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Kiehl's vs Elemis

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

Kiehl's and Elemis are established skincare brands that offer distinct approaches to daily ritual and targeted care. The American brand is loved for its nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, soothing toners, and revitalizing eye products formulated with glycerin and squalane, suiting mature skin and combination skin best. Conversely, the British brand is celebrated for its nourishing serums, rich moisturizers, gentle cleansers, and refining toners that weave together glycerin and shea, suiting dry skin and mature skin best. Both differ primarily in their exact botanical and scientific profiles, with the former relying on squalane to counteract oxidative stress and the latter utilizing shea butter to reduce inflammation.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Elemis is a British skincare brand founded in 1989 and owned by L'Occitane Group since 2019.

elemis.comau.elemis.comen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Elemis products

People Say

Kiehl'sElemis
  • Deep hydration 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”
    • “The cream really hydrates and my face looks amazing. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream”
    • “Quenches thirsty skin... immediate improvement. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
  • 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”
    • “healthy glow — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
    • “instantly fresh glow — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
  • Lightweight texture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “Absorbs quickly — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Absorbs almost immediately, and my skin feels well hydrated all day. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
    • “weightless serum — Elemis Pro-Collagen Advanced Eye Treatment”
  • Skin barrier and texture improvement Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “skin feels smoother — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “baby soft — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
    • “skin feels baby soft — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
  • Relaxing or spa-like scent Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like a spa — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
    • “smells like a holiday — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “smells like a tropical cocktail — Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial”
    • “calming lavender smell — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
  • Gentle for sensitive skin Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “doesn't irritate sensitive eyes — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no stinging or redness — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
  • High price Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Complete waste of money for me. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
    • “very expensive — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
  • Burning, stinging, and irritation Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “burned my face immediately — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “stings my face and feels like burning — Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Cream”
    • “blurry vision — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
    • “Developed milia and closed comedones. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
  • 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 difference — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “didn't see difference — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”

Kiehl's vs Elemis routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Kiehl's vs Elemis routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs Elemis routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Elemis: which is better?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis are great options, as they offer equal routine fit levels for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, mature, dark spot, dry sensitive, and oily acne-prone skin, while Kiehl's may be gentler for sensitive skin and Elemis is noted for spa-like scents. Elemis also provides a High routine fit for acne-prone skin compared to Kiehl's Average fit.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Elemis?

Kiehl's and Elemis both offer high routine fit across most skin types, but Kiehl's is often noted as gentler for sensitive skin, while Elemis provides a more relaxing, spa-like scent. Kiehl's features significantly fewer fragranced products on this page than Elemis.

Kiehl's or Elemis for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis are great options for dry skin, as the products on this page offer a High routine fit for this skin type. Reviewers frequently mention that both brands provide hydrating moisturizers and smoother skin texture. Kiehl's stands out for being gentler on sensitive skin, while Elemis offers a more relaxing, spa-like scent.

Kiehl's or Elemis: which cleanser is better?

When comparing cleansers on the products on this page, Kiehl's is a better fit for acne-prone skin with High or Superior fit levels across its cleansers like the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash, while Elemis cleansers show more varied fit levels for that skin type.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Elemis?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis feature a high price point as a common drawback mentioned by reviewers on the products on this page.

Between Kiehl's and Elemis, which brand offers more fragrance-free products?

Kiehl's offers significantly more fragrance-free options, with 26 of its 28 products on this page listing no fragrance compared to only 4 out of 22 products for Elemis.

How do Kiehl's and Elemis differ in their founding countries and parent companies?

Kiehl's was founded in the United States in 1851 and is owned by L'Oréal S.A., while Elemis was founded in the United Kingdom in 1989 and is owned by the L'Occitane Group.

Which brand has a better routine fit for acne-prone skin?

Elemis is better for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine fit as High compared to an Average fit for Kiehl's.

Kiehl's or Elemis for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis achieve a High routine fit level for oily skin on the products on this page. Kiehl's is gentler for sensitive skin, while Elemis offers a more relaxing, spa-like scent.

Kiehl's or Elemis: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis offer moisturizers that provide deep hydration. Kiehl's is gentler for sensitive skin, while Elemis provides a more relaxing or spa-like scent.

Kiehl's or Elemis for sensitive skin?

Kiehl's is better suited for sensitive skin, as review themes note it is gentler for sensitive skin than Elemis. Furthermore, most products on this page for Kiehl's list no fragrance, helping to reduce the risk of irritation.

Kiehl's or Elemis for acne-prone skin?

Elemis is a better fit for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine fit as High compared to Kiehl's Average. Kiehl's is noted by reviewers for occasionally causing breakouts and skin irritation.

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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