🇺🇸United States

Kiehl's vs Clinique

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

Kiehl's and Clinique are American skincare brands beloved for dependable moisturizers, serums, toners, eye products, and more that incorporate nourishing glycerin and squalane alongside hydrating hyaluronic acid and invigorating caffeine. The first brand suits mature skin and skin with dark spots best, whereas the second suits dry sensitive skin and oily skin best because of comforting, balancing ingredients. Ultimately, both offer thoughtful solutions, but differ in their specific formulations and targeted concerns.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Clinique is an American skincare brand founded in 1968 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc..

en.wikipedia.orgelcompanies.combusinesswire.comglossy.co

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Clinique products

People Say

Kiehl'sClinique
  • Lightweight and Non-Greasy Texture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “works on dark skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “sinks in immediately — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “sinks in instantly — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel”
  • Gentle for Sensitive Skin Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “never irritated my eyes — Clinique All About Eyes”
    • “No stinging eyes — Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm”
    • “doesn't dry out — Clinique all about clean”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Deep Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “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”
    • “Keeps my dry patches at bay all day — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
  • Skin Barrier and Texture Improvement Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “skin feels smoother — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “skin feels silky smooth — Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum”
    • “leaves face porcelain smooth — Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream Rinse-Off Formula”
  • Makeup Compatibility and Base Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no pilling — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “foundation glides on — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “holds concealer in place — Clinique All About Eyes”
  • Radiance and Glow Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “doubles as moisturizer — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “gives a very nice radiance — Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Cream”
    • “wake up glowing — Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask”
  • High Price and Cost Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “jar is too small for the cost — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “quite pricey — Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum”
    • “Expensive for cleanser — Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Insufficient Hydration or Dryness 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”
    • “skin felt tight — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel”
  • Causes 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 whiteheads on my chin — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
    • “gave me tiny bumps — Clinique moisture surge”
  • Ineffective or Slow Results Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Takes months to see — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “didn't help dark circles — Clinique All About Eyes”
    • “don't expect miracles overnight — Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum”

Kiehl's vs Clinique routines for dry skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · $382.00 · 82% fitBuy Clinique routine · $370.23 · 74% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs Clinique routines for oily skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · $343.42 · 80% fitBuy Clinique routine · $440.07 · 78% fitSee multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Kiehl's vs Clinique routines for combination skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · $339.90 · 83% fitBuy Clinique routine · $440.07 · 74% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Clinique: which is better?

Kiehl's and Clinique are both effective, but Kiehl's is a better fit for dry skin and dry sensitive skin, while Clinique is better suited for acne-prone skin.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Clinique?

Kiehl's and Clinique both offer popular skincare lines originating in the United States, but they differ in formulation details and specific skin benefits. For instance, the products on this page by Clinique completely avoid added fragrance, whereas most Kiehl's products are also fragrance-free with only a couple containing it. Reviewers note that Kiehl's provides better radiance and deep hydration, while Clinique stands out for being particularly gentle on sensitive skin.

Kiehl's or Clinique for dry skin?

For dry skin, Kiehl's is the better choice because Lovi rates its routine fit as High compared to Clinique's Average.

Kiehl's or Clinique: which cleanser is better?

When comparing cleansers on the products on this page, Kiehl's generally achieves a higher Lovi fit level across several skin types than Clinique, whose cleansers range from low fits to warnings for certain skin concerns.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Clinique?

Clinique does better than Kiehl's on price.

Which brand has more fragrance-free products, Kiehl's or Clinique?

Clinique has more fragrance-free products on this page, as every single Clinique product lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas 26 out of 28 Kiehl's products are fragrance-free.

How do Kiehl's and Clinique compare for mature skin routines?

Both Kiehl's and Clinique offer high routine fit levels for mature skin on the products on this page. Kiehl's features retinol serums and vitamin-rich creams, while Clinique relies on specialized lifting and wrinkle-correcting formulas.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Which brand performs better for providing deep hydration?

Kiehl's performs better for deep hydration, as review themes note that it delivers superior deep hydration and moisture compared to Clinique.

Kiehl's or Clinique for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and Clinique are a High fit for oily skin. The products on this page for both brands feature lightweight, oil-controlling options.

Kiehl's or Clinique: which moisturizer is better?

Kiehl's offers better deep hydration for moisturizers on this page, while Clinique is often noted for being lightweight and fast-absorbing. Lovi rates Kiehl's routine fit for dry skin as High and Clinique's as Average.

Kiehl's or Clinique for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Clinique are good options for sensitive skin, as the products on this page show high or superior Lovi fit levels for sensitive skin types. Reviewers note that Clinique does better for being gentle on sensitive skin, while Kiehl's offers fragrance-free options for almost all of its products on this page.

Kiehl's or Clinique for acne-prone skin?

Clinique is a better fit for acne-prone skin, achieving a high routine fit level compared to Kiehl's average 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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