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Kiehl's vs Shiseido

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

Kiehl's and Shiseido are heritage skincare institutions founded in the nineteenth century, with the former originating in America and the latter in Japan. Kiehl's is known for its nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, soothing toners, and revitalizing eye products formulated with glycerin and squalane, while Shiseido is adored for its nourishing moisturizers, gentle cleansers, protective sunscreens, potent serums, and versatile glycerin formulations. Both brands suit mature skin best, though the first also targets combination skin and the second suits sensitive skin. They differ primarily in their specific regional roots, ownership, and exact ingredient combinations, with the American brand emphasizing barrier-supporting squalane alongside glycerin and the Japanese brand focusing on deep moisture and gentle care through glycerin.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Shiseido is a Japanese skincare brand founded in 1872 and owned by Shiseido Company, Limited.

corp.shiseido.comen.wikipedia.orgmarketscreener.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Shiseido products

People Say

Kiehl'sShiseido
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Immediate sensation of comfort — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “skin feels plump, soft and nourished, eliminates dryness, bouncy feel — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “Skin feels more hydrated — Shiseido Activating Essence”
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy texture Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “Absorbs quickly — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Airy-soft texture — Shiseido Essential Energy Hydrating Cream”
  • Skin barrier and texture improvement Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Velvety smooth — Shiseido FUTURE SOLUTION LX”
    • “makes skin baby soft — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Cream Enriched”
    • “smoothes rough skin — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
  • Radiance and relaxing experience Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Skin looks brighter, more radiant, and "glowy." — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “Pleasant floral fragrance, relaxing, luxurious smell. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “spa-like scent, high-quality packaging, little goes a long way — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
  • Luxurious texture and formula Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “silky smooth, rich but non-greasy, absorbs quickly, melts into skin — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “Velvety, rich cream texture — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “Velvety texture — Shiseido FUTURE SOLUTION LX”
  • Plumping and anti-aging Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Smoothed out crow's feet — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “tighter jawline, lifted appearance, improved elasticity, less sagging — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “wrinkles look softer — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Cream Enriched”
    • “Skin looks noticeably more plump — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • High price and cost value Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Very expensive for the size — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “Expensive, pricey, high cost for the amount. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
  • Unpleasant or strong scent Rarely NotedOften 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”
    • “old lady smell — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
  • Greasy residue and oiliness Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “Stays tacky and shiny — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “feels a bit oily — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Cream Enriched”
    • “A little too much (too greasy) — Shiseido Bio-Performance Advanced Super Revitalizing Cream”
    • “oil slick in summer — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Lack of results or effectiveness Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “No change in deep wrinkles — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “No noticeable difference, not moisturizing enough on its own. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “no visible lifting, just a moisturizer, didn't erase deep wrinkles — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”

Kiehl's vs Shiseido routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Kiehl's vs Shiseido routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs Shiseido routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Shiseido: which is better?

Both Kiehl's and Shiseido are strong options, with Kiehl's offering better lightweight textures across the products on this page and Shiseido excelling in deep hydration and anti-aging care. Shiseido achieves a High routine fit for acne-prone skin while Kiehl's achieves an Average fit, though both brands provide High routine fits for dry sensitive skin.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Shiseido?

Both Kiehl's and Shiseido offer products on this page that help improve skin texture and hydration, but they differ in formulation styles and scent profiles. Kiehl's is known for lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers with mostly fragrance-free formulas, whereas Shiseido frequently features luxurious textures and strong fragrances. For dry skin routines, Kiehl's has a High fit level while Shiseido has an Average fit level.

Kiehl's or Shiseido for dry skin?

For dry skin, Kiehl's is a better fit with a High routine fit level compared to Shiseido's Average routine fit level. The products on this page for Kiehl's include a targeted routine for dry skin featuring items like the Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate.

Kiehl's or Shiseido: which cleanser is better?

Both Kiehl's and Shiseido offer highly rated cleansers, but Kiehl's generally features a lower fragrance load across its products on this page compared to Shiseido. Shiseido's cleansers often deliver deep cleansing and efficient performance, whereas Kiehl's provides options like the Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner and related cleansers that help soothe the skin.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Shiseido?

Both Kiehl's and Shiseido are comparable in terms of having a high price point as a frequently noted drawback for the products on this page.

How do the key ingredients and fragrance options compare between Kiehl's and Shiseido products?

Kiehl's products on this page rely heavily on key ingredients like glycerin, vitamin C, squalane, shea butter, and vitamin E, whereas Shiseido products use glycerin and hyaluronic acid. Additionally, Kiehl's offers far more fragrance-free options, with 26 of 28 products listing no fragrance, compared to only 5 of 20 products for Shiseido.

Which brand has a better routine fit for mature skin and skin with dark spots?

Both Kiehl's and Shiseido offer a High routine fit for mature skin and skin with dark spots. Reviewers note that Kiehl's provides lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers and gentle serums, whereas Shiseido delivers deep hydration and firming moisturizers.

What are the main differences in what reviewers say about Kiehl's versus Shiseido regarding texture and hydration?

Reviewers note that Kiehl's offers lightweight and non-greasy moisturizers, whereas Shiseido is known for providing deep hydration and luxurious textures. Additionally, reviewers sometimes mention that Kiehl's products can leave a greasy or heavy residue, while Shiseido formulas are frequently praised for improving skin radiance.

Kiehl's or Shiseido for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and Shiseido offer a High routine fit for oily skin among the products on this page. Shiseido's products focus on deep hydration, whereas Kiehl's offers lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers.

Kiehl's or Shiseido: which moisturizer is better?

Shiseido is better for deep hydration and moisturization among the products on this page, while Kiehl's is noted for lightweight and non-greasy moisturizers. Shiseido features options with high or superior Lovi fit levels for dry and mature skin, and the brand does better for overall moisturization.

Kiehl's or Shiseido for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Shiseido offer a High Lovi fit for sensitive skin, making them equally suitable choices. Reviewers note that Kiehl's features largely fragrance-free products on the page, whereas Shiseido products often contain fragrance.

Kiehl's or Shiseido: which sunscreen is better?

Shiseido is often noted for luxurious and firming formulations, while Kiehl's sunscreen products on this page maintain high fit levels for sensitive skin and dark spots. Topical hyaluronic acid, a key ingredient found across Shiseido products, helps improve skin quality and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Kiehl's or Shiseido for acne-prone skin?

Shiseido is the better fit for acne-prone skin, with a High routine fit compared to Kiehl's Average level. Reviewers of Shiseido mention deep-cleansing and efficient 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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