🇩🇪Germany

Kiehl's vs Elemis

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

Kiehl's and Elemis are esteemed skincare houses that offer thoughtful moisturizers, serums, toners, eye products, and gentle cleansers incorporating nourishing glycerin. Kiehl's incorporates squalane, suiting skin with dark spots and combination skin best, while the British brand weaves together shea, suiting dry skin and mature skin best. Both utilize glycerin to significantly increase hydration and restore epidermal barrier function, yet they differ in their secondary active 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

Elemis is a British skincare brand founded in 1989 and owned by L'Occitane Group since 2019.

elemis.comau.elemis.comen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Elemis products

People Say

Kiehl'sElemis
  • Deep hydration 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”
    • “The cream really hydrates and my face looks amazing. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream”
    • “Quenches thirsty skin... immediate improvement. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
  • Brightening and radiance Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “healthy glow — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
    • “instantly fresh glow — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
  • Lightweight texture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “Absorbs quickly — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Absorbs almost immediately, and my skin feels well hydrated all day. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
    • “weightless serum — Elemis Pro-Collagen Advanced Eye Treatment”
  • Skin barrier and texture improvement Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “skin feels smoother — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “baby soft — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
    • “skin feels baby soft — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
  • Relaxing or spa-like scent Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like a spa — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
    • “smells like a holiday — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “smells like a tropical cocktail — Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial”
    • “calming lavender smell — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
  • 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”
    • “no stinging or redness — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
  • High price Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Complete waste of money for me. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
    • “very expensive — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
  • Burning, stinging, and irritation Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “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”
    • “blurry vision — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
    • “Developed milia and closed comedones. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
  • 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 see a difference — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “didn't see difference — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”

Kiehl's vs Elemis routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs Elemis routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs Elemis routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Elemis: which is better?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis perform equally well across most skin types and review themes, though Kiehl's is noted as being gentler for sensitive skin while Elemis is preferred for a relaxing scent. Kiehl's also features fragrance-free formulas in the vast majority of the products on this page.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Elemis?

Kiehl's and Elemis both offer high routine fit across most skin types, but Elemis achieves a high routine fit for acne-prone skin compared to Kiehl's average fit. Reviewers note that Kiehl's is gentler for sensitive skin, while Elemis is better for a relaxing or spa-like scent.

Kiehl's or Elemis for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis are great options for dry skin, as the products on this page offer equal high routine fit for dry skin. Reviewers note that both brands provide hydrating moisturizers, though Kiehl's tends to be gentler for sensitive skin.

Kiehl's or Elemis: which cleanser is better?

Kiehl's offers a cleanser that achieves superior routine fit levels for oily skin and oily acne-prone skin, whereas Elemis has cleansers reaching high fit levels for mature and sensitive skin. Reviewers indicate that Kiehl's is generally more gentle for sensitive skin, while Elemis is noted for providing a more relaxing or spa-like scent.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Elemis?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis feature a high price point as a common negative theme on the products on this page, so neither brand is more affordable than the other.

How do Kiehl's and Elemis compare in terms of fragrance options across their products?

Kiehl's products on this page are mostly fragrance-free, with only 2 out of 28 listing fragrance. In contrast, Elemis products on this page frequently include fragrance, with 18 out of 22 products listing it.

Which brand has a better routine fit for acne-prone skin according to the facts?

Elemis is a better fit for acne-prone skin on the products on this page, offering a High routine fit compared to Kiehl's Average level.

What are the key ingredients shared across products for each of the two brands?

Kiehl's features Glycerin, Vitamin C, Squalane, Shea butter, and Vitamin E across its products, while Elemis shares Glycerin and Shea butter.

Kiehl's or Elemis for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis offer a High routine fit for oily skin. Reviewers note that the products on this page for both brands provide lightweight moisturizers and hydration without feeling greasy.

Kiehl's or Elemis: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis offer moisturizers that fit dry skin, mature skin, and dry sensitive skin well. Kiehl's is frequently noted for lightweight, non-greasy formulas with most products listing no fragrance, while Elemis provides luxurious textures and a more relaxing scent.

Kiehl's or Elemis for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis offer a high routine fit for sensitive skin, but Kiehl's is often noted by reviewers as being more gentle. Additionally, almost all products on the Kiehl's page list no fragrance, whereas most Elemis products contain fragrance.

Kiehl's or Elemis for acne-prone skin?

Elemis is a better fit than Kiehl's for acne-prone skin, offering an Average fit with Kiehl's and a High fit with Elemis. Both brands provide high routine fit for most skin types, but Elemis stands out for acne-prone routines.

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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