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Paula's Choice vs Kiehl's

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

Paula's Choice and Kiehl's are American skincare brands offering serums, cleansers, moisturizers, toners, and more. Paula's Choice is known for formulations built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c that suit combination skin and oily skin best, while the second brand is beloved for incorporating nourishing glycerin and squalane to best suit skin with dark spots and combination skin. Both brands utilize glycerin to significantly increase hydration and restore barrier function, whereas their primary difference lies in the latter brand's additional use of squalane to counteract oxidative stress and stimulate fibroblast migration alongside targeted products for specific needs.

Paula's Choice is an American skincare brand founded in 1995 and owned by Unilever since 2021.

unilever.comtracxn.com

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Kiehl's products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceKiehl's
  • Fast Absorption and Lightweight Texture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Provides an internal level of hydration without leaving any heavy finish. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
    • “Absorbs quickly and leaves no greasy residue behind. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”
    • “absorbs instantly — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
  • Skin Texture Improvement Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “skin is insanely soft — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “skin never been this silky — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
  • Glow, 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”
    • “Skin looks radiant — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
  • Deep and Intense Hydration Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “skin feels incredibly soft afterwards — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • Non-Irritating and Gentle Formula Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “no stinging — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Acne and Blemish Clearing Often MentionedNot noted
    • “Helped clear my cystic acne — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “heals blemishes faster — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “controlled my back and chest acne — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
  • High Price and Value Concerns Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
  • Purging and Breakouts Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “skin purged — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “caused cystic acne — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “cystic acne for some — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Unpleasant Scent or Smell Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “smells clinical — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “faint lab smell — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “smells like hot dog water — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Irritation and Burning Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “burnt skin off — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “ruined my skin barrier — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “stung my face — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “burned my face immediately — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”

Paula's Choice vs Kiehl's routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Paula's Choice vs Kiehl's routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Paula's Choice vs Kiehl's routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Kiehl's: which is better?

Both Paula's Choice and Kiehl's perform similarly across most skin types, with Paula's Choice doing better for acne-prone skin.

What is the difference between Paula's Choice and Kiehl's?

Paula's Choice and Kiehl's both offer high routine fit across most skin types, but Paula's Choice achieves a high fit for acne-prone skin while Kiehl's achieves an average fit. Paula's Choice is owned by Unilever and lists no fragrance in the products on this page, whereas Kiehl's is owned by L'Oréal and includes fragrance in two of its products.

Paula's Choice or Kiehl's for dry skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Kiehl's are a High fit for dry skin. Paula's Choice relies on fragrance-free formulations with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, while Kiehl's offers deep hydration with ingredients like squalane and glycerin.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Paula's Choice or Kiehl's: which cleanser is better?

Both Paula's Choice and Kiehl's offer excellent cleansers on this page that achieve Superior fit levels for oily and oily acne-prone skin types. For instance, the CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser by Paula's Choice and the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash by Kiehl's both excel at purifying these specific skin conditions.

Which is more affordable, Paula's Choice or Kiehl's?

Both brands are noted by reviewers for having a high price point, so neither stands out as more affordable. Reviewers mention high price and packaging issues for Paula's Choice and a high price point for Kiehl's.

Between Paula's Choice and Kiehl's, which brand is better for improving skin texture?

Paula's Choice is better for improving skin texture, as reviewers note it does better for fast absorption and lightweight texture as well as skin texture improvement.

How do the founding years and parent companies of Paula's Choice and Kiehl's compare?

Paula's Choice was founded in the United States in 1995 and has been owned by Unilever since 2021, whereas Kiehl's was founded in the United States in 1851 and has been owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 2000.

Which brand performs better for glow, brightening, and radiance according to review themes?

Kiehl's performs better than Paula's Choice for glow, brightening, and radiance according to the review themes.

Paula's Choice or Kiehl's for oily skin?

Both brands offer a High routine fit for oily skin, with many products on this page achieving a Superior rating. Paula's Choice tends to do better for fast absorption and acne clearing, while Kiehl's is often noted for glow and deep hydration.

Paula's Choice or Kiehl's: which moisturizer is better?

Both brands offer moisturizers that help deliver strong results, but Paula's Choice is a better fit for acne-prone skin with a High routine fit compared to Kiehl's Average fit. For other skin types like dry, oily, and sensitive skin, both brands provide an equal High routine fit level.

Paula's Choice or Kiehl's for sensitive skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Kiehl's offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin on the products on this page. Reviewers note that both brands provide gentle formulas, though Paula's Choice features fragrance-free options across all its products.

Paula's Choice or Kiehl's: which sunscreen is better?

Paula's Choice and Kiehl's both offer sunscreens on this page, and their overall fit levels for sun protection depend on the specific skin type being treated. For instance, the products on this page show that the Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50 from Paula's Choice provides a High fit for dry and combination skin, while Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum offers a High fit for skin with dark spots, combination skin, sensitive skin, acne-prone skin, and mature skin.

Paula's Choice or Kiehl's for acne-prone skin?

Paula's Choice is a better choice for acne-prone skin, as the routine fit for this skin type is High compared to Kiehl's Average. Furthermore, the products on this page from Paula's Choice excel specifically in acne and blemish clearing.

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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