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Kiehl's vs Clarins

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

Kiehl's and Clarins are respected skincare brands that offer nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, soothing toners, and revitalizing eye products. Kiehl's relies on glycerin and squalane to suit mature skin and combination skin best, while Clarins harnesses shea and squalane to cater to sensitive skin and mature skin. Both lines feature distinct formulations, as the American brand emphasizes moisture-retention and barrier support, whereas the French house provides gentle care drawn from natural elements.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Clarins is a French skincare brand founded in 1954 and owned by Famille C (Groupe Clarins).

groupeclarins.comen.wikipedia.orghappi.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Clarins products

People Say

Kiehl'sClarins
  • Deep hydration Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin drinks it up — Clarins Double Serum”
    • “keeps skin moist — Clarins Multi-Active Jour”
    • “woke up with baby soft skin — Clarins Multi-Active Nuit”
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy 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 immediately — Clarins Double Serum Eye”
    • “sinks in immediately — Clarins Double Serum Light Texture”
  • No white cast and glowing skin Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “works on dark skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “skin looks brighter immediately — Clarins Cryo-Flash Cream-Mask”
    • “Gives off the most stunning natural radiance I've ever come across. — Clarins Beauty Flash Balm”
  • Skin barrier and texture improvement Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “skin feels smoother — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “neck feels smoother — Clarins Extra-Firming Neck & Décolleté Cream”
    • “visibly tighter, lifted skin — Clarins Super Restorative Night Cream”
  • Makeup base and primer compatibility Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no pilling — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Clarins Total Eye Lift”
    • “Perfect primer for any foundation, which all glide on smoothly. — Clarins Beauty Flash Balm”
  • Rich and creamy texture Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “melting non-oily texture — Clarins Extra-Firming Neck & Décolleté Cream”
    • “Creamy texture feels luxurious upon application — Clarins Extra-Firming Day Cream”
    • “feels like silk — Clarins Double Serum”
    • “feels luxurious and thick — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
  • High price point and poor value Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “way too expensive — Clarins Double Serum”
    • “too expensive for results — Clarins Total Eye Lift”
  • Scent and fragrance complaints Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells clinical — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “faint lab smell — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “smells like perfume — Clarins Multi-Active Jour”
  • Breakouts and skin irritation Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Clarins Double Serum”
    • “caused redness — Clarins Double Serum Eye”
    • “made my face burn — Clarins Cryo-Flash Cream-Mask”
    • “burned my face immediately — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
  • Ineffective or slow results Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Takes months to see — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “didn't see a lift — Clarins Total Eye Lift”
    • “no change in circles — Clarins Double Serum Eye”

Kiehl's vs Clarins routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Kiehl's vs Clarins routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs Clarins routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Clarins: which is better?

Both brands are a good match for most skin types, but Kiehl's is better for oily skin, whereas Clarins is better for acne-prone skin. Lovi rates Kiehl's as High for oily skin and Average for acne-prone skin, while Clarins is Average for oily skin and High for acne-prone skin.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Clarins?

Both brands offer strong options for mature skin and dark spots, but Kiehl's generally fares better for oily skin while Clarins is better suited for acne-prone skin. The products on this page also differ in formulation, as almost all Kiehl's items are fragrance-free whereas most Clarins products contain fragrance.

Kiehl's or Clarins for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Clarins have a high routine fit for dry skin. Kiehl's offers mostly fragrance-free products on this page, while Clarins is often noted for deep hydration and luxurious textures.

Kiehl's or Clarins: which cleanser is better?

When it comes to cleansers, Kiehl's may be the better choice since the products on this page offer higher overall fit levels for oily and acne-prone skin compared to Clarins. Additionally, Kiehl's is mostly fragrance-free across its range, whereas almost all Clarins cleansers contain fragrance.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Clarins?

Both Kiehl's and Clarins are equally noted by reviewers on this page for having a high price point.

Which brand has more fragrance-free products, Kiehl's or Clarins?

Kiehl's has more fragrance-free products than Clarins. The products on this page show that 26 of Kiehl's 28 products list no fragrance, whereas only 1 of Clarins' 24 products is fragrance-free.

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

Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States, whereas Clarins was founded in 1954 in France.

Kiehl's or Clarins for oily skin?

For oily skin, Kiehl's is a better choice because Lovi rates its routine fit as High while Clarins rates as Average. Reviewers note that Kiehl's offers lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers, and the products on this page mostly list no fragrance.

Kiehl's or Clarins: which moisturizer is better?

When choosing a moisturizer, both Kiehl's and Clarins offer options that provide deep hydration and glowing skin. Reviewers note that Kiehl's features mostly lightweight and non-greasy moisturizers, while Clarins is highlighted for its hydrating, smoothing, and luxurious textures.

Kiehl's or Clarins for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Clarins offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin. However, Kiehl's may be the better choice for sensitive skin because 26 of its 28 products on this page list no fragrance, whereas nearly all Clarins products contain fragrance.

Kiehl's or Clarins for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, Lovi rates Clarins as High and Kiehl's as Average. Reviewers note that Clarins is better for deep hydration, while Kiehl's has fewer fragrance complaints across its products.

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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