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COSRX vs Kiehl's

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

COSRX and Kiehl's are two prominent skincare brands founded in South Korea in 2013 and America in 1851, respectively. COSRX is beloved for its serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and masks incorporating hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide to suit oily and acne-prone skin best. Meanwhile, the second brand is cherished for dependable moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products utilizing nourishing glycerin and squalane that suit mature skin and skin with dark spots best. Ultimately, they differ through their distinct formulations and the specific skin types they target.

COSRX is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2013 and owned by Amorepacific Group since 2024.

koreajoongangdaily.combeautymatter.comprnewswire.com

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 COSRX and Kiehl's products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular COSRX vs Kiehl's products

People Say

COSRXKiehl's
  • Glow and skin texture improvement Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “woke up with soft, supple skin — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “gives me that glass skin look — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
  • Lightweight and fast-absorbing Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly like water — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “sinks in immediately — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
  • Gentle and non-stripping formula Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “No stinging or irritation — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “doesn't strip my skin — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “no stinging — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
    • “savior for dry patches — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “skin drinks it up — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
  • Effective acne and pore control Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “helped to improve my acne after only 2 weeks — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “cleared up my spots — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “Melted blackheads right off — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “sucked the gunk out of my pores — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
  • High price and poor value Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive for me — COSRX The Hyaluronic Acid 3 Serum”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Allergic reactions and skin irritation Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “stings really bad if it accidentally gets in the eyes — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “burns eyes when sweating — COSRX Ultra-Light Invisible Sunscreen”
    • “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”
  • Dryness or insufficient moisture Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “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”
    • “left my face tight — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
  • No visible or slow results Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Takes a month to work — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “didn't do anything — COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner”
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Takes months to see — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”

COSRX vs Kiehl's routines for dry skin

Buy COSRX routine · $128.96 · 87% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · $382.00 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

COSRX vs Kiehl's routines for oily skin

Buy COSRX routine · $292.12 · 91% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · $343.42 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 98% fit

COSRX vs Kiehl's routines for combination skin

Buy COSRX routine · $268.03 · 89% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · $339.90 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

COSRX or Kiehl's: which is better?

COSRX is better for oily and acne-prone skin, providing superior routines and effective pore control, whereas both brands offer equal fit levels for most other skin types. Kiehl's may provide deeper hydration and moisturization, but COSRX is often gentler and less expensive.

What is the difference between COSRX and Kiehl's?

COSRX is better for oily acne-prone skin with a Superior Lovi fit level compared to Kiehl's High level, while Kiehl's provides deeper hydration. COSRX uses ingredients like snail mucin and niacinamide, whereas Kiehl's focuses on squalane and vitamin C.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

COSRX or Kiehl's for dry skin?

Both COSRX and Kiehl's offer a High routine fit for dry skin. COSRX helps dry skin with products like its Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence, while Kiehl's provides deep hydration and moisturization through items such as its Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate.

COSRX or Kiehl's: which cleanser is better?

COSRX is better for acne-prone skin, as its cleansers achieve a High fit level compared to Kiehl's Average fit for that skin type. Additionally, reviewers note that COSRX provides more effective acne control and clearing, while its formulas are recognized as more gentle and non-stripping.

Which is more affordable, COSRX or Kiehl's?

Kiehl's reviewers often mention a high price point, whereas review themes note that COSRX does better on price and value.

Between COSRX and Kiehl's, which brand performs better for acne and pore control according to review themes?

According to review themes, COSRX performs better than Kiehl's for effective acne and pore control. Lovi finds that COSRX has a Superior fit for oily acne-prone skin and a High fit for acne-prone skin.

How do the fragrance inclusions compare across products between COSRX and Kiehl's?

COSRX has fewer scented options, with 37 of its 38 products on this page listing no fragrance. Similarly, Kiehl's also keeps most of its range unscented, with 26 of 28 products on this page listing no fragrance.

Which brand is better suited for oily acne-prone skin based on routine fit levels?

COSRX is better suited for oily acne-prone skin, achieving a Superior routine fit level compared to Kiehl's High level.

COSRX or Kiehl's for oily skin?

COSRX is the better choice for oily skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to Kiehl's High. Reviewers also note that COSRX does better for effective acne and pore control.

COSRX or Kiehl's: which moisturizer is better?

COSRX offers superior moisturizers for oily and oily acne-prone skin, while Kiehl's provides deeply hydrating options that fit dry skin well. COSRX products on this page feature key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin for lightweight absorption.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Drug Delivery, 2017

COSRX or Kiehl's for sensitive skin?

Both COSRX and Kiehl's are a High fit for sensitive skin. Reviewers note that COSRX does better on gentle and non-stripping formulas.

COSRX or Kiehl's: which sunscreen is better?

Both COSRX and Kiehl's offer sunscreens with High fit levels for sensitive skin, skin with dark spots, mature skin, dry skin, and combination skin on their respective pages. COSRX also has sunscreens with a Superior fit level for acne-prone skin.

COSRX or Kiehl's for acne-prone skin?

COSRX is the better choice for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine fit as High compared to Kiehl's Average fit 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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