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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 brands that offer nourishing moisturizers, serums, toners, and cleansers. The American brand incorporates glycerin and squalane to suit combination and mature skin, whereas the British brand relies on glycerin and shea to support mature and dry skin. While both lines significantly increase hydration and restore barrier function, they differ in their heritage and precise active ingredients. Ultimately, choosing between them depends on whether your skin responds best to science-led apothecary formulas or luxurious botanical curation.

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 · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs Elemis routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% 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 are great options, depending on your skin type and fragrance preference. Kiehl's is often better for sensitive skin since most of its products are fragrance-free, whereas Elemis offers a more relaxing, spa-like scent with many fragranced products.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Elemis?

Kiehl's and Elemis both offer high fit routines across most skin types, but Kiehl's features fragrance-free formulas in the vast majority of the products on this page while Elemis mostly includes fragrance. Kiehl's is noted as being more gentle for sensitive skin, whereas Elemis is preferred for a relaxing or spa-like scent.

Kiehl's or Elemis for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis fit dry skin well, offering a high routine fit and effective hydration for the products on this page. Kiehl's features fragrance in only two of its products, which helps sensitive dry skin avoid irritation.

Kiehl's or Elemis: which cleanser is better?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis offer top cleansers, but Kiehl's is often considered gentler for sensitive skin.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Elemis?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis share a high price point according to the reviews on this page. Shoppers often mention the high cost for both brands.

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

Kiehl's offers mostly fragrance-free products on this page, with fragrance listed in only two items, whereas most Elemis products on this page contain fragrance.

Which brand has more products formulated for acne-prone skin according to their routine fit?

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

When comparing key ingredients between Kiehl's and Elemis, which ingredients do they share?

Kiehl's and Elemis share Glycerin and Shea butter as key ingredients across their products.

Kiehl's or Elemis for oily skin?

For oily skin, both Kiehl's and Elemis offer a High routine fit on the products on this page. Reviewers note that Kiehl's is generally gentler for sensitive skin, while Elemis is often favored for its relaxing or spa-like scent.

Kiehl's or Elemis: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis offer hydrating moisturizers on this page. Kiehl's is often noted for lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers, while Elemis is often noted for luxurious texture moisturizers and a radiant glow.

Kiehl's or Elemis for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis achieve a High routine fit for sensitive skin, but Kiehl's is often noted as better for sensitivity because almost all of its products on this page list no fragrance compared to Elemis where most do.

Kiehl's or Elemis for acne-prone skin?

Elemis is a better fit for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine as High compared to an Average fit for Kiehl's.

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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