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Kiehl's vs Clinique

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

Kiehl's and Clinique are esteemed American skincare brands, with the former founded in 1851 and the latter established in 1968. Kiehl's is cherished for its nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, soothing toners, and revitalizing eye products utilizing glycerin and squalane, while Clinique is widely loved for its thoughtful range of moisturizers, serums, makeup removers, and eye products incorporating hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and caffeine. The first brand suits mature skin and combination skin best due to moisture-retention properties, whereas the second brand suits dry sensitive skin and oily skin best because of comforting, balancing ingredients. Ultimately, they differ through their distinct formulations and specific targeted solutions, such as the former brand offering options for acne-prone skin and dark spots, and the latter providing standout solutions like the Clarifying Do-Over Peel.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Clinique is an American skincare brand founded in 1968 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc..

en.wikipedia.orgelcompanies.combusinesswire.comglossy.co

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Clinique products

People Say

Kiehl'sClinique
  • Lightweight and Non-Greasy Texture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “works on dark skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “sinks in immediately — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “sinks in instantly — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel”
  • Gentle for Sensitive Skin Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “never irritated my eyes — Clinique All About Eyes”
    • “No stinging eyes — Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm”
    • “doesn't dry out — Clinique all about clean”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Deep Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
    • “savior for dry patches — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “Keeps my dry patches at bay all day — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
  • 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”
    • “skin feels silky smooth — Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum”
    • “leaves face porcelain smooth — Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream Rinse-Off Formula”
  • Makeup Compatibility and Base Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no pilling — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “foundation glides on — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “holds concealer in place — Clinique All About Eyes”
  • Radiance and Glow Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “doubles as moisturizer — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “gives a very nice radiance — Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Cream”
    • “wake up glowing — Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask”
  • High Price and Cost Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “jar is too small for the cost — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “quite pricey — Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum”
    • “Expensive for cleanser — Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Insufficient Hydration or Dryness Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “skin felt tight after an hour — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “some extremely dry skin types need a thicker balm or oil on top — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “skin felt tight — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel”
  • Causes 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 whiteheads on my chin — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
    • “gave me tiny bumps — Clinique moisture surge”
  • 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 help dark circles — Clinique All About Eyes”
    • “don't expect miracles overnight — Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum”

Kiehl's vs Clinique routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Kiehl's vs Clinique routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs Clinique routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Clinique: which is better?

Both brands offer solid options, but Kiehl's is often preferred for deep hydration and radiance, while Clinique is typically chosen for being gentler on sensitive skin. Reviewers note that Kiehl's excels in targeted serums and masks, whereas Clinique is recognized for its oil-controlling and lightweight moisturizers.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Clinique?

Kiehl's and Clinique are both American skincare brands owned by major corporations, but Clinique offers products with zero fragrance on this page, whereas Kiehl's includes fragrance in a couple of items. Reviewers note that Clinique performs better for sensitive skin, while Kiehl's is often mentioned for providing deep hydration.

Kiehl's or Clinique for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Clinique fit dry skin well, offering high routine fit levels. Kiehl's features standout options like Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate with a superior fit for dry skin, while Clinique relies on hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid to help maintain moisture.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Kiehl's or Clinique: which cleanser is better?

Kiehl's offers a higher Lovi fit across multiple cleansers on this page compared to Clinique, which has products rated with warnings or lower fits for several skin types. Kiehl's cleansers feature specialized options like the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash that achieves Superior fits for oily and oily acne-prone skin.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Clinique?

Clinique does better than Kiehl's on high price and cost, as high price point is noted as a negative reviewer theme for both brands.

Between Kiehl's and Clinique, which brand offers a better routine for mature skin?

Both Kiehl's and Clinique offer a High routine fit for mature skin. Reviewers note that both brands provide effective options, though Kiehl's features key ingredients like squalene to support aging skin.

Molecules, 2009

Which brand has more products formulated with fragrance, Kiehl's or Clinique?

Kiehl's has more products formulated with fragrance, with two products on the page listing fragrance, while Clinique lists no fragrance in any of its products on this page.

Kiehl's or Clinique: which is better for treating skin with dark spots?

Kiehl's is generally better than Clinique for treating skin with dark spots, as the products on this page show higher average fit levels for this concern. Kiehl's also features active brightening ingredients like Vitamin C across its range and outperforms Clinique in radiance and glow.

Kiehl's or Clinique for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and Clinique provide a High routine fit for oily skin. Reviewers note that the products on this page for Clinique include oil-controlling and smoothing moisturizers, while Kiehl's offers specialized cleansers and toners with Superior fit levels for oily skin.

Kiehl's or Clinique: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and Clinique offer effective moisturizers, with Kiehl's leaning toward deep hydration and Clinique excelling in gentle, lightweight options. Kiehl's moisturizers on this page feature key ingredients like squalene and glycerin, while Clinique products frequently utilize hyaluronic acid and glycerin.

Molecules, 2009Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Kiehl's or Clinique for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Clinique provide products on this page that fit sensitive skin well. Lovi rates the routine fit for sensitive skin as High for Kiehl's and High for Clinique.

Kiehl's or Clinique for acne-prone skin?

Both brands offer an average routine fit for acne-prone skin on the products on this page. Kiehl's features targeted options like the Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner with a superior fit for this skin type.

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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