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Kiehl's vs Shiseido

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

Kiehl's and Shiseido are heritage beauty houses, with the American brand founded in 1851 and the Japanese counterpart established in 1872. Kiehl's is beloved for moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products featuring glycerin and squalane, which suit combination skin and dark spots best. Conversely, Shiseido is known for cleansers, sunscreens, and moisturizers with glycerin that cater ideally to sensitive and mature skin. Ultimately, the two differ in their targeted botanical formulations and distinct regional origins.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Shiseido is a Japanese skincare brand founded in 1872 and owned by Shiseido Company, Limited.

corp.shiseido.comen.wikipedia.orgmarketscreener.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Shiseido products

People Say

Kiehl'sShiseido
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Immediate sensation of comfort — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “skin feels plump, soft and nourished, eliminates dryness, bouncy feel — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “Skin feels more hydrated — Shiseido Activating Essence”
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy texture Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “Absorbs quickly — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Airy-soft texture — Shiseido Essential Energy Hydrating Cream”
  • Skin barrier and texture improvement Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Velvety smooth — Shiseido FUTURE SOLUTION LX”
    • “makes skin baby soft — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Cream Enriched”
    • “smoothes rough skin — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
  • Radiance and relaxing experience Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Skin looks brighter, more radiant, and "glowy." — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “Pleasant floral fragrance, relaxing, luxurious smell. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “spa-like scent, high-quality packaging, little goes a long way — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
  • Luxurious texture and formula Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “silky smooth, rich but non-greasy, absorbs quickly, melts into skin — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “Velvety, rich cream texture — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “Velvety texture — Shiseido FUTURE SOLUTION LX”
  • Plumping and anti-aging Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Smoothed out crow's feet — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “tighter jawline, lifted appearance, improved elasticity, less sagging — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “wrinkles look softer — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Cream Enriched”
    • “Skin looks noticeably more plump — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • High price and cost value Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Very expensive for the size — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “Expensive, pricey, high cost for the amount. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
  • Unpleasant or strong scent Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “old lady smell — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
  • Greasy residue and oiliness Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “Stays tacky and shiny — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “feels a bit oily — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Cream Enriched”
    • “A little too much (too greasy) — Shiseido Bio-Performance Advanced Super Revitalizing Cream”
    • “oil slick in summer — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Lack of results or effectiveness Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “No change in deep wrinkles — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “No noticeable difference, not moisturizing enough on its own. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “no visible lifting, just a moisturizer, didn't erase deep wrinkles — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”

Kiehl's vs Shiseido routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs Shiseido routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs Shiseido routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Shiseido: which is better?

Both Kiehl's and Shiseido offer strong options depending on your specific needs, as Shiseido provides better deep hydration and anti-aging benefits while Kiehl's is known for lighter, non-greasy textures. For dry skin, Lovi rates Kiehl's routine as High and Shiseido's routine as Average.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Shiseido?

Kiehl's and Shiseido both offer products that fit most skin types well, but Kiehl's generally features lightweight, fragrance-free formulas, whereas Shiseido provides deep hydration with luxurious textures and stronger fragrances. For dry skin, Lovi rates Kiehl's routine as High and Shiseido's routine as Average.

Kiehl's or Shiseido for dry skin?

For dry skin, Kiehl's achieves a High routine fit level, while Shiseido achieves an Average routine fit level. Shiseido performs better for deep hydration and moisturization among the products on this page.

Kiehl's or Shiseido: which cleanser is better?

Shiseido does better for deep-cleansing and efficient cleansers overall, while Kiehl's offers standout options like the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash with a High Lovi fit for acne-prone, combination, and mature skin types.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Shiseido?

Both brands are noted by reviewers for having a high price point. The products on this page show that pricing is comparable, so neither brand is more affordable than the other.

How do the key ingredients and fragrance options differ between Kiehl's and Shiseido products?

Kiehl's features key ingredients like Glycerin, Vitamin C, Squalane, Shea butter, and Vitamin E, while Shiseido highlights Glycerin and Hyaluronic acid. Regarding fragrance options, 26 out of 28 Kiehl's products list no fragrance, whereas 15 out of 20 Shiseido products contain fragrance.

Which brand performs better for deep hydration and radiance according to reviewers?

Shiseido does better than Kiehl's for deep hydration and radiance according to reviewers. The products on this page for Shiseido frequently provide deep hydration and improve radiance.

What are the origins and founding years of Kiehl's and Shiseido?

Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States, and Shiseido was founded in 1872 in Japan.

Kiehl's or Shiseido for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and Shiseido offer products on this page that achieve a High Lovi fit for oily skin. Reviewers note that Kiehl's provides lightweight and non-greasy moisturizers, whereas Shiseido delivers deep hydration and deep-cleansing cleansers.

Kiehl's or Shiseido: which moisturizer is better?

Shiseido is often noted for deep hydration and moisturization among the products on this page, whereas Kiehl's is frequently praised for lightweight and non-greasy moisturizers. For dry skin specifically, Lovi rates the routine fit for Kiehl's as High and for Shiseido as Average.

Kiehl's or Shiseido for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Shiseido offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin. Kiehl's products on this page largely avoid fragrance, while Shiseido includes fragrance in most of its formulations.

Kiehl's or Shiseido: which sunscreen is better?

When it comes to sunscreens, Kiehl's and Shiseido both provide strong options depending on your skin type. Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum has a High Lovi fit for sensitive skin, acne-prone skin, mature skin, and skin with dark spots, while Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Day Cream achieves a Superior Lovi fit for dry sensitive and mature skin.

Kiehl's or Shiseido for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, Shiseido is the better choice because its routine fit is High, whereas Kiehl's routine fit is Average. Shiseido features deep-cleansing and efficient cleansers that help manage breakouts.

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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