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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 companies offering expertly formulated moisturizers, cleansers, serums, toners, and sunscreens with nourishing ingredients like glycerin and squalane. The American brand best suits combination and mature skin with targets like the Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner, Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash, and Ultra Facial Toner, while the Japanese brand excels in gentle daily care for sensitive and mature skin through solutions such as the Treatment Softener, Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Day Cream, and Essential Energy Hydrating Cream. Both labels deliver scientifically backed results, with the former focusing on barrier restoration, oxidative stress, and fibroblast migration, and the latter centering on stratum corneum hydration.

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 · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs Shiseido routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% 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 products on this page that perform well across most skin types, with Kiehl's providing a High fit for dry skin and Shiseido providing a High fit for acne-prone skin. Reviewers note that Kiehl's excels in lightweight textures while Shiseido is often noted for deep hydration and luxurious formulas.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Shiseido?

Kiehl's and Shiseido both offer products with a High routine fit for most skin types, but Kiehl's generally features lightweight and non-greasy formulations with fragrance-free options across most of the products on this page, whereas Shiseido provides deep hydration and luxurious textures that often include added fragrance.

Kiehl's or Shiseido for dry skin?

For dry skin, Kiehl's is the better choice because the products on this page offer a High routine fit compared to Shiseido's Average fit level.

Kiehl's or Shiseido: which cleanser is better?

Both Kiehl's and Shiseido offer highly rated cleansers, but Kiehl's generally features fragrance-free formulas across most of its page products, whereas Shiseido cleansers often contain added fragrance. Shiseido cleansers may help provide deep-cleansing efficiency and luxurious textures.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Shiseido?

Both Kiehl's and Shiseido are considered equal when it comes to a high price point, as reviewers frequently mention high prices for the products on this page for both brands.

Which brand has more products formulated without fragrance, Kiehl's or Shiseido?

Kiehl's has more products formulated without fragrance, as 26 of its 28 products on this page list no fragrance compared to only 5 of 20 products for Shiseido.

Kiehl's or Shiseido: which brand is better for mature skin?

Both Kiehl's and Shiseido offer a High routine fit for mature skin, making them equally suitable options. Kiehl's is frequently noted for its lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers and gentle serums, whereas Shiseido provides deep hydration and luxurious textures.

What are the main key ingredients found across Kiehl's products compared to Shiseido?

Kiehl's products on this page feature key ingredients like glycerin, vitamin C, squalane, shea butter, and vitamin E, whereas Shiseido products rely primarily on glycerin and hyaluronic acid.

Kiehl's or Shiseido for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and Shiseido offer a High routine fit for oily skin. Reviewers note that Kiehl's features lightweight and non-greasy moisturizers, while Shiseido provides deep-cleansing and efficient cleansers.

Kiehl's or Shiseido: which moisturizer is better?

Shiseido is often favored for deep hydration and moisturization among the products on this page, while Kiehl's is better known for lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers. Shiseido features luxurious textures and helps improve radiance, though its moisturizers may carry a strong fragrance.

Kiehl's or Shiseido for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Shiseido offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin, but they differ in formulation. Kiehl's products on this page list almost no fragrance, whereas most Shiseido products on this page contain fragrance.

Kiehl's or Shiseido: which sunscreen is better?

When choosing between the two brands on this page, both Kiehl's and Shiseido offer sunscreen options with High fit levels for various skin types, such as the Better Screen UV Serum and Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Day Cream.

Kiehl's or Shiseido for acne-prone skin?

Shiseido is a better fit for acne-prone skin, as the products on this page achieve a High routine fit compared to Kiehl's Average level.

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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