🇮🇪Ireland

Kiehl's vs La Prairie

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

Kiehl's and La Prairie are distinguished skincare names from America and Switzerland, respectively. The former is known for nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, soothing toners, and revitalizing eye products formulated with glycerin and squalane, while the latter is beloved for similar product types crafted with refined formulas. Both brands suit mature skin best, though the American line also accommodates combination skin and the Swiss line suits dry sensitive skin. Ultimately, they differ in their origin and ownership, ingredient profiles, and specific target audiences.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

La Prairie is a Swiss skincare brand founded in 1978 and owned by maxingvest GmbH & Co. KGaA since 2003.

en.wikipedia.orgreports.beiersdorf.combeiersdorf.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs La Prairie products

People Say

Kiehl'sLa Prairie
  • Deep and Intense Hydration Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “gentle yet effective moisturizing — La Prairie Cellular Softening and Balancing Lotion”
    • “erased my dry patches — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
    • “skin feels plump — La Prairie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift”
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • 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”
    • “absorbs instantly — La Prairie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift”
    • “absorbs instantly — La Prairie Skin Caviar Eye Lift”
  • Luxurious Texture and Packaging Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “feels like liquid silk — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
    • “softens skin noticeably — La Prairie Cellular Softening and Balancing Lotion”
    • “fancy design — La Prairie Skin Caviar Eye Lift”
    • “creamy serum — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Glow, Radiance, and Plumping Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “doubles as moisturizer — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “gave my face a soft glow — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
    • “skin looks radiant — La Prairie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift”
  • Lifting and Firming Effects Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “felt skin tighten immediately — La Prairie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift”
    • “opened my eyes — La Prairie Skin Caviar Eye Lift”
    • “jawline genuinely looks lifted — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
  • Gentle and Sensitive Formula Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “perfect for retinol newbies — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “calm the complexion — La Prairie Cellular Softening and Balancing Lotion”
  • High Price and Cost Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “overpriced for what it does — Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Cream”
    • “eye-wateringly expensive — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
  • Scent and Fragrance Issues Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “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 a rich grandma — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
  • Slow Results or Ineffectiveness Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Takes months to see — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “results were subtle — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “just a good moisturizer — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
  • Irritation, Stinging, and Breakouts Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “caused congestion — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
    • “caused breakouts — La Prairie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift”
    • “burned my face immediately — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”

Kiehl's vs La Prairie routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Kiehl's vs La Prairie routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs La Prairie routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or La Prairie: which is better?

La Prairie offers superior results for mature and dry sensitive skin on this page, while Kiehl's is better for avoiding strong fragrance since almost all its products list no fragrance compared to La Prairie.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and La Prairie?

Kiehl's products on this page are generally more affordable and offer gentler, fragrance-free options, whereas La Prairie specializes in luxurious anti-aging formulas with strong lifting and firming effects. Both brands deliver high routine fits for dry and sensitive skin, but La Prairie achieves superior fit levels specifically for mature and dry sensitive skin.

Kiehl's or La Prairie for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and La Prairie achieve a High routine fit level for dry skin among the products on this page. Reviewers report that Kiehl's offers deep hydration with lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers, whereas La Prairie provides deep hydration and smoothing.

Kiehl's or La Prairie: which moisturizer is better?

La Prairie is the better choice for luxury texture and lifting effects among the products on this page, while Kiehl's is the better choice for avoiding a high price point. Both brands offer lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or La Prairie?

Kiehl's is more affordable, as La Prairie is noted for its exorbitant prices.

Which brand has more fragrance-free options, Kiehl's or La Prairie?

Kiehl's offers more fragrance-free options, as 26 of the 28 products on this page list no fragrance, compared to only 1 of the 5 La Prairie products.

Which brand performs better for lifting and firming effects?

La Prairie performs better for lifting and firming effects. Reviewers frequently mention lifting and firming effects for the products on this page.

Kiehl's or La Prairie for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and La Prairie offer a High routine fit for oily skin on the products on this page. Reviewers report that both brands provide lightweight and non-greasy textures.

Kiehl's or La Prairie for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and La Prairie fit sensitive skin at a High level on the products on this page. Reviewers note that Kiehl's provides a more gentle and sensitive formula, while La Prairie offers luxurious textures but often includes a strong fragrance.

Kiehl's or La Prairie for acne-prone skin?

La Prairie fits acne-prone skin better, achieving a High routine fit level compared to Kiehl's Average. The products on this page for La Prairie feature lifting and firming effects and deep hydration, though reviewers note potential irritation.

Kiehl's or La Prairie for mature skin?

La Prairie offers a Superior fit for mature skin among the products on this page, whereas Kiehl's provides a High fit. Reviewers frequently note that La Prairie delivers lifting and firming effects.

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?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play