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Beauty of Joseon vs Kiehl's

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

Beauty of Joseon and Kiehl's are two distinct skincare lines offering thoughtful daily care. The Korean brand is known for serums, masks, moisturizers, and sunscreens featuring niacinamide, glycerin, and hyaluronic acid, suiting dry and sensitive skin best. Meanwhile, the American brand is celebrated for nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, soothing toners, and revitalizing eye products formulated with glycerin and squalane, catering primarily to mature and combination skin. While both utilize glycerin to enhance hydration and barrier function, they differ in their heritage, founding years, ownership, and secondary key ingredients.

Beauty of Joseon is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by Goodai Global Inc. since 2019.

kbeautywiki.combeautymatter.comprnewswire.comgoodai-global.com

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 Beauty of Joseon and Kiehl's products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Beauty of Joseon vs Kiehl's products

People Say

Beauty of JoseonKiehl's
  • Unique or Pleasant Texture and Absorption Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “feels like a light moisturizer — Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics”
    • “sinks in instantly — Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water”
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “Absorbs quickly — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Deep Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Saved my dry winter skin — Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream”
    • “doesn't dry my skin like other cleansers — Beauty of Joseon Radiance Cleansing Balm”
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • Gentle and Non-Irritating Formulation Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “no irritation at all — Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum”
    • “cleansed my face gently without making my skin feel irritated — Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser”
    • “doesn't irritate my sensitive skin — Beauty of Joseon Apricot Blossom Peeling Gel”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Radiant Skin and Glow Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “gives a glass skin look — Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum”
    • “Gives me that chok-chok dewy look — Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “Skin looks radiant — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
  • Gentle Exfoliation and Texture Smoothing Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “skin feels smoother — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “skin looked & felt smoother — Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Cream”
    • “skin feels baby soft — Beauty of Joseon Apricot Blossom Peeling Gel”
  • Pore and Oil Control Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “less shiny by noon — Beauty of Joseon Red Bean Water Gel”
    • “pores look cleaner — Beauty of Joseon Red Bean Refreshing Pore Mask”
    • “pores look smaller — Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum”
    • “keeps my oils at bay — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
  • High Price Point Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Causes Breakouts and Acne Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “cystic acne for some — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “dealing with cystic acne — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “Broke me out in cystic acne — Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream”
  • Scent and Fragrance Issues Often MentionedRarely 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”
    • “smells like cooking oil — Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Cleansing Oil”

Beauty of Joseon vs Kiehl's routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Beauty of Joseon vs Kiehl's routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Beauty of Joseon vs Kiehl's routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Beauty of Joseon or Kiehl's: which is better?

Beauty of Joseon is better for gentle, non-irritating formulas and acne-prone skin, while Kiehl's is better for mature skin and gentle exfoliation, though both brands offer an equal routine fit for dry, sensitive, combination, and dark spot-prone skin.

What is the difference between Beauty of Joseon and Kiehl's?

Beauty of Joseon tends to be more suitable for acne-prone skin with High fit compared to Kiehl's Average fit, while Kiehl's is better tailored for mature skin with High fit versus Beauty of Joseon's Average fit.

Beauty of Joseon or Kiehl's for dry skin?

Both brands offer a High routine fit for dry skin, with Beauty of Joseon leaning on deep hydration and Kiehl's providing lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers. Niacinamide in Beauty of Joseon helps manage pigmentation and barrier health, while hyaluronic acid helps deliver lasting moisture.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Beauty of Joseon or Kiehl's: which cleanser is better?

Beauty of Joseon may be better for sensitive skin because the products on this page list no fragrance, whereas Kiehl's includes fragrance in some items. Reviewers note that Beauty of Joseon provides a gentle, non-irritating formulation.

Which is more affordable, Beauty of Joseon or Kiehl's?

Beauty of Joseon is more affordable, as high price points are frequently noted as a drawback for Kiehl's while Beauty of Joseon has better ratings for price on the products on this page.

Beauty of Joseon or Kiehl's for oily skin?

Both Beauty of Joseon and Kiehl's fit oily skin at a High level on this page. Kiehl's features specialized options like the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash which achieves a Superior fit for oily skin.

Beauty of Joseon or Kiehl's: which moisturizer is better?

Beauty of Joseon and Kiehl's both offer quality moisturizers, but Beauty of Joseon is a better fit for acne-prone skin, while Kiehl's is better suited for mature skin.

Beauty of Joseon or Kiehl's for sensitive skin?

Beauty of Joseon is a better choice for sensitive skin, as its formulas are gentler and every product on this page lists no fragrance. Kiehl's routine fit for sensitive skin is High, while Beauty of Joseon is also High and performs better for gentle formulations.

Beauty of Joseon or Kiehl's: which sunscreen is better?

Beauty of Joseon offers Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics, which helps provide high fit levels for dry skin, sensitive skin, and skin with dark spots, while Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum helps deliver high fit levels for mature skin and combination skin among the products on this page.

Journal of Nanobiotechnology, 2011

Beauty of Joseon or Kiehl's for acne-prone skin?

Beauty of Joseon fits acne-prone skin at a High level, whereas Kiehl's fits it at an Average level.

Beauty of Joseon or Kiehl's for mature skin?

For mature skin, Kiehl's is a better fit with a High routine fit level compared to Beauty of Joseon's Average level. Kiehl's features specialized options like the Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum, where retinol helps stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged human skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Beauty of Joseon or Kiehl's for skin with dark spots?

Both Beauty of Joseon and Kiehl's are a High fit for skin with dark spots on Lovi. Beauty of Joseon relies on key ingredients like niacinamide, which helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Beauty of Joseon or Kiehl's for dry sensitive skin?

Both Beauty of Joseon and Kiehl's are a High fit for dry sensitive skin on Lovi. Beauty of Joseon is particularly noted for its gentle, non-irritating formulas and fragrance-free range.

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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