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Kiehl's vs Avène

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

Kiehl's and Avène are heritage skincare labels that offer thoughtful moisturizers, targeted serums, and soothing cleansers. The American brand is known for glycerin and squalane formulations that suit dark spots, combination skin, and mature skin, while the French brand is celebrated for glycerin-rich products tailored to oily acne-prone skin and combination skin. Although both rely on glycerin to boost hydration and restore barrier function, Kiehl's additionally incorporates squalane to counteract oxidative stress.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Avène is a French skincare brand founded in 1990 and owned by Fondation Pierre Fabre.

pierre-fabre.comavene.co.ukaveneusa.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Avène products

People Say

Kiehl'sAvène
  • Skin Barrier and Tone Improvement Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “Saves my skin in winter — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “immediate radiance boost — Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum”
  • Texture and Absorption Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “Thick but absorbs well eventually — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “absorbs very quickly — Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum”
  • Hydration and Moisture Often 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”
    • “Restores moisture barrier — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “Leaves my skin feeling soft and hydrated. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
  • Gentleness and Sensitive Skin Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “leaves face clean but not dry — Avène Cleanance”
    • “Perfect cleanser for sensitive skin. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
    • “no irritation at all — Avène Hydrance+”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Pores and Oil Control Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “sucked the gunk out of my pores — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “keeps my oils at bay — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “Keeps me matte for hours — Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel”
    • “keeps skin matte — Avène Cleanance”
  • Soothing Irritation and Redness Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “Calmed my angry red skin overnight — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “Nothing has ever worked to soothe or heal my skin like these before. — Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm”
    • “Calms angry, red skin — Avène Soothing Radiance Mask”
  • Price and Value Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Its a bit pricey but so worth it!! — Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm”
    • “a bit pricey — Avène Cleanance”
    • “Tiny tube for the money — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Application and Texture Difficulties Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “hard to spread — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “leaves a tacky film — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “Tube squirted water everywhere — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “too thick — Avène Hydrance+”
  • 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 tiny whiteheads all over — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “Caused small bumps/texture — Avène Soothing Radiance Mask”
  • Scents and Fragrance 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”
    • “The fragrance is very present. — Avène Milk Cleanser”

Kiehl's vs Avène routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs Avène routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs Avène routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Avène: which is better?

Both brands offer a High routine fit for most skin types, but Avène does better for acne-prone skin and soothing irritation. Kiehl's is better for avoiding added fragrance, as only two products on this page list fragrance compared to over half of Avène's products.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Avène?

Kiehl's and Avène offer comparable fit levels for most skin types on this page, but Avène does better for acne-prone skin, gentleness, and soothing irritation and redness, while Kiehl's is better on scents and fragrance because most of its products on this page list no fragrance.

Kiehl's or Avène for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Avène provide a High routine fit for dry skin. Kiehl's features a lower proportion of products with added fragrance on this page, while Avène is noted for better performance in soothing irritation.

Kiehl's or Avène: which cleanser is better?

Both brands offer cleansers on this page that reach a Superior fit level for oily and acne-prone skin, such as the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash from Kiehl's and the Cleanance Cleansing Gel from Avène. Reviewers note that Avène delivers gentle deep cleansers, while Kiehl's provides options that help control oil and target dark spots effectively.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Avène?

Avène offers better value and is more affordable, whereas shoppers often mention that Kiehl's has a high price point. Avène also does better on price and value according to the review themes on this page.

Kiehl's or Avène: which brand has more products without fragrance?

Kiehl's has more products without fragrance, with 26 out of 28 products on this page listing no fragrance compared to 7 out of 15 for Avène.

Kiehl's or Avène: which brand is better for dry sensitive skin?

Kiehl's is better for dry sensitive skin because Lovi rates its routine fit as High, whereas Avène has an Average fit.

Which brand was founded earlier: Kiehl's or Avène?

Kiehl's was founded earlier, having started in the United States in 1851 compared to Avène, which was founded in France in 1990.

Kiehl's or Avène for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer a High routine fit for oily skin. Kiehl's features fragrance-free formulas across most of the products on this page, while Avène is noted for gentle and non-stripping sunscreens and cleansers.

Kiehl's or Avène: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer moisturizers with a High routine fit for dry skin. Kiehl's features lightweight formulas with mostly no fragrance, while Avène provides soothing options that help calm irritation.

Kiehl's or Avène for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Avène provide a High routine fit for sensitive skin. Reviewers note that Avène does better for gentleness and sensitive skin, while Kiehl's does better for scents and fragrance.

Kiehl's or Avène: which sunscreen is better?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer sunscreens on the products on this page, and their fit levels vary depending on your skin type. For example, Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum has a High fit for sensitive skin, while Avène Cleanance has a High fit for oily acne-prone skin.

Kiehl's or Avène for acne-prone skin?

Avène is better suited for acne-prone skin, achieving a High routine fit level compared to Kiehl's Average level. Both brands offer products on this page that help control oil and target breakouts, but Avène performs better in review themes for soothing irritation.

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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