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Kiehl's vs Allies of Skin

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

Kiehl's and Allies of Skin are notable skincare lines offering thoughtful moisturizers, targeted serums, and advanced eye products. The American brand, founded in 1851 and owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 2000, incorporates nourishing glycerin and squalane to suit skin with dark spots and combination skin best, whereas the other utilizes key ingredients like niacinamide to suit dry skin and oily acne-prone skin best. While both feature standout formulations addressing diverse concerns such as acne, hyperpigmentation, and aging signs, they differ significantly in their foundational active components and heritage.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Allies of Skin products

People Say

Kiehl'sAllies of Skin
  • Deep hydration and moisturization 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”
    • “nourished and hydrated — Allies of Skin Peptides & Omegas Firming Eye Cream”
    • “more like a spray serum — Allies of Skin Molecular Saviour Probiotics Treatment Mist”
  • Lightweight texture and absorption Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “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”
    • “sinks easily into damp skin — Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum”
  • 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”
    • “Woke up looking well-rested — Allies of Skin Retinal & Peptides Repair Night Cream”
    • “Pores appear to be tighter — Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum”
  • Gentle and non-irritating formula Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Best retinol for sensitive skin — Allies of Skin Retinal & Peptides Repair Night Cream”
    • “feels super soothing, doesn't trigger redness — Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum”
  • Fades dark spots and brightens Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “scars visibly lightened after I started using this — Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum”
    • “Gives me a nice youthful glow — Allies of Skin Peptides & Antioxidants Firming Daily Treatment”
    • “brightens the undereye — Allies of Skin Peptides & Omegas Firming Eye Cream”
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
  • Visible plumping Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “more like a spray serum — Allies of Skin Molecular Saviour Probiotics Treatment Mist”
    • “Skin feels hydrated — Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum”
    • “Skin looks noticeably more plump — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • High price point Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “overpriced for what it does — Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Cream”
    • “Pricey — Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum”
  • Ineffective or slow results Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Takes months to see — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “results were subtle — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “still not impressed with the results — Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum”
  • Burning, stinging, and irritation Rarely 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”
    • “left my face bright red — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “Slightly irritating... when I first started — Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum”
  • Packaging and design issues Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “dipping fingers is unsanitary — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Dropper doesn't reach bottom — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “pump head is fixed — Allies of Skin Peptides & Omegas Firming Eye Cream”

Kiehl's vs Allies of Skin routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Kiehl's vs Allies of Skin routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs Allies of Skin routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Allies of Skin: which is better?

Allies of Skin is better for overall routine fit, achieving a superior fit level across all skin types compared to Kiehl's. Reviewers find that Allies of Skin does better at fading dark spots, brightening, and visible plumping, while Kiehl's is noted for lightweight texture and absorption.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Allies of Skin?

Allies of Skin is a superior fit for most skin types, while Kiehl's fits best for skin with dark spots, combination skin, and mature skin. Kiehl's offers lightweight texture and absorption, whereas Allies of Skin excels at fading dark spots and visible plumping.

Kiehl's or Allies of Skin for dry skin?

Allies of Skin is a superior fit for dry skin, whereas Kiehl's routine fit is High. Allies of Skin relies on key ingredients like Niacinamide, which helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Kiehl's or Allies of Skin: which moisturizer is better?

Allies of Skin is better for moisturizers on this page, as its routine fit is Superior compared to Kiehl's High. Reviewers frequently mention that Allies of Skin provides gentle and effective moisturizers, whereas Kiehl's products on this page are often noted for a high price point and occasional skin irritation.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Allies of Skin?

Both brands are noted by reviewers for having a high price point. However, high price point is specifically listed as a negative review theme for Kiehl's.

Between Kiehl's and Allies of Skin, which brand is better suited for mature skin?

Allies of Skin achieves a Superior routine fit for mature skin, whereas Kiehl's reaches a High routine fit. Allies of Skin relies on Niacinamide to help reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

How do Kiehl's and Allies of Skin compare regarding fading dark spots and brightening?

Allies of Skin does better than Kiehl's at fading dark spots and brightening the skin. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppresses melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Which brand has more products formulated with fragrance, Kiehl's or Allies of Skin?

Kiehl's has more products formulated with fragrance because 26 of 28 Kiehl's products list no fragrance while two contain it, whereas every Allies of Skin product on this page lists no fragrance.

Kiehl's or Allies of Skin for oily skin?

Allies of Skin achieves a Superior routine fit for oily skin, whereas Kiehl's achieves a High routine fit. Reviewers note that the products on this page for Allies of Skin may offer better visible plumping and help fade dark spots.

Kiehl's or Allies of Skin for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, both brands provide High fit routines, but Allies of Skin reaches a Superior routine fit. Kiehl's features 26 of 28 products on this page with no fragrance, while Allies of Skin lists no fragrance in every product on this page.

Kiehl's or Allies of Skin for acne-prone skin?

Allies of Skin is a better fit for acne-prone skin, offering a Superior routine fit compared to the Average routine fit of Kiehl's. Allies of Skin relies on key ingredients like Niacinamide, which helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

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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