🇮🇪Ireland

Kiehl's vs SK-II

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

Kiehl's and SK-II are esteemed skincare brands from America and Japan, respectively. The former is celebrated for its nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, soothing toners, and revitalizing eye products formulated with glycerin and squalane, while the latter is cherished for its luxurious moisturizers, potent serums, clarifying toners, and restorative masks anchored by pitera. The first brand suits mature skin and combination skin best due to moisture-retention and barrier-supporting properties, whereas the second suits dry skin and acne-prone skin best thanks to formulations designed to address imbalances. Ultimately, they differ through their distinct heritage, signature ingredients, and specific formulations that cater to different complexion needs.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

SK-II is a Japanese skincare brand founded in 1980 and owned by The Procter & Gamble Company since 1991.

en.wikipedia.orgdiscoversk-ii.wixsite.comglossy.co

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

Popular Kiehl's vs SK-II products

People Say

Kiehl'sSK-II
  • Lightweight 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 quickly — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “drinks right into the skin — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • 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”
    • “savior for dry patches — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “flooded my skin with moisture — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
  • Radiance and glow Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “gives a glass skin look — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “leaves me with a red carpet glow — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “noticeable skin brightening effect and glow — SK-II Skinpower Advanced Cream”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
  • Improves skin barrier and texture Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “skin feels soft as butter — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “pores became miraculously invisible — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “Smoother skin — SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion”
    • “skin feels smoother — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Makeup compatibility and primer Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no pilling — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Removes leftover dirt — SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion”
    • “Dissolves waterproof mascara, melts stubborn makeup, removes sunscreen easily. — SK-II Facial Treatment Cleansing Oil”
  • Fades dark spots and brightens Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Skin looks brighter — SK-II Genoptics Spot Essence”
    • “My skin is glowing now. — SK-II Genoptics Ultraura Essence”
    • “Reduced sun spots — SK-II Genoptics Spot Essence”
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
  • 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”
    • “way too expensive — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • Slow or ineffective results Rarely 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”
    • “did absolutely nothing — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • Unpleasant scent or fragrance 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 dirty feet — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • Causes breakouts and acne Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “caused tiny red bumps — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “Small bumps — SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion”
    • “did break out some while adjusting — SK-II Skinpower Advanced Cream”
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”

Kiehl's vs SK-II routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Kiehl's vs SK-II routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs SK-II routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or SK-II: which is better?

Both brands offer solid options, but Kiehl's generally provides better lightweight textures and deep hydration, while SK-II tends to perform better for radiance and improving skin barrier and texture. For dry skin specifically, Lovi rates Kiehl's as High and SK-II as Superior.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and SK-II?

Kiehl's products on this page offer deep hydration and lightweight textures, whereas SK-II focuses on providing fragrance-free formulas centered around the Pitera ingredient.

Kiehl's or SK-II for dry skin?

For dry skin, Kiehl's has a High routine fit while SK-II achieves a Superior level. Kiehl's features standout options like the Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate with a Superior dry skin fit level, whereas SK-II offers deeply hydrating products such as the Facial Treatment Essence.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Kiehl's or SK-II: which moisturizer is better?

For dry skin, Lovi rates Kiehl's routine as High and SK-II's as Superior. Reviewers note that Kiehl's offers lightweight texture and deep hydration, while SK-II does better with radiance and glow.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or SK-II?

When comparing the products on this page, high price and cost is noted as a negative review theme for Kiehl's, whereas SK-II does not have this disadvantage mentioned.

Kiehl's or SK-II: which brand does better for fading dark spots and brightening?

SK-II does better for fading dark spots and brightening than Kiehl's. The products on this page for SK-II achieve better results in review themes for radiance, glow, and fading dark spots.

Which brand has more products containing fragrance, Kiehl's or SK-II?

Kiehl's has more products containing fragrance, as 2 of its 26 products list fragrance while SK-II lists no fragrance in any of its products on this page.

Kiehl's or SK-II: which brand is better suited for mature skin?

Both Kiehl's and SK-II achieve a High routine fit for mature skin. Reviewers often mention that the products on this page help improve skin texture and firmness.

Kiehl's or SK-II for oily skin?

For oily skin, Lovi rates Kiehl's as High and SK-II as High. Reviewers note that Kiehl's tends to offer a lightweight texture.

Kiehl's or SK-II for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, both Kiehl's and SK-II achieve a High routine fit on the products on this page. Kiehl's features mostly fragrance-free products and includes soothing ingredients like Calendula officinalis flower extract, while SK-II lists no fragrance across every product on this page.

Kiehl's or SK-II for acne-prone skin?

SK-II is a better fit for acne-prone skin, offering a High routine fit compared to Kiehl's Average level.

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