🇺🇸United States

Kiehl's vs Avène

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

Kiehl's and Avène are respected skincare brands that offer dependable moisturizers, targeted serums, gentle cleansers, and nourishing glycerin. Kiehl's incorporates squalane and suits mature skin and skin with dark spots best, whereas Avène relies on science-backed formulations to suit oily acne-prone skin and acne-prone skin best. Ultimately, both brands differ because the American brand uses glycerin and squalane to address specific aging and pigmentation concerns, while the French brand focuses on ensuring every consumer enjoys a calm and balanced complexion.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Avène is a French skincare brand founded in 1990 and owned by Fondation Pierre Fabre.

pierre-fabre.comavene.co.ukaveneusa.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Avène products

People Say

Kiehl'sAvène
  • Skin Barrier and Tone Improvement Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “Saves my skin in winter — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “immediate radiance boost — Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum”
  • Texture and Absorption Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “Thick but absorbs well eventually — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “absorbs very quickly — Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum”
  • Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
    • “Restores moisture barrier — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “Leaves my skin feeling soft and hydrated. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
  • Gentleness and Sensitive Skin Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “leaves face clean but not dry — Avène Cleanance”
    • “Perfect cleanser for sensitive skin. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
    • “no irritation at all — Avène Hydrance+”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Pores and Oil Control Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “sucked the gunk out of my pores — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “keeps my oils at bay — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “Keeps me matte for hours — Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel”
    • “keeps skin matte — Avène Cleanance”
  • Soothing Irritation and Redness Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “Calmed my angry red skin overnight — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “Nothing has ever worked to soothe or heal my skin like these before. — Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm”
    • “Calms angry, red skin — Avène Soothing Radiance Mask”
  • Price and Value Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Its a bit pricey but so worth it!! — Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm”
    • “a bit pricey — Avène Cleanance”
    • “Tiny tube for the money — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Application and Texture Difficulties Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “hard to spread — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “leaves a tacky film — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “Tube squirted water everywhere — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “too thick — Avène Hydrance+”
  • Breakouts and Acne Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “cystic acne for some — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Woke up with tiny whiteheads all over — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “Caused small bumps/texture — Avène Soothing Radiance Mask”
  • Scents and Fragrance Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “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 fragrance is very present. — Avène Milk Cleanser”

Kiehl's vs Avène routines for dry skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · $382.00 · 82% fitBuy Avène routine · $207.69 · 76% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs Avène routines for oily skin

Buy Avène routine · $377.02 · 85% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · $343.42 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Kiehl's vs Avène routines for combination skin

Buy Avène routine · $358.50 · 88% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · $339.90 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Avène: which is better?

Both Kiehl's and Avène perform well across most skin types, but Avène does better for soothing irritation and offers better fragrance-free options among the products on this page.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Avène?

Kiehl's has a routine fit of High for dry sensitive skin while Avène is Average, and Avène has a routine fit of Superior for oily acne-prone skin while Kiehl's is High. Kiehl's is better for scents and fragrance since 26 of 28 products on this page list no fragrance, whereas Avène is better for gentleness and sensitive skin as well as soothing irritation and redness.

Kiehl's or Avène for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer a High routine fit for dry skin. Kiehl's features a rich selection of lightweight moisturizers and deep hydration options on this page, while Avène is noted for soothing irritation and offering gentle deep-clean cleansers.

Kiehl's or Avène: which cleanser is better?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer cleansers that fit oily, combination, and acne-prone skin well, but Kiehl's has more options on the products on this page with superior fit levels for oily and oily acne-prone skin.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Avène?

Avène does better on price and value compared to Kiehl's. Kiehl's reviewers often mention a high price point as a negative.

Between Kiehl's and Avène, which brand has fewer products containing fragrance?

Kiehl's has fewer products containing fragrance, with only 2 out of 28 products listing fragrance on this page compared to 7 out of 15 products for Avène.

How do the foundational countries and parent companies of Kiehl's and Avène differ?

Kiehl's was founded in the United States in 1851 and has been owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 2000. In contrast, Avène was founded in France in 1990 and is owned by Fondation Pierre Fabre.

Which brand performs better for soothing irritation and redness according to reviewers?

Avène performs better for soothing irritation and redness according to reviewers. The products on this page help soothe skin irritation and redness.

Kiehl's or Avène for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer a High routine fit for oily skin. Kiehl's features fragrance-free formulas across the products on this page, while Avène is noted for effective oil control and gentle deep-cleaning cleansers.

Kiehl's or Avène: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer moisturizers that fit dry skin at a High level on this page. Kiehl's features mostly fragrance-free products and lightweight textures, whereas Avène provides strong soothing benefits for sensitive skin.

Kiehl's or Avène for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin, but Avène does better for soothing irritation and redness according to the review themes on this page. Kiehl's also has fewer products with fragrance on this page, as 26 of 28 list no fragrance compared to 7 of 15 for Avène.

Kiehl's or Avène: which sunscreen is better?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer sunscreens on the products on this page that help protect the skin, with Avène featuring Cleanance and Kiehl's offering Better Screen UV Serum. Avène does better with sensitive skin and soothing irritation, while Kiehl's has fewer fragrances across its line.

Kiehl's or Avène for acne-prone skin?

Avène is better suited for acne-prone skin on the products on this page, achieving a High routine fit compared to an Average fit for Kiehl's. Avène helps soothe irritation and clean deeply without stripping.

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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