1960. Both brands are deeply loved for their gentle moisturizers, soothing toners, and dependable cleansers, which rely on key ingredients like glycerin and squalane. Their thoughtful formulations suit mature skin and sensitive skin best, while differing primarily in their specific targeted serums, eye products, and makeup removers.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Simple is a British skincare brand founded in 1960 and owned by Unilever PLC since 2011.

en.wikipedia.orgsec.govprnewswire.comsimple.co.uk

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Simple products

People Say

Kiehl'sSimple
  • Gentle for sensitive skin Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Does not cause any form of irritation on the skin which I love. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
    • “The only cleanser that doesn't turn my face red. — Simple Micellar Water”
    • “no artificial perfume — Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Lightweight 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 quickly — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “sinks in instantly — Simple Water Boost Hydrating Gel Cream”
  • Non-drying and hydrating formulas Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “banished dryness within days — Simple Replenishing Rich Moisturiser”
    • “Instantly boosts skin's hydration... face doesn't feel dry and tight. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft, not tight. — Simple Micellar Water”
  • Makeup compatibility Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no pilling — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “makeup lays well — Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser”
    • “works well under foundation — Simple Replenishing Rich Moisturiser”
  • Affordable value Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “great value for money — Simple Kind to Skin Soothing Facial Toner”
    • “super affordable — Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser”
    • “Can't beat the price for the quality. — Simple Micellar Water”
  • Cleansing and pore care Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Takes off any makeup residue and makes my face feel refreshed. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
    • “Best morning cleanser — Simple Refreshing Facial Wash”
    • “Skin feels soft not dry — Simple Refreshing Facial Wash”
    • “sucked the gunk out of my pores — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
  • High price Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Causes breakouts and acne Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “cystic acne for some — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Gave me tiny bumps on my forehead. — Simple Micellar Water”
    • “caused major breakouts — Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser”
  • Insufficient moisture Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “skin felt tight after an hour — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “some extremely dry skin types need a thicker balm or oil on top — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “not moisturizing enough — Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser”

Kiehl's vs Simple routines for dry skin

Buy Simple routine · CA$156.25 · 83% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · CA$413.99 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs Simple routines for oily skin

Buy Simple routine · CA$271.73 · 87% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · CA$370.40 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs Simple routines for combination skin

Buy Simple routine · CA$214.83 · 86% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · CA$373.49 · 79% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Simple: which is better?

Simple is better for value-friendly, gentle, and non-drying hydration, while Kiehl's is better for lightweight textures across its products on this page. Both brands achieve equal routine fit levels for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, mature, and dark-spot skin types.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Simple?

Simple offers affordable value and is noted as doing better for gentle sensitive-skin care, whereas Kiehl's provides lighter textures across its products on this page. Both brands achieve equal routine fit levels for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, mature, dark spot, dry sensitive, and oily acne-prone skin types.

Kiehl's or Simple for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Simple are a High fit for dry skin on this page. Kiehl's offers targeted formulas with key ingredients like glycerin and squalane, while Simple features fragrance-free options containing niacinamide.

Kiehl's or Simple: which cleanser is better?

Simple cleansers are generally better for sensitive skin, while Kiehl's cleansers often provide high to superior fit levels for oily and acne-prone skin types across the products on this page.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Simple?

Simple is more affordable, as reviewers often mention its affordable value and high price point for Kiehl's.

How do Kiehl's and Simple compare for mature skin?

For mature skin, Kiehl's and Simple both achieve a High routine fit level on this page. Kiehl's products on this page focus particularly on mature skin as one of its best-fit skin types and feature key ingredients like retinol, which may help stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged human skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Which brand has a better routine fit for acne-prone skin?

Simple has a better routine fit for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine as High compared to Kiehl's Average. Simple is noted for being gentler for sensitive skin and providing non-drying formulas, whereas Kiehl's products on this page frequently cause breakouts and skin irritation.

Which brand offers fragrance-free products across its entire line?

Simple offers fragrance-free products across its entire page line, whereas Kiehl's includes fragrance in two of its products.

Kiehl's or Simple for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and Simple achieve a High routine fit level for oily skin. Kiehl's features specialized options like the Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque and Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream, while Simple offers value-friendly, gentle products like its Micellar Cleansing Water.

Kiehl's or Simple: which moisturizer is better?

Simple offers better value-friendly moisturizers that reviewers mostly mention as lightweight, while Kiehl's provides options that fit mature and sensitive skin well.

Kiehl's or Simple for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Simple are a High fit for sensitive skin on the products on this page, but Simple does better for being gentle on sensitive skin. Simple is entirely fragrance-free across its products on this page, whereas two Kiehl's products contain fragrance.

Kiehl's or Simple for acne-prone skin?

Simple is a better fit for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine as High while Kiehl's is Average. Simple also does better in reviews for being gentle on sensitive skin.

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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