🇮🇪Ireland

Kiehl's vs The INKEY List

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

Kiehl's and The INKEY List are distinct skincare lines, with the American brand featuring nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, soothing toners, and revitalizing eye products powered by glycerin and squalane, while the British brand offers similar categories built around glycerin. Both brands suit combination skin, though the former best serves mature skin through moisture-retention and barrier-supporting properties, and the latter best fits sensitive skin. They differ largely in their formulations and targeted solutions, such as the former providing the Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner for acne-prone skin and the latter featuring the PHA Toner for that same concern.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

The INKEY List is a British skincare brand founded in 2018 and owned by Brand Evangelists for Beauty Limited.

cosmeticsbusiness.comprnewswire.comtheinkeylist.comtracxn.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs The INKEY List products

People Say

Kiehl'sThe INKEY List
  • Lightweight Texture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “sits beautifully under makeup — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “Gel consistency — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly 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”
    • “Super hydrating — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
    • “intense nourishment — The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum”
  • Gentle on Skin Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Great for sensitive skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
    • “Safe and gentle especially for my dry, sensitive skin — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
  • Makeup Compatibility Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no pilling — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Melts away makeup and impurities without drying — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “no pilling under makeup — The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
  • Skin Barrier and Texture 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 looked & felt smoother — Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Cream”
    • “calmed my menopausal redness — The INKEY List ECTOIN HYDRO-BARRIER SERUM”
  • Affordable Price Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “Good for the price — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “One of the best balms for quality and also price — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “unbeatable value — The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
  • High Price Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Packaging Issues Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “dipping fingers is unsanitary — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Dropper doesn't reach bottom — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Pump breaks easily — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
  • Efficacy and 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 do anything for circles — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “did absolutely nothing — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
  • Breakouts and Acne Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “cystic acne for some — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “did cause major breakouts — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
    • “New formula breaks me out — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”

Kiehl's vs The INKEY List routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Kiehl's vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or The INKEY List: which is better?

Both brands are great choices since their routines fit almost all skin types equally well, but The INKEY List is a more affordable option that achieves Superior fit for sensitive skin. Kiehl's may be preferred for skin barrier and texture benefits, though reviewers often note a higher price point compared to The INKEY List.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and The INKEY List?

Kiehl's and The INKEY List both offer effective routines for various skin types, but Kiehl's fits sensitive skin at a High level while The INKEY List fits it at a Superior level. Additionally, The INKEY List is known for offering affordable products, whereas reviewers often note a high price point for Kiehl's.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List for dry skin?

Both brands offer an equal High routine fit for dry skin. Kiehl's features products like Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate with a Superior fit for dry skin, while The INKEY List offers options like Polyglutamic Acid Serum and Oat Cleansing Balm also with a Superior fit for dry skin.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List: which cleanser is better?

Both brands offer top-tier cleansers on this page, with Kiehl's providing options that Lovi rates as Superior for oily skin and oily acne-prone skin, while The INKEY List features cleansers rated High for combination, acne-prone, and oily skin types.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List offers better affordability as reviewers often mention its low price point, whereas Kiehl's is frequently noted for a high price point.

Which brand has a better routine fit for sensitive skin, Kiehl's or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List has a better routine fit for sensitive skin, offering a Superior level compared to Kiehl's High fit on this page.

How do the founding years and countries of origin compare between Kiehl's and The INKEY List?

Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States, whereas The INKEY List was founded later in 2018 in the United Kingdom.

Which brand uses fragrance in some of its products, Kiehl's or The INKEY List?

Kiehl's uses fragrance in some of its products, specifically listing fragrance in the Age Defender Moisturizer and the Facial Fuel Energizing Moisture Treatment for Men, whereas every product on The INKEY List page lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and The INKEY List fit oily skin well, with Lovi rating the routine fit for both brands as High. Reviewers note that both brands offer lightweight, non-greasy or fast-absorbing moisturizers, while The INKEY List has a more affordable price point.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List: which moisturizer is better?

For moisturizers, both brands offer good choices, but The INKEY List stands out for providing affordable options, while Kiehl's is often noted for lightweight, non-greasy formulations. Both brands deliver deep hydration and work well under makeup, although Kiehl's products on this page have a higher price point.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, The INKEY List has a Superior routine fit, while Kiehl's has a High routine fit.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List for acne-prone skin?

The INKEY List fits acne-prone skin better, achieving a High routine fit level compared to Kiehl's Average level. Lovi shows that The INKEY List has specific products like the Salicylic Acid Cleanser and PHA Toner that excel for acne-prone skin.

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