🇪🇸Spain

Kiehl's vs L'Oreal Paris

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

Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris are esteemed beauty companies that offer targeted regimens for diverse skin needs. Kiehl's is celebrated for expertly formulated moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products utilizing glycerin and squalane, suiting combination and mature skin best. Conversely, the French counterpart is beloved for effective serums, moisturizers, masks, and eye products incorporating hyaluronic acid and glycerin, suiting combination and oily acne-prone skin best. While both elevate hydration and barrier function, they diverge through distinct specialized ingredients and textures tailored to particular complexions.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

L'Oreal Paris is a French skincare brand founded in 1909 and owned by L'Oréal S.A..

en.wikipedia.orgloreal.comloreal-paris.co.ukcosmeticsbusiness.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs L'Oreal Paris products

People Say

Kiehl'sL'Oreal Paris
  • Deep hydration and moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
    • “wake up with soft skin — L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Cream”
    • “Leaves my face feeling plump and dewy all day. — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift”
  • 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”
    • “Absorbs fast — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Night Cream”
  • Skin barrier and texture improvements Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin is a lot smoother — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Laser Pure Retinol Night Serum”
    • “My skin feels silky and soft to the touch. — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift”
    • “Smooth and creamy texture that spreads very nicely. — L'Oreal Paris Pure-Clay Mask”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
  • Dark spot fading and brightening Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin looks luminous — L'Oreal Paris Glycolic Bright”
    • “significant reduction in the appearance of dark spots — L'Oreal Paris Bright Reveal 12% Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum”
    • “skin looks glowing — L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Cream”
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
  • Gentle formula and suitability 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”
    • “perfect for retinol newbies — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “very gentle, didn't irritate my skin — L'Oreal Paris Bright Reveal 12% Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum”
  • Plumping and fine line reduction Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “diminished fine lines, under-eye discoloration as well Crow's feet — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Pressed Night Cream”
    • “fine lines around eyes less noticeable — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Laser Pure Retinol Night Serum”
    • “reduces puffiness under the eyes — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Eye Cream”
    • “Skin looks noticeably more plump — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • High price and poor value Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “a little bit pricy — L'Oreal Paris Glycolic Bright”
    • “taken aback by the price — L'Oreal Paris Bright Reveal 12% Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Burning, stinging, and irritation Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “left my face bright red — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “slight tingling the first few times — L'Oreal Paris Dark Spot Exfoliant Peel”
  • Unpleasant scent or strong fragrance 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”
    • “The perfume smell is overwhelming and lingers. — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift”

Kiehl's vs L'Oreal Paris routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs L'Oreal Paris routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Kiehl's vs L'Oreal Paris routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris: which is better?

Both brands offer solid options, but Kiehl's is often better for sensitive skin due to its mostly fragrance-free products on this page, while L'Oreal Paris provides superior routine fits for oily, acne-prone, and mature skin types.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris?

Kiehl's tends to offer a gentler formula that is well suited for sensitive skin, while L'Oreal Paris generally performs better for oily and acne-prone skin types. Reviewers note that the products on this page for Kiehl's often feature lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers, whereas L'Oreal Paris is frequently praised for deep hydration and radiance.

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris offer a High routine fit for dry skin among the products on this page. Kiehl's may be preferred by shoppers seeking lighter hydration, as most of its moisturizers are noted to be lightweight and non-greasy.

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris offer moisturizers that provide deep hydration, but Kiehl's is often noted for lightweight, non-greasy options while L'Oreal Paris excels in anti-aging and plumping effects.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris?

L'Oreal Paris is more affordable on the products on this page, as high price and poor value are noted as a drawback for Kiehl's.

How do the founding years and corporate ownership of Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris compare?

Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States and has been owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 2000, whereas L'Oreal Paris was founded in 1909 in France and is also owned by L'Oréal S.A.

Which brand has a higher percentage of fragrance-free products across its listed items?

Kiehl's has a higher percentage of fragrance-free products on this page, with 26 out of 28 products listing no fragrance. In comparison, L'Oreal Paris has only 5 out of 10 products listed as fragrance-free.

Which brand performs better specifically for dark spot fading and brightening according to review themes?

L'Oreal Paris performs better than Kiehl's for dark spot fading and brightening according to the review themes on this page.

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris for oily skin?

For oily skin, L'Oreal Paris has a Superior Lovi fit level, whereas Kiehl's has a High fit level.

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin on the products on this page. Kiehl's is particularly notable for being fragrance-free across nearly all of its page products, helping to avoid irritation.

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, L'Oreal Paris fits better with a Superior routine level compared to Kiehl's Average level. Both brands offer products on this page that may help with breakouts, but L'Oreal Paris is generally favored for acne-prone skin types.

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?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play