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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 a 2019 South Korean line and an 1851 American label, respectively. The former brand features moisturizers, toners, serums, and cleansers built around hyaluronic acid, heartleaf, and niacinamide to suit oily acne-prone skin and dry skin best. Meanwhile, the latter brand is beloved for dependable moisturizers, serums, toners, eye products, and more that incorporate nourishing glycerin and squalane to suit mature skin and skin with dark spots best. Both makers differ primarily through their foundational ingredients and regional formulation philosophies.

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 · $147.85 · 85% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · $382.00 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Anua vs Kiehl's routines for oily skin

Buy Anua routine · $215.75 · 83% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · $343.42 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Anua vs Kiehl's routines for combination skin

Buy Anua routine · $190.75 · 83% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · $339.90 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

Anua or Kiehl's: which is better?

Both Anua and Kiehl's are great skincare brands, and Lovi shows they fit most skin types equally well. However, Anua provides a High fit for acne-prone skin compared to Kiehl's Average fit, and reviewers mention that Kiehl's has a higher price point.

What is the difference between Anua and Kiehl's?

Anua has a High routine fit for acne-prone skin, while Kiehl's has an Average routine fit. Reviewers note that Anua is better for glow and radiance and price and value, whereas Kiehl's reviewers mention concerns about high prices.

Anua or Kiehl's for dry skin?

Both Anua and Kiehl's offer a High routine fit for dry skin. The products on this page for Anua feature key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, which helps hydrate the skin.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Anua or Kiehl's: which cleanser is better?

Both Anua and Kiehl's offer strong cleanser options, with Anua standing out for acne-prone skin while Kiehl's provides superior choices for oily skin. The products on this page feature gentle formulations that help cleanse without stripping the skin barrier.

Which is more affordable, Anua or Kiehl's?

Anua is more affordable than Kiehl's, as Anua does better for price and value among the products on this page.

Anua or Kiehl's: which brand is better for reducing dark spots?

Both Anua and Kiehl's are equal for brightening and dark spots based on the products on this page. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Anua or Kiehl's: which brand offers better options without fragrance?

Anua offers better fragrance-free options because every product on its page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas two Kiehl's products contain fragrance. This helps shoppers seeking entirely scent-free skincare.

Anua or Kiehl's: which brand is better for mature skin routines?

Both Anua and Kiehl's offer a High fit for mature skin routines among the products on this page. Reviewers note that Kiehl's is often associated with a high price point, while Anua does better for glow and radiance.

Anua or Kiehl's for oily skin?

Both Anua and Kiehl's fit oily skin with a High level on Lovi. Anua features ingredients like niacinamide and salicylic acid, while Kiehl's offers oil-free and pore-cleansing formulas that help manage excess sebum.

Anua or Kiehl's: which sunscreen is better?

Both Anua and Kiehl's offer sunscreens with a High fit level for skin with dark spots among the products on this page. Kiehl's sunscreen also has a High fit level for combination skin and acne-prone skin, while Anua's sunscreen has a High fit level for a wide range of skin types including sensitive and oily skin.

Anua or Kiehl's for sensitive skin?

Both Anua and Kiehl's fit sensitive skin with a High level. Anua features fragrance-free formulas across all products on this page, while Kiehl's includes fragrance in two of its items.

Anua or Kiehl's for acne-prone skin?

Anua has a High routine fit for acne-prone skin, while Kiehl's has an Average routine fit. Reviewers note that Kiehl's may cause breakouts and skin irritation.

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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