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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 prominent skincare brands owned by L'Oréal S.A., with the American label founded in 1851 and the French house established in 1935. Kiehl's is beloved for thoughtful moisturizers, serums, toners, eye products, and more incorporating glycerin and squalane, suiting skin with dark spots and combination skin best. Conversely, Lancôme is deeply loved for its thoughtful array of moisturizers, eye products, serums, toners, and more formulated with glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and adenosine, which suit sensitive skin and mature skin best. While both utilize nourishing glycerin to support the skin, they differ in their targeted active ingredients and ideal 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

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs Lancôme routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs Lancôme routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Lancôme: which is better?

Both Kiehl's and Lancôme offer great choices, but Kiehl's is particularly well-suited for a gentle experience since nearly all the products on this page list no fragrance. Lancôme tends to excel in deep hydration and moisturization, while Kiehl's is often noted for improving skin barrier and texture.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Lancôme?

Kiehl's products on this page list almost no fragrance across their range, whereas most Lancôme products include added fragrance. Kiehl's is often noted for being gentle on sensitive skin, while Lancôme is known for deep hydration and moisturization.

Kiehl's or Lancôme for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Lancôme have a High routine fit for dry skin. Kiehl's offers mostly fragrance-free options and is often noted for deep hydration, while Lancôme is frequently mentioned for deep hydration and fast-absorbing moisturizers.

Kiehl's or Lancôme: which cleanser is better?

Kiehl's does better than Lancome for cleansers, as the products on this page for Kiehl's feature superior and high fit levels across various skin types like oily and acne-prone skin. Review themes indicate that Kiehl's cleansers and products excel in skin barrier and texture improvement.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Lancôme?

Both Kiehl's and Lancôme have a high price point according to the products on this page, meaning neither brand is more affordable.

Between Kiehl's and Lancôme, which brand is better suited for mature skin?

Both Kiehl's and Lancôme are well suited for mature skin, as Lovi rates the routine fit for both brands as High. Kiehl's offers various products with high fit levels for mature skin, such as the Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum, while Lancôme provides options like the Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Archives of Dermatology, 2007

How do Kiehl's and Lancôme compare regarding fragrance in their products?

Kiehl's has much less fragrance across the products on this page, as 26 of 28 list no fragrance, whereas only 3 of 14 Lancôme products do so.

Which brand performs better for addressing skin with dark spots?

Both Kiehl's and Lancôme perform equally well for skin with dark spots, with routine fit levels rated as High for both brands on this page. Reviewers note that products on this page from both brands help with brightening and fading dark spots.

Kiehl's or Lancôme for oily skin?

For oily skin, Kiehl's is a strong choice as the products on this page achieve a High routine fit level, while Lancôme also reaches a High routine fit level. Reviewers mostly mention that both brands offer lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers and serums that help manage oil.

Kiehl's or Lancôme: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and Lancôme offer lightweight and fast-absorbing moisturizers that help provide deep hydration. Kiehl's features a lower fragrance count across the products on this page, while Lancôme is often noted for soothing sensitive skin.

Kiehl's or Lancôme for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Lancôme have a High routine fit for sensitive skin, though Kiehl's is often noted as doing better for sensitive skin overall. The products on this page from Kiehl's also tend to be fragrance-free, whereas most Lancôme products on the page include fragrance.

Kiehl's or Lancôme for acne-prone skin?

Lancôme is the better choice for acne-prone skin because Lancôme fits this skin type well, whereas Kiehl's achieves only an Average fit level for the skin type.

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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