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Kiehl's vs Elemis

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

Kiehl's and Elemis are established skincare brands that offer nourishing serums, rich moisturizers, gentle cleansers, and refreshing toners. Kiehl's incorporates glycerin and squalane to suit combination skin and skin with dark spots best, whereas Elemis utilizes glycerin and shea to support dry and mature skin. While both brands feature targeted formulations, they differ in their primary origins, founding years, and specific ingredient profiles.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Elemis is a British skincare brand founded in 1989 and owned by L'Occitane Group since 2019.

elemis.comau.elemis.comen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Elemis products

People Say

Kiehl'sElemis
  • Deep hydration 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”
    • “The cream really hydrates and my face looks amazing. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream”
    • “Quenches thirsty skin... immediate improvement. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
  • Brightening and radiance Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “healthy glow — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
    • “instantly fresh glow — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
  • Lightweight texture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “Absorbs quickly — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Absorbs almost immediately, and my skin feels well hydrated all day. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
    • “weightless serum — Elemis Pro-Collagen Advanced Eye Treatment”
  • 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”
    • “baby soft — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
    • “skin feels baby soft — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
  • Relaxing or spa-like scent Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like a spa — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
    • “smells like a holiday — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “smells like a tropical cocktail — Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial”
    • “calming lavender smell — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
  • Gentle 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”
    • “doesn't irritate sensitive eyes — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no stinging or redness — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
  • High price Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Complete waste of money for me. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
    • “very expensive — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
  • Burning, stinging, and irritation Sometimes 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”
    • “blurry vision — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
    • “Developed milia and closed comedones. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
  • Ineffective or slow 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 see a difference — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “didn't see difference — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”

Kiehl's vs Elemis routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Kiehl's vs Elemis routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs Elemis routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Elemis: which is better?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis are great options, with Kiehl's being gentler for sensitive skin and Elemis offering a more relaxing, spa-like scent. For acne-prone skin, Elemis has a High routine fit while Kiehl's is Average, but both brands share an equal High fit for dry, oily, combination, mature, and sensitive skin on the products on this page.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Elemis?

Kiehl's and Elemis both offer high routine fit across most skin types, though Elemis rates higher for acne-prone skin. Kiehl's is generally more gentle for sensitive skin, whereas Elemis is noted for providing a relaxing or spa-like scent.

Kiehl's or Elemis for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis match dry skin well, offering an equal High routine fit on the products on this page. Lovi rates Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate as Superior for dry skin, and Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream as Superior for dry sensitive skin.

Kiehl's or Elemis: which cleanser is better?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis feature popular cleansers on the products on this page, but Kiehl's is noted as being more gentle for sensitive skin. Lovi rates Kiehl's Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash at a Superior fit for oily skin and oily acne-prone skin.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Elemis?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis share a high price point according to the reviewers on the products on this page.

How do the fragrance profiles and amounts compare between Kiehl's and Elemis products?

Kiehl's has much less fragrance, as 26 of 28 products on this page list no fragrance, whereas 18 of 22 Elemis products contain fragrance. Kiehl's is noted as being more gentle for sensitive skin, while Elemis is sometimes noted for strong fragrance.

Which brand has a better routine fit for acne-prone skin?

Elemis is a better fit for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine fit as High compared to Kiehl's Average.

What are the main differences in key ingredients across Kiehl's and Elemis products?

Kiehl's products on this page frequently feature Vitamin C, Squalane, and Vitamin E alongside Glycerin, whereas Elemis products on this page rely more narrowly on Glycerin and Shea butter.

Kiehl's or Elemis for oily skin?

For oily skin, both Kiehl's and Elemis offer a High routine fit on the products on this page. Reviewers note that Kiehl's tends to be more gentle for sensitive skin, while Elemis may provide a more relaxing or spa-like scent.

Kiehl's or Elemis: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis offer effective moisturizers, with Kiehl's featuring mostly fragrance-free formulas and Elemis offering luxurious textures and a relaxing scent. Reviewers report that the products on this page help provide deep hydration, though specific fit levels vary by skin type.

Kiehl's or Elemis for sensitive skin?

Kiehl's does better than Elemis for sensitive skin, and Lovi rates both brands as having a High routine fit for sensitive skin. Kiehl's is gentler for sensitive skin, and almost all of the products on this page list no fragrance.

Kiehl's or Elemis for acne-prone skin?

Elemis is a better choice than Kiehl's for acne-prone skin, as Elemis achieves a High routine fit compared to Kiehl's Average fit.

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

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