🇺🇸United States

Kiehl's vs Lancôme

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

Kiehl's and Lancôme are two historic beauty houses owned by L'Oréal S.A., with the American brand founded in 1851 and the French brand established in 1935. Kiehl's is beloved for dependable moisturizers, serums, toners, eye products, and more incorporating glycerin and squalane, while Lancôme is deeply loved for a thoughtful array of moisturizers, eye products, serums, toners, and more carefully formulated with glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and adenosine. The former suits mature skin and skin with dark spots best, whereas the latter suits sensitive skin and mature skin best. Ultimately, they differ in their foundational ingredients and specific target concerns, offering distinct solutions for diverse 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

Lancôme is a French skincare brand founded in 1935 and owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 1964.

loreal.comen.wikipedia.orgcosmeticsbusiness.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Lancôme products

People Say

Kiehl'sLancôme
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “gives my skin an instant dewy glow — Lancôme Tonique Confort”
    • “keeps the skin soft and hydrated — Lancôme HYDRA ZEN”
    • “The product provides deep hydration and visible rejuvenation. — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Night Cream”
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy texture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “works on dark skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs quickly — Lancôme RÉNERGIE”
    • “absorbs almost instantly — Lancôme Génifique Ultimate”
  • Gentle 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”
    • “doesn't irritate sensitive eyes — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “Doesn't sting my eyes — Lancôme Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover”
  • 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 looked & felt smoother — Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Cream”
    • “Skin feels cushiony soft — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate”
  • Makeup compatibility and primer benefits Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no pilling — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “concealer applies smoothly — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Eye Cream”
    • “layers beautifully under makeup — Lancôme Génifique Ultimate”
  • Brightening and fading dark spots Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Skin looks radiant — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Skin looks lit from within — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate”
    • “eyes look rested — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Eye Cream”
  • High price point and poor value Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “super expensive — Lancôme Absolue Precious Oil”
    • “expensive as hell — Lancôme RÉNERGIE”
  • 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 notice much change in wrinkles — Lancôme Génifique Ultimate”
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate”
  • Unpleasant or strong fragrance issues 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”
    • “My only issue with it is the fragrance. — Lancôme Hydra Zen Gel Cream”

Kiehl's vs Lancôme routines for dry skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · $382.00 · 82% fitBuy Lancôme routine · $370.99 · 63% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs Lancôme routines for oily skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · $343.42 · 80% fitBuy Lancôme routine · $659.39 · 67% fitSee multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Kiehl's vs Lancôme routines for combination skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · $339.90 · 83% fitBuy Lancôme routine · $493.87 · 66% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Lancôme: which is better?

Kiehl's generally achieves a High routine fit across most skin types on this page, whereas Lancôme achieves an Average fit. Kiehl's also performs better for gentle care on sensitive skin and for skin barrier improvements, while the products on this page for Lancôme feature added fragrance more frequently.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Lancôme?

Kiehl's and Lancôme are both beauty brands owned by L'Oréal S.A., with Kiehl's offering a High routine fit across most skin types and Lancôme offering an Average fit. Kiehl's is noted for performing better with sensitive skin and skin barrier improvement, while Lancôme excels in deep hydration and moisturization.

Kiehl's or Lancôme for dry skin?

For dry skin, Kiehl's is the better choice because Lovi rates its routine fit as High compared to Lancôme's Average level. Reviewers on the products on this page note that Kiehl's provides deep hydration.

Kiehl's or Lancôme: which cleanser is better?

Kiehl's cleanser options on this page generally provide a superior Lovi fit level for oily and acne-prone skin types compared to the products listed for Lancôme. Kiehl's features fragrance-free options like the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash, which helps deliver high or superior fit levels across multiple skin types.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Lancôme?

Neither brand is more affordable on this page, as both Lancôme and Kiehl's share high price points as a frequently mentioned drawback.

Kiehl's or Lancôme: which brand is better for brightening and fading dark spots?

Kiehl's and Lancôme are equal for brightening and fading dark spots. Lovi fit for skin with dark spots is High for Kiehl's and Average for Lancôme.

Which brand has a better fragrance profile regarding strong scents, Kiehl's or Lancôme?

Kiehl's has a better fragrance profile regarding strong scents on the products on this page, as it offers far more fragrance-free options compared to Lancôme.

Kiehl's or Lancôme: which brand offers better options for mature skin?

Kiehl's offers better routine fit options for mature skin, achieving a High routine fit level compared to Lancôme's Average level.

Kiehl's or Lancôme for oily skin?

For oily skin, Kiehl's is the better choice because the products on this page achieve a High routine fit compared to Lancôme's Average fit level. Kiehl's also features dedicated options like the Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner which rates a Superior fit for oily skin.

Kiehl's or Lancôme: which moisturizer is better?

Kiehl's provides better hydration options on this page, with moisturizers like the Midnight Recovery Omega-Rich Cloud Cream and Super Multi-Corrective Cream showing a High fit level for dry skin compared to Lancôme's lower ratings for similar products.

Kiehl's or Lancôme for sensitive skin?

Kiehl's does better than Lancôme for sensitive skin. Lovi routine fit for sensitive skin is High for Kiehl's and Average for Lancôme.

Kiehl's or Lancôme for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, Kiehl's and Lancôme have an equal routine fit of Average. The products on this page show that Kiehl's features mostly fragrance-free formulas, whereas most Lancôme products contain fragrance, which may influence sensitivity.

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?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play