🇫🇷France

Kiehl's vs Avène

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

Kiehl's and Avène are heritage skincare labels that offer thoughtful moisturizers, targeted serums, and soothing cleansers. The American brand is known for glycerin and squalane formulations that suit dark spots, combination skin, and mature skin, while the French brand is celebrated for glycerin-rich products tailored to oily acne-prone skin and combination skin. Although both rely on glycerin to boost hydration and restore barrier function, Kiehl's additionally incorporates squalane to counteract oxidative stress.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Avène is a French skincare brand founded in 1990 and owned by Fondation Pierre Fabre.

pierre-fabre.comavene.co.ukaveneusa.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Avène products

People Say

Kiehl'sAvène
  • Skin Barrier and Tone Improvement Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “Saves my skin in winter — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “immediate radiance boost — Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum”
  • Texture and Absorption Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “Thick but absorbs well eventually — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “absorbs very quickly — Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum”
  • Hydration and Moisture 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”
    • “Restores moisture barrier — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “Leaves my skin feeling soft and hydrated. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
  • Gentleness and Sensitive Skin Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “leaves face clean but not dry — Avène Cleanance”
    • “Perfect cleanser for sensitive skin. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
    • “no irritation at all — Avène Hydrance+”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Pores and Oil Control Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “sucked the gunk out of my pores — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “keeps my oils at bay — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “Keeps me matte for hours — Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel”
    • “keeps skin matte — Avène Cleanance”
  • Soothing Irritation and Redness Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “Calmed my angry red skin overnight — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “Nothing has ever worked to soothe or heal my skin like these before. — Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm”
    • “Calms angry, red skin — Avène Soothing Radiance Mask”
  • Price and Value Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Its a bit pricey but so worth it!! — Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm”
    • “a bit pricey — Avène Cleanance”
    • “Tiny tube for the money — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Application and Texture Difficulties Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “hard to spread — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “leaves a tacky film — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “Tube squirted water everywhere — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “too thick — Avène Hydrance+”
  • Breakouts and Acne Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “cystic acne for some — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Woke up with tiny whiteheads all over — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “Caused small bumps/texture — Avène Soothing Radiance Mask”
  • Scents and Fragrance Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “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 fragrance is very present. — Avène Milk Cleanser”

Kiehl's vs Avène routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Kiehl's vs Avène routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs Avène routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Avène: which is better?

Both Kiehl's and Avène are good brands, with Avène having better options for acne-prone skin and soothing irritation, while Kiehl's is better for avoiding added fragrance since most of the products on this page list no fragrance. Lovi rates the routine fit for dry, oily, combination, mature skin, and skin with dark spots as High for both brands.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Avène?

Kiehl's and Avène offer equally high routine fits for most skin types, though Avène provides a Superior routine fit for oily acne-prone skin and is generally better for soothing irritation and sensitive skin. Kiehl's products on this page have an advantage with less fragrance since most list no fragrance, whereas over half of Avène's products on this page include fragrance.

Kiehl's or Avène for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Avène provide a High routine fit for dry skin. Reviewers often mention that Kiehl's offers deep hydration, while Avène helps soothe irritation.

Kiehl's or Avène: which cleanser is better?

Kiehl's and Avène both offer cleansers with strong performance, but Avène achieves a Superior Lovi fit level for oily acne-prone skin with its Cleanance Cleansing Gel. Kiehl's features a high proportion of fragrance-free products on this page, whereas Avène includes fragrance in several of its cleansers.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Avène?

Avène is generally more affordable than Kiehl's, as high price points are often mentioned for Kiehl's while Avène is noted for better price and value.

Which brand performs better for soothing irritation and redness, Kiehl's or Avène?

Avène performs better for soothing irritation and redness, while Lovi rates its sensitive skin fit as High. Reviewers often note that Avène soothes irritation.

How do the fragrance-free options compare between Kiehl's and Avène products?

Kiehl's offers significantly more fragrance-free choices than Avène, with 26 out of 28 products on this page listing no fragrance compared to Avène's 7 out of 15. Reviewers note that Kiehl's does better on scents and fragrance.

Which brand has a better routine fit for dry sensitive skin?

Kiehl's has a better routine fit for dry sensitive skin, offering a High fit level compared to Avène which has an Average fit.

Kiehl's or Avène for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer a High routine fit for oily skin. Kiehl's features mostly fragrance-free products and lightweight moisturizers, while Avène provides gentle deep-cleansing cleansers and effective oil control.

Kiehl's or Avène: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer moisturizers with a High routine fit for dry skin, while Kiehl's features mostly fragrance-free products on this page and Avène is often noted for soothing irritation. The products on this page help provide deep hydration and lightweight textures.

Kiehl's or Avène for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Avène have a High fit for sensitive skin on the products on this page. Avène may do better at soothing irritation and redness, while Kiehl's lists no fragrance in nearly all of its products compared to about half for Avène.

Kiehl's or Avène: which sunscreen is better?

Both brands offer sunscreens on this page, but Avène is better for oily skin, where Cleanance has a Superior Lovi fit level. For most other skin types, both brands achieve similar High or Average fit levels, though Kiehl's is often fragrance-free whereas several Avène sunscreens contain fragrance.

Kiehl's or Avène for acne-prone skin?

Avène is better suited for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine fit 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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