🇺🇸United States

Kiehl's vs The INKEY List

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

Kiehl's and The INKEY List are well-regarded skincare brands offering moisturizers, serums, toners, eye products, and more. The American brand is known for nourishing glycerin and squalane, suiting mature skin and skin with dark spots best, whereas the British brand centers on glycerin to fit combination and sensitive skin. Both labels provide specialized care, such as distinct toners, cleansers, and moisturizers for acne-prone skin, dark spots, and aging concerns. Ultimately, they differ in their foundational ingredients and targeted skin types, allowing both to address diverse complexion needs.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

The INKEY List is a British skincare brand founded in 2018 and owned by Brand Evangelists for Beauty Limited.

cosmeticsbusiness.comprnewswire.comtheinkeylist.comtracxn.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs The INKEY List products

People Say

Kiehl'sThe INKEY List
  • Lightweight Texture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “sits beautifully under makeup — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “Gel consistency — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly 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”
    • “Super hydrating — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
    • “intense nourishment — The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum”
  • Gentle on Skin Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Great for sensitive skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
    • “Safe and gentle especially for my dry, sensitive skin — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
  • Makeup Compatibility Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no pilling — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Melts away makeup and impurities without drying — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “no pilling under makeup — The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
  • Skin Barrier and Texture 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”
    • “calmed my menopausal redness — The INKEY List ECTOIN HYDRO-BARRIER SERUM”
  • Affordable Price Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “Good for the price — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “One of the best balms for quality and also price — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “unbeatable value — The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
  • High Price Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Packaging Issues Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “dipping fingers is unsanitary — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Dropper doesn't reach bottom — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Pump breaks easily — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
  • Efficacy and 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 do anything for circles — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “did absolutely nothing — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
  • Breakouts and Acne Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “cystic acne for some — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “did cause major breakouts — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
    • “New formula breaks me out — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”

Kiehl's vs The INKEY List routines for dry skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · $382.00 · 82% fitBuy The INKEY List routine · $106.98 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · $261.57 · 87% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · $343.42 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Kiehl's vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · $254.57 · 90% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · $339.90 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or The INKEY List: which is better?

Both brands are great, but The INKEY List is more affordable, whereas Kiehl's is often noted for a higher price point. For acne-prone skin, The INKEY List has a High routine fit while Kiehl's is Average.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and The INKEY List?

The INKEY List offers a more affordable price point, whereas Kiehl's is frequently noted for a higher price. The products on this page show that Kiehl's best fits mature skin, skin with dark spots, and combination skin, while The INKEY List focuses its routines best on combination skin, sensitive skin, and oily acne-prone skin.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and The INKEY List fit dry skin well, offering a High routine fit level on the products on this page. Kiehl's features a rich set of key ingredients like squalane and glycerin, while The INKEY List provides budget-friendly options such as the Oat Cleansing Balm and Omega Water Cream.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List: which cleanser is better?

The products on this page for both Kiehl's and The INKEY List feature well-rated cleansers, such as Kiehl's Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash and The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser. Review themes indicate that both brands are equal in being gentle on the skin.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List offers better affordability as reviewers frequently note its budget-friendly pricing, whereas Kiehl's is often described as having a high price point.

Which brand has more products containing fragrance, Kiehl's or The INKEY List?

Kiehl's has more products containing fragrance, as 2 of its products on this page list fragrance, whereas every product on The INKEY List page lists no fragrance.

Which brand performs better for skin barrier and texture according to review themes?

Kiehl's performs better for skin barrier and texture according to the review themes on the page.

Which brand was founded earlier and in which country?

Kiehl's was founded earlier, in 1851 in the United States, whereas The INKEY List was founded in 2018 in the United Kingdom.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and The INKEY List fit oily skin well, offering a High routine fit on the products on this page. Reviewers note that both brands provide lightweight textures and hydration for oily skin.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List: which moisturizer is better?

The INKEY List offers better affordability for its moisturizers, while Kiehl's is often noted for providing richer formulations and benefits for skin barrier support among the products on this page. Reviewers frequently mention that both brands deliver lightweight, hydrating options.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

The INKEY List fits sensitive skin better, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to Kiehl's High.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List for acne-prone skin?

The INKEY List fits acne-prone skin better than Kiehl's, as Lovi rates its routine as High while rating Kiehl's routine as Average.

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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