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Kiehl's vs Clarins

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

Kiehl's and Clarins are esteemed skincare brands that offer nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, delicate eye products, and refreshing toners. Kiehl's incorporates glycerin and squalane to suit combination and mature skin, while Clarins harnesses soothing shea and replenishing squalane to suit sensitive and mature skin. Both brands differ in their specific formulations and origins, yet their key ingredients work harmoniously to increase hydration, restore epidermal barrier function, and protect the skin.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Clarins is a French skincare brand founded in 1954 and owned by Famille C (Groupe Clarins).

groupeclarins.comen.wikipedia.orghappi.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Clarins products

People Say

Kiehl'sClarins
  • Deep hydration Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin drinks it up — Clarins Double Serum”
    • “keeps skin moist — Clarins Multi-Active Jour”
    • “woke up with baby soft skin — Clarins Multi-Active Nuit”
    • “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”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “absorbs immediately — Clarins Double Serum Eye”
    • “sinks in immediately — Clarins Double Serum Light Texture”
  • No white cast and glowing skin Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “works on dark skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “skin looks brighter immediately — Clarins Cryo-Flash Cream-Mask”
    • “Gives off the most stunning natural radiance I've ever come across. — Clarins Beauty Flash Balm”
  • 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”
    • “neck feels smoother — Clarins Extra-Firming Neck & Décolleté Cream”
    • “visibly tighter, lifted skin — Clarins Super Restorative Night Cream”
  • Makeup base and primer compatibility Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no pilling — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Clarins Total Eye Lift”
    • “Perfect primer for any foundation, which all glide on smoothly. — Clarins Beauty Flash Balm”
  • Rich and creamy texture Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “melting non-oily texture — Clarins Extra-Firming Neck & Décolleté Cream”
    • “Creamy texture feels luxurious upon application — Clarins Extra-Firming Day Cream”
    • “feels like silk — Clarins Double Serum”
    • “feels luxurious and thick — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
  • 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”
    • “way too expensive — Clarins Double Serum”
    • “too expensive for results — Clarins Total Eye Lift”
  • Scent and fragrance complaints Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells clinical — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “faint lab smell — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “smells like perfume — Clarins Multi-Active Jour”
  • Breakouts and skin irritation Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Clarins Double Serum”
    • “caused redness — Clarins Double Serum Eye”
    • “made my face burn — Clarins Cryo-Flash Cream-Mask”
    • “burned my face immediately — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
  • 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 lift — Clarins Total Eye Lift”
    • “no change in circles — Clarins Double Serum Eye”

Kiehl's vs Clarins routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs Clarins routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Kiehl's vs Clarins routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Clarins: which is better?

Both Kiehl's and Clarins are great choices, as Lovi shows they perform equally well for dry, combination, sensitive, mature, and dark spot-prone skin. Reviewers find that Clarins delivers deeper hydration, while Kiehl's offers better options for oily or acne-prone skin.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Clarins?

Clarins offers better deep hydration and richer textures across the products on this page, while Kiehl's generally works better for oily skin. Both brands are similarly priced, but Clarins products more often feature a strong fragrance.

Kiehl's or Clarins for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Clarins offer a high routine fit for dry skin, making them equally good options. The products on this page help deliver deep hydration with key ingredients like glycerin and squalane.

Kiehl's or Clarins: which cleanser is better?

Both Kiehl's and Clarins offer effective cleansers, but Kiehl's performs better for oily and acne-prone skin types with options like the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash. Clarins provides strong hydrating options such as the Hydrating Gentle Foaming Cleanser.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Clarins?

Both Kiehl's and Clarins are noted by reviewers on the products on this page for having a high price point. Lovi rates the price impact equally for both brands.

Between Kiehl's and Clarins, which brand offers more fragrance-free skincare products?

Kiehl's offers significantly more fragrance-free options, as 26 of the 28 products on its page list no fragrance compared to only 1 of 24 products for Clarins.

How do the founding years and countries of origin compare between Kiehl's and Clarins?

Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States, whereas Clarins was founded in 1954 in France.

Which brand performs better for deep hydration according to review themes?

For deep hydration, Clarins performs better according to review themes. Reviewers note that the products on this page provide rich, hydrating, and smoothing moisturizers.

Kiehl's or Clarins for oily skin?

For oily skin, Kiehl's is better because Lovi rates its routine as High while Clarins is Average. The products on this page help provide oil control without a heavy residue.

Kiehl's or Clarins: which moisturizer is better?

Clarins offers better deep hydration and rich textures for dry skin, while Kiehl's is known for lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers across the products on this page.

Kiehl's or Clarins for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Clarins are a High fit for sensitive skin on Lovi. Reviewers frequently report strong fragrance as an issue with Clarins, while Kiehl's lists no fragrance in nearly all the products on this page.

Kiehl's or Clarins for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, Clarins may be the better choice because Lovi rates its routine fit as High, compared to Average for Kiehl's. Reviewers mention that Clarins provides hydrating and smoothing moisturizers, while noting that Kiehl's products can cause breakouts and skin 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

How does it fit your skin?

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