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Kiehl's vs L'Oreal Paris

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

Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris are respected beauty brands that offer thoughtfully crafted skincare essentials for diverse complexions. The American brand is beloved for dependable moisturizers, serums, toners, eye products, and more that incorporate nourishing glycerin and squalane, suiting mature skin and skin with dark spots best. Conversely, the French brand is beloved for its thoughtful range of serums, moisturizers, masks, and eye products, which frequently incorporate hyaluronic acid and glycerin, suiting oily skin and combination skin best. While both utilize science-backed ingredients to support skin health, they differ in their foundational formulations and ideal skin types.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

L'Oreal Paris is a French skincare brand founded in 1909 and owned by L'Oréal S.A..

en.wikipedia.orgloreal.comloreal-paris.co.ukcosmeticsbusiness.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs L'Oreal Paris products

People Say

Kiehl'sL'Oreal Paris
  • Deep hydration and moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
    • “wake up with soft skin — L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Cream”
    • “Leaves my face feeling plump and dewy all day. — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy texture Mostly 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”
    • “Absorbs fast — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Night Cream”
  • Skin barrier and texture improvements Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin is a lot smoother — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Laser Pure Retinol Night Serum”
    • “My skin feels silky and soft to the touch. — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift”
    • “Smooth and creamy texture that spreads very nicely. — L'Oreal Paris Pure-Clay Mask”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
  • Dark spot fading and brightening Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin looks luminous — L'Oreal Paris Glycolic Bright”
    • “significant reduction in the appearance of dark spots — L'Oreal Paris Bright Reveal 12% Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum”
    • “skin looks glowing — L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Cream”
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
  • Gentle formula and suitability for sensitive skin Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “perfect for retinol newbies — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “very gentle, didn't irritate my skin — L'Oreal Paris Bright Reveal 12% Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum”
  • Plumping and fine line reduction Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “diminished fine lines, under-eye discoloration as well Crow's feet — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Pressed Night Cream”
    • “fine lines around eyes less noticeable — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Laser Pure Retinol Night Serum”
    • “reduces puffiness under the eyes — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Eye Cream”
    • “Skin looks noticeably more plump — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • High price and poor value Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “a little bit pricy — L'Oreal Paris Glycolic Bright”
    • “taken aback by the price — L'Oreal Paris Bright Reveal 12% Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Burning, stinging, and irritation Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “left my face bright red — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “slight tingling the first few times — L'Oreal Paris Dark Spot Exfoliant Peel”
  • Unpleasant scent or strong fragrance Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “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 perfume smell is overwhelming and lingers. — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift”

Kiehl's vs L'Oreal Paris routines for dry skin

Buy L'Oreal Paris routine · $119.66 · 91% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · $382.00 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs L'Oreal Paris routines for oily skin

Buy L'Oreal Paris routine · $295.95 · 95% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · $343.42 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Kiehl's vs L'Oreal Paris routines for combination skin

Buy L'Oreal Paris routine · $287.54 · 95% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · $339.90 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris: which is better?

Both brands offer solid skincare options, but L'Oreal Paris achieves superior routine fit ratings across most skin types on the products on this page. Kiehl's is particularly well-suited for shoppers prioritizing gentle formulations, as the vast majority of its products list no fragrance.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris?

Both brands are owned by L'Oréal S.A., but Kiehl's is an American brand founded in 1851, while L'Oreal Paris is a French brand founded in 1909. On this page, Lovi finds L'Oreal Paris has a superior routine fit for dry, oily, combination, acne-prone, mature, dark spot, and oily acne-prone skin, while Kiehl's generally offers lighter textures and fewer fragranced products.

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris for dry skin?

For dry skin, Lovi finds that Kiehl's routine fit is High while L'Oreal Paris routine fit is Superior. Both brands feature deep hydration and moisturization as key benefits in the products on this page.

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris offer moisturizers on the products on this page, but Lovi rates L'Oreal Paris with a Superior routine fit for dry skin compared to High for Kiehl's. L'Oreal Paris moisturizers provide deep hydration and moisturization, while Kiehl's focuses on lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris?

L'Oreal Paris is more affordable, as reviewers often note a high price point for Kiehl's while mentioning value and affordability for L'Oreal Paris.

Which brand has more products containing fragrance, Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris?

Kiehl's has more products containing fragrance than L'Oreal Paris, with 2 of 28 products on the page listing fragrance compared to 5 of 10 products for L'Oreal Paris.

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris for dark spots?

For dark spots, Lovi rates Kiehl's as High and L'Oreal Paris as Superior. Niacinamide helps reduce pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Which brand performs better for mature skin?

L'Oreal Paris performs better for mature skin, achieving a superior routine fit compared to Kiehl's High level. Both brands offer products with mature skin benefits, but L'Oreal Paris excels overall in this category.

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris for oily skin?

For oily skin, Lovi finds that Kiehl's has a High routine fit while L'Oreal Paris offers a Superior routine fit. Both brands provide products on this page that help manage excess oil.

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris offer High Lovi fit levels for sensitive skin among the products on this page. Kiehl's may be a gentler choice since fewer of its products contain fragrance compared to L'Oreal Paris.

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, Lovi rates Kiehl's as Average and L'Oreal Paris as Superior. The products on this page for Kiehl's fit acne-prone skin with an average level, whereas L'Oreal Paris offers stronger routines for this skin type.

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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