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Kiehl's vs Grown Alchemist

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

Kiehl's and Grown Alchemist are skincare brands offering thoughtful moisturizers, serums, toners, eye products, and cleansers. The American brand, founded in 1851 and owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 2000, incorporates nourishing glycerin and squalane, suiting skin with dark spots and combination skin best. Conversely, Grown Alchemist suits sensitive, dry, and combination skin best with its distinct formulas. Both differ in their specific targeted formulations and key 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

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Grown Alchemist products

People Say

Kiehl'sGrown Alchemist
  • Gentle for sensitive skin Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Perfect for sensitive skin — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “calms my skin down — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • 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”
    • “Skin version of chugging water — Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum”
  • Lightweight texture Often 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”
    • “Very light weight — Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum”
  • Non-stripping and gentle cleansing Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “Doesn't dry out my skin — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “doesn't strip at all — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
  • Relaxing and pleasant scent Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Smells amazing — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “smell is divine — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
    • “calming lavender smell — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
  • Cleanses and controls oil Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Gets everything nice and clean — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “sucked the gunk out of my pores — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
  • High price Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “expensive for what it is — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
    • “A bit pricey — Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Packaging and application issues Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “dipping fingers is unsanitary — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “hard to spread — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “Dropper doesn't reach bottom — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “tube cracks easily — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
  • Makeup removal and compatibility issues Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “Isn't going to be your makeup remover — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Grown Alchemist: which is better?

Grown Alchemist provides gentler cleansing for sensitive skin, whereas Kiehl's is better for lightweight texture and targeted treatments across a wider variety of skin types.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Grown Alchemist?

Kiehl's offers a much broader range of products with higher Lovi fit levels for skin with dark spots, combination skin, and mature skin, whereas Grown Alchemist focuses primarily on cleansers and serums. Reviewers note that Grown Alchemist performs better for sensitive skin and gentle cleansing, while Kiehl's is recognized for its lightweight textures and target-specific serums.

Kiehl's or Grown Alchemist: which cleanser is better?

Grown Alchemist provides a better cleanser experience for gentle, non-stripping cleansing, whereas Kiehl's cleansers on this page offer superior oil-control and deep-cleansing options for oily and acne-prone skin.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Grown Alchemist?

Grown Alchemist has a high price, while Kiehl's is often noted by reviewers for having a high price point.

Which causes fewer breakouts, Kiehl's or Grown Alchemist?

Grown Alchemist is generally considered gentler for sensitive skin, while Kiehl's reviewers sometimes note breakouts and skin irritation.

Which brand has more products without fragrance, Kiehl's or Grown Alchemist?

Grown Alchemist has more products without fragrance, as every product on its page lists no fragrance. In comparison, 26 of the 28 products on the Kiehl's page list no fragrance.

How do the founding years and corporate ownerships of Kiehl's and Grown Alchemist compare?

Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States and has been owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 2000, whereas Grown Alchemist was founded later in 2008 and is independently owned as of 2024.

Which brand offers better performance for deep hydration according to review themes?

According to the review themes on this page, both Kiehl's and Grown Alchemist offer equal performance for deep hydration.

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?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

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