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Kiehl's vs Olay

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

Kiehl's and Olay are two skincare lines offering thoughtfully formulated moisturizers, serums, toners, eye products, and cleansers for various complex needs. Kiehl's incorporates nourishing glycerin and squalane to suit skin with dark spots and combination skin best, while Olay pairs niacinamide and glycerin to support acne-prone skin and mature skin best. Ultimately, both brands differ through their distinct targeted formulations, as the American brand focuses on antioxidant and barrier benefits while its counterpart emphasizes improvements in wrinkles, pigmentation, and hydration.

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 Olay products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Kiehl's vs Olay products

People Say

Kiehl'sOlay
  • Texture and Absorption Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “sinks in quickly — Olay Super Serum”
    • “absorbs quickly — Olay Vitamin C Serum”
  • 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”
    • “Instantly smoother, softer, and more hydrated — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
    • “light and smooth — Olay Ultimate Eye Cream”
  • Skin Smoothing and Barrier Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin feels baby soft — Olay Retinol24”
    • “Skin feels like silk — Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer”
    • “Makeup goes on so smooth — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
  • 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”
    • “iridescent glow — Olay Super Serum”
    • “hides dark shadows — Olay Ultimate Eye Cream”
  • Gentle on Skin Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “fragrance-free — Olay Eye Lifting Serum”
    • “No irritation at all — Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer”
  • Makeup Compatibility Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no pilling — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “absorbs instantly — Olay Eye Lifting Serum”
    • “acts as primer — Olay Super Serum”
  • High Price Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “expensive for drugstore — Olay Super Serum”
    • “expensive — Olay Super Serum Night Repair”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Breakouts and Irritation Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “burned my face immediately — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “caused cystic acne — Olay Retinol24”
    • “Caused breakouts — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
  • Product Ineffectiveness Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “no difference — Olay Vitamin C Serum”
    • “not moisturizing enough — Olay Super Serum”
    • “didn't see a difference — Olay Retinol24”
    • “skin felt tight after an hour — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”

Kiehl's vs Olay routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Kiehl's vs Olay routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs Olay routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Olay: which is better?

Olay is better for sensitive, acne-prone, and mature skin, achieving a Superior Lovi fit level for those skin types, while both brands offer High routine fits for dry, oily, combination, dark-spot, and dry sensitive skin.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Olay?

Olay achieves a Superior fit for sensitive skin, acne-prone skin, and mature skin, whereas Kiehl's fits those skin types at lower levels. Olay features niacinamide and peptide as key ingredients, while Kiehl's relies on squalane and vitamin C.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Kiehl's or Olay for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Olay offer a High routine fit for dry skin with the products on this page.

Kiehl's or Olay: which cleanser is better?

Both Kiehl's and Olay offer a range of cleansers with strong options for various skin types, but Olay stands out with a Superior routine fit for acne-prone skin compared to Kiehl's Average fit. Reviewers note that Olay products help improve skin smoothing and barrier function, while Kiehl's features a high percentage of fragrance-free products across its range.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Olay?

Olay is more affordable, whereas reviewers often mention a high price point for the products on this page by Kiehl's.

Between Kiehl's and Olay, which brand is better suited for mature skin?

Olay is better suited for mature skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Kiehl's High fit on the products on this page.

How do Kiehl's and Olay compare in terms of fragrance options across their products?

Both Kiehl's and Olay offer mostly fragrance-free choices among the products on this page. Kiehl's includes fragrance in only 2 of its 28 products, while Olay includes fragrance in just 1 of its 27 products.

Which brand performs better for oily acne-prone skin according to the routine fit levels?

Olay performs better for oily acne-prone skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Kiehl's High fit.

Kiehl's or Olay for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and Olay fit oily skin well, as Lovi rates their routines as High for this skin type.

Kiehl's or Olay: which moisturizer is better?

Olay achieves a Superior fit for mature skin with moisturizers like Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream, whereas Kiehl's achieves a High fit for dry skin with options such as Super Multi-Corrective Cream. Both brands deliver intense hydration and feature lightweight formulas, but Olay provides better skin smoothing and barrier support.

Kiehl's or Olay for sensitive skin?

Olay achieves a Superior fit for sensitive skin, whereas Kiehl's achieves a High fit on this page. Reviewers note that both brands offer fragrance-free options and gentle formulations that help soothe the skin barrier.

Kiehl's or Olay: which sunscreen is better?

When it comes to sunscreens, the products on this page for both Kiehl's and Olay offer strong options, with Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum achieving a High fit level for skin with dark spots, combination skin, sensitive skin, acne-prone skin, and mature skin. Olay's Regenerist Whip Face Moisturizer SPF 25 also achieves a High fit level across these same skin types, including dry sensitive skin and oily skin.

Kiehl's or Olay for acne-prone skin?

Olay is better for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to Kiehl's Average fit level.

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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