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Kiehl's vs Principia

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

Kiehl's and Principia are skincare brands known for their distinct formulations. Kiehl's is beloved for dependable moisturizers, serums, toners, eye products, and more that incorporate nourishing glycerin and squalane, while the other is widely loved for its thoughtful cleansers and precise formulas. The American brand suits mature skin and skin with dark spots best, whereas its counterpart suits balanced to oily skin best. Ultimately, they differ in their foundational ingredients and target complexions.

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Principia products

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Principia: which is better?

Kiehl's offers a much broader range of products on this page across multiple skin types compared to Principia, which features only a single cleanser. Reviewers often mention that Kiehl's provides lightweight moisturizers and deep hydration, though some note a high price point.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Principia?

Kiehl's offers a wide range of products on this page fitting mature skin, skin with dark spots, and combination skin, whereas Principia features only a single cleanser. Reviewers frequently note that Kiehl's provides lightweight moisturizers and gentle serums, though some users mention a high price point and skin irritation.

Kiehl's or Principia: which cleanser is better?

When comparing cleansers, Kiehl's offers options that achieve a Superior fit level for oily and oily acne-prone skin, such as the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash, whereas Principia's featured cleanser lists average or lower fit levels for those skin types.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Principia?

Reviewers often note that Kiehl's products have a high price point. The provided page facts do not contain pricing information for Principia.

Which causes fewer breakouts, Kiehl's or Principia?

Principia features only one product on this page, whereas reviewers of Kiehl's often note that the brand's products may cause breakouts and skin irritation.

How do the founding years and corporate ownerships of Kiehl's and Principia compare?

Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States and has been owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 2000, whereas Principia was founded in 2020 and is owned by Viziera Participações Ltda.

Which brand offers a greater variety of products for dry skin according to the Lovi fit levels?

Kiehl's offers a greater variety of products for dry skin on this page, featuring multiple items with High and Superior Lovi fit levels such as the Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate and Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner, whereas the products on this page for Principia show a Caution fit level for dry skin.

How does the fragrance content in Kiehl's product lineup differ from Principia's?

Kiehl's includes fragrance in a small number of the products on this page, whereas Principia lists no fragrance in any of its products. Specifically, 26 out of 28 Kiehl's products have no fragrance, while every product from Principia is fragrance-free.

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

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