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Kiehl's vs The INKEY List

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

Kiehl's and The INKEY List are distinct skincare lines offering moisturizers, serums, toners, eye products, and more. The American label features nourishing glycerin and squalane to suit combination and mature skin, while the British brand relies on glycerin for sensitive and combination skin. Both present tailored solutions for acne-prone skin, dark spots, and aging, differing primarily in their formulation heritage and targeted sensitivities.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

The INKEY List is a British skincare brand founded in 2018 and owned by Brand Evangelists for Beauty Limited.

cosmeticsbusiness.comprnewswire.comtheinkeylist.comtracxn.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs The INKEY List products

People Say

Kiehl'sThe INKEY List
  • Lightweight Texture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “sits beautifully under makeup — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “Gel consistency — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly 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”
    • “Super hydrating — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
    • “intense nourishment — The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum”
  • Gentle on Skin Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Great for sensitive skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
    • “Safe and gentle especially for my dry, sensitive skin — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
  • Makeup Compatibility Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no pilling — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Melts away makeup and impurities without drying — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “no pilling under makeup — The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
  • Skin Barrier and Texture 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”
    • “skin looked & felt smoother — Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Cream”
    • “calmed my menopausal redness — The INKEY List ECTOIN HYDRO-BARRIER SERUM”
  • Affordable Price Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “Good for the price — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “One of the best balms for quality and also price — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “unbeatable value — The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
  • High Price Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Packaging Issues Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “dipping fingers is unsanitary — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Dropper doesn't reach bottom — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Pump breaks easily — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
  • Efficacy and 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 do anything for circles — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “did absolutely nothing — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
  • Breakouts and Acne Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “cystic acne for some — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “did cause major breakouts — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
    • “New formula breaks me out — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”

Kiehl's vs The INKEY List routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Kiehl's vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or The INKEY List: which is better?

Both Kiehl's and The INKEY List perform well, offering equal routine fit levels for dry, oily, combination, mature, dark spots, dry sensitive, and oily acne-prone skin. The INKEY List has a Superior routine fit for sensitive skin and a High fit for acne-prone skin, whereas Kiehl's routine fit is Average for acne-prone skin.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and The INKEY List?

Kiehl's and The INKEY List both offer effective routines for various skin types, but Kiehl's is known for supporting skin barrier and texture, while The INKEY List is noted for offering more affordable options. Reviewers often mention high prices as a drawback for Kiehl's and packaging issues for The INKEY List.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and The INKEY List fit dry skin at a High level on this page. Kiehl's routine for dry skin is highlighted by products like Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate, while The INKEY List features options such as Collagen Peptide Serum.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List: which cleanser is better?

Both Kiehl's and The INKEY List offer highly rated cleansers, such as the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash and the Salicylic Acid Cleanser. Reviewers note that both brands deliver effective cleansing, but The INKEY List provides a more budget-friendly option.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or The INKEY List?

The products on this page show that The INKEY List is more affordable, whereas reviewers often note a high price point for Kiehl's.

Which brand performs better for skin barrier and texture improvement?

Kiehl's performs better for skin barrier and texture improvement. Review themes on the page indicate that Kiehl's takes the lead in this specific category.

How do the founding years and countries of origin compare between Kiehl's and The INKEY List?

Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States, whereas The INKEY List was founded later, in 2018, in the United Kingdom.

Which brand has a fragrance-free lineup across all of its listed products?

The INKEY List has a fragrance-free lineup across all of the products on this page, whereas Kiehl's includes fragrance in two of its products.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and The INKEY List fit oily skin well, with Lovi routines rated High for both brands on this page. Reviewers note that both brands offer lightweight, non-greasy or fast-absorbing moisturizers, and the products on this page list no fragrance for The INKEY List while 26 of 28 Kiehl's products are also fragrance-free.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and The INKEY List offer well-reviewed hydrating moisturizers on this page, with similar performance in providing moisture and a lightweight feel. Reviewers note that Kiehl's features lightweight, non-greasy options while The INKEY List is known for affordable, plumping, and fast-absorbing formulas.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, Lovi finds that both Kiehl's and The INKEY List fit well, with Kiehl's at a High level and The INKEY List at a Superior level. Reviewers mention that both brands offer gentle products and hydration, but The INKEY List lists no fragrance across every product on its page.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List for acne-prone skin?

The INKEY List is a better fit for acne-prone skin, offering a High routine fit compared to Kiehl's Average fit on this page.

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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