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Kiehl's vs Avène

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

Kiehl's and Avène are heritage skincare brands known for nurturing different complexions with distinct formulations. Kiehl's features nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, soothing toners, and revitalizing eye products utilizing glycerin and squalane, while Avène offers gentle moisturizers, protective sunscreens, targeted serums, and soothing cleansers formulated with glycerin. The former suits mature skin and combination skin best, whereas the latter works ideally for oily acne-prone skin and combination skin. Ultimately, they differ through their foundational ingredients and specific target audiences, with the American brand emphasizing barrier-supporting oils and the French brand focusing on gentle, protective care.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Avène is a French skincare brand founded in 1990 and owned by Fondation Pierre Fabre.

pierre-fabre.comavene.co.ukaveneusa.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Avène products

People Say

Kiehl'sAvène
  • Skin Barrier and Tone Improvement Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “Saves my skin in winter — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “immediate radiance boost — Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum”
  • Texture and Absorption Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “Thick but absorbs well eventually — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “absorbs very quickly — Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum”
  • Hydration and Moisture 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”
    • “Restores moisture barrier — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “Leaves my skin feeling soft and hydrated. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
  • Gentleness and Sensitive Skin Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “leaves face clean but not dry — Avène Cleanance”
    • “Perfect cleanser for sensitive skin. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
    • “no irritation at all — Avène Hydrance+”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Pores and Oil Control Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “sucked the gunk out of my pores — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “keeps my oils at bay — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “Keeps me matte for hours — Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel”
    • “keeps skin matte — Avène Cleanance”
  • Soothing Irritation and Redness Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “Calmed my angry red skin overnight — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “Nothing has ever worked to soothe or heal my skin like these before. — Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm”
    • “Calms angry, red skin — Avène Soothing Radiance Mask”
  • Price and Value Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Its a bit pricey but so worth it!! — Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm”
    • “a bit pricey — Avène Cleanance”
    • “Tiny tube for the money — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Application and Texture Difficulties Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “hard to spread — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “leaves a tacky film — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “Tube squirted water everywhere — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “too thick — Avène Hydrance+”
  • Breakouts and Acne Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “cystic acne for some — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Woke up with tiny whiteheads all over — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “Caused small bumps/texture — Avène Soothing Radiance Mask”
  • Scents and Fragrance Rarely NotedSometimes 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”
    • “The fragrance is very present. — Avène Milk Cleanser”

Kiehl's vs Avène routines for dry skin

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Kiehl's vs Avène routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs Avène routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Avène: which is better?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer great routines for most skin types, but Avène is a better fit for acne-prone skin with a High routine fit compared to Kiehl's Average level. Avène also does better with gentleness, sensitive skin, and soothing irritation and redness, while Kiehl's does better with scents and fragrance because 26 of 28 products on this page list no fragrance compared to only 7 of 15 for Avène.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Avène?

When comparing Kiehl's and Avène, Avène does better for gentleness and sensitive skin, while Kiehl's does better for scents and fragrance since most of its products on this page list no fragrance. Both brands offer high routine fit levels for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, mature, skin with dark spots, and oily acne-prone skin.

Kiehl's or Avène for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer a High routine fit for dry skin. Kiehl's features mostly fragrance-free products on the page along with key ingredients like glycerin and squalane, while Avène helps soothe irritation well and relies on thermal water.

Kiehl's or Avène: which cleanser is better?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer cleansers that fit oily and acne-prone skin well, but Kiehl's has a much wider selection of cleansers on this page with better overall Lovi fit levels across skin types. Kiehl's also stands out for having no fragrance in its cleansers on this page, whereas Avène includes fragrance in its cleansers.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Avène?

Avene is generally more affordable than Kiehl's, as high price points are frequently mentioned as a drawback for Kiehl's while Avene's price is only sometimes noted as an issue.

Between Kiehl's and Avène, which brand has fewer fragranced products?

Kiehl's has fewer fragranced products than Avène on this page. Only 2 of Kiehl's 28 products list fragrance, whereas over half of Avène's products do.

How do the founding years and countries of origin compare between Kiehl's and Avène?

Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States, whereas Avène was founded in 1990 in France. Kiehl's has been owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 2000, while Avène is owned by Fondation Pierre Fabre.

Which brand performs better for soothing irritation and redness according to reviewers?

Avene performs better for soothing irritation and redness according to reviewers. Kiehl's features fewer products with added fragrance on this page, but Avene is noted for being more effective at soothing irritation.

Kiehl's or Avène for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer a High routine fit for oily skin. Kiehl's features mostly fragrance-free products on this page, while Avène is frequently noted for gentle and non-stripping sunscreens.

Kiehl's or Avène: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer great moisturizers, and the right choice depends on your skin type and fragrance preference. Kiehl's is less likely to have added fragrance across its range, while Avène does better at soothing irritation and redness.

Kiehl's or Avène for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin. Reviewers note that Avène does better with gentleness and sensitive skin, while Kiehl's has fewer products with added fragrance.

Kiehl's or Avène: which sunscreen is better?

When choosing a sunscreen, Kiehl's may be better for targeting dark spots and mature skin, while Avène is better for oily and acne-prone skin with its Cleanance line. Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum has a High fit level for skin with dark spots, sensitive skin, acne-prone skin, and mature skin, whereas Avène Cleanance sunscreen is rated Superior for oily skin and High for skin with dark spots and acne-prone skin.

Kiehl's or Avène for acne-prone skin?

Avène is a better choice for acne-prone skin, as the brand-focused routine achieves a High fit level compared to Kiehl's Average level. Additionally, reviewers note that Avène helps soothe irritation well and provides gentle deep cleaning for cleansers.

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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