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Kiehl's vs L'Oreal Paris

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

Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris are renowned beauty labels under the same parent company, offering distinct formulations tailored to different complexions. Kiehl's is known for moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products featuring glycerin and squalane, suiting combination skin and dark spots best. L'Oreal Paris is celebrated for serums, moisturizers, masks, and eye products utilizing hyaluronic acid and glycerin, which suit oily and oily acne-prone skin ideally. While both incorporate nourishing glycerin, the American brand emphasizes barrier support and oxidative stress reduction, whereas the French brand focuses on lightweight hydration and prolonged wrinkle reduction.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

L'Oreal Paris is a French skincare brand founded in 1909 and owned by L'Oréal S.A..

en.wikipedia.orgloreal.comloreal-paris.co.ukcosmeticsbusiness.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs L'Oreal Paris products

People Say

Kiehl'sL'Oreal Paris
  • Deep hydration and moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
    • “wake up with soft skin — L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Cream”
    • “Leaves my face feeling plump and dewy all day. — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy texture Mostly 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”
    • “Absorbs fast — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Night Cream”
  • Skin barrier and texture improvements Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin is a lot smoother — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Laser Pure Retinol Night Serum”
    • “My skin feels silky and soft to the touch. — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift”
    • “Smooth and creamy texture that spreads very nicely. — L'Oreal Paris Pure-Clay Mask”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
  • Dark spot fading and brightening Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin looks luminous — L'Oreal Paris Glycolic Bright”
    • “significant reduction in the appearance of dark spots — L'Oreal Paris Bright Reveal 12% Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum”
    • “skin looks glowing — L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Cream”
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
  • Gentle formula and suitability 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”
    • “perfect for retinol newbies — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “very gentle, didn't irritate my skin — L'Oreal Paris Bright Reveal 12% Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum”
  • Plumping and fine line reduction Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “diminished fine lines, under-eye discoloration as well Crow's feet — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Pressed Night Cream”
    • “fine lines around eyes less noticeable — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Laser Pure Retinol Night Serum”
    • “reduces puffiness under the eyes — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Eye Cream”
    • “Skin looks noticeably more plump — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • High price and poor value Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “a little bit pricy — L'Oreal Paris Glycolic Bright”
    • “taken aback by the price — L'Oreal Paris Bright Reveal 12% Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Burning, stinging, and irritation Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “slight tingling the first few times — L'Oreal Paris Dark Spot Exfoliant Peel”
  • Unpleasant scent or strong fragrance Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “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 perfume smell is overwhelming and lingers. — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift”

Kiehl's vs L'Oreal Paris routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Kiehl's vs L'Oreal Paris routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs L'Oreal Paris routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris: which is better?

Both brands offer solid options, but L'Oreal Paris generally provides a superior fit for oily, acne-prone, and mature skin types on the products on this page. Kiehl's may be preferred by shoppers seeking fragrance-free formulas, as most of its products list no fragrance.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris?

Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris both offer effective skincare, but L'Oreal Paris provides a superior routine fit for dry, oily, combination, acne-prone, mature, and dark-spot-prone skin on the products on this page. Kiehl's is particularly well-rated for lightweight textures and sensitive skin, while L'Oreal Paris excels in dark spot fading and hydration. L'Oreal Paris products frequently feature hyaluronic acid and glycerin, whereas Kiehl's utilizes key ingredients like vitamin C, squalane, and shea butter.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris for dry skin?

For dry skin, both brands work well, with Lovi fit levels for the products on this page ranging up to Superior for Kiehl's and Superior for L'Oreal Paris. Kiehl's offers lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers and a gentle formula, whereas L'Oreal Paris provides deep hydration and moisturization with hyaluronic acid.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris: which moisturizer is better?

When comparing moisturizers, Kiehl's offers better options for lightweight, non-greasy hydration and sensitive skin, whereas L'Oreal Paris provides superior value and deeper anti-aging benefits for mature skin based on the products on this page.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris?

L'Oreal Paris is more affordable, whereas reviewers often mention Kiehl's as having a high price point.

Between Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris, which brand has a higher percentage of fragrance-free products?

Kiehl's has a much higher percentage of fragrance-free products on this page, with 26 out of 28 products listing no fragrance, compared to only 5 out of 10 for L'Oreal Paris. Lovi rates Kiehl's as High for sensitive skin, and the brand is noted for offering gentler formulas than L'Oreal Paris.

Which brand performs better when it comes to dark spot fading and brightening according to review themes?

L'Oreal Paris performs better when it comes to dark spot fading and brightening according to the review themes on this page.

How do the founding years and countries of origin compare between Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris?

Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States, whereas L'Oreal Paris started earlier in 1909 in France. Both brands are currently owned by L'Oréal S.A.

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris for oily skin?

For oily skin, L'Oreal Paris offers a superior routine fit compared to Kiehl's, which has a high routine fit on the products on this page.

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris fit sensitive skin well, as Lovi rates Kiehl's fit level as High and L'Oreal Paris fit level as High. Kiehl's is often noted for a gentler formula, while L'Oreal Paris provides deep hydration and moisturization.

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, L'Oreal Paris offers a Superior routine fit, while Kiehl's provides an 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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