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Anua vs Kiehl's

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

Anua and Kiehl's are two prominent skincare labels that offer moisturizers, toners, serums, cleansers, and more. The Korean brand is known for utilizing hyaluronic acid, heartleaf, and niacinamide to suit dry and oily acne-prone skin best, whereas the American house relies on glycerin and squalane to nourish mature and sensitive skin. Hyaluronic acid lengthens the duration of wrinkle reduction and niacinamide decreases hyperpigmentation and increases skin lightness, while glycerin significantly increases hydration and restores epidermal barrier function and squalane counteracts oxidative stress and stimulates fibroblast migration. Ultimately, these formulations differ through their specific ingredient philosophies and regional heritage, despite both providing targeted solutions for concerns such as acne, dark spots, and aging.

Anua is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2019 and owned by The Founders Inc..

prnewswire.comkedglobal.comtracxn.comv.daum.net

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular Anua vs Kiehl's products

People Say

AnuaKiehl's
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “complexion feels so plump — Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum”
    • “leaves skin plump — Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner”
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • Texture and Lightweight Feel Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “melts into skin — Anua Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sun Cream”
    • “Feels like water, not heavy oil — Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil”
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
  • Brightening and Dark Spots Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Significant reduction in hyperpigmentation from acne scarring. — Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum”
    • “Gives a nice healthy glow — Anua PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM”
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
  • Sensitive Skin Care Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Calms my redness instantly — Anua Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner”
    • “calmed my red spots — Anua Heartleaf 77% Clear Pad”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Skin Smoothing and Texture Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Skin feels super smooth — Anua PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM”
    • “skin feels so smooth — Anua BHA 2% Gentle Exfoliating Toner”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “skin feels smoother — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Glow and Radiance Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “glass-like glow — Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner”
    • “glassy skin look — Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum”
    • “beautiful glow — Anua Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sun Cream”
    • “Skin looks noticeably more plump — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • Price and Value Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “price feels way too high — Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum”
    • “small size, the price is expensive — Anua Rice Enzyme Brightening Cleansing Powder”
    • “bottle too small — Anua NANO RETINOL™ 0.3% + NIACIN RENEWING SERUM”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Breakouts and Acne Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “cystic acne for some — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “developed tiny white bumps — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “Wrecked my skin barrier — Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil”
  • Sticky or Greasy Finish Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Left such a gross tacky finish that refused to dry. — Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum”
    • “leaves a tacky finish — Anua BHA 2% Gentle Exfoliating Toner”
    • “oil slick in summer — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “too radiant for oily skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”

Anua vs Kiehl's routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Anua vs Kiehl's routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Anua vs Kiehl's routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Anua or Kiehl's: which is better?

Both Anua and Kiehl's are equally good, as both brands show High routine fit levels across all skin types on this page. Reviewers report that Anua does better for glow and radiance and price and value, whereas Kiehl's does better for breakouts and acne.

What is the difference between Anua and Kiehl's?

Anua focuses on routines for dry skin, oily skin, and oily acne-prone skin, while Kiehl's centers on mature skin, sensitive skin, and skin with dark spots. Both brands offer products on this page that are fragrance-free in most of their lineups.

Anua or Kiehl's for dry skin?

Both Anua and Kiehl's offer a High routine fit for dry skin. Anua is owned by The Founders Inc. and was founded in 2019 in South Korea, while Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States and is owned by L'Oréal S.A.

Anua or Kiehl's: which cleanser is better?

Both Anua and Kiehl's offer several cleansers with High or Superior Lovi fit levels for oily and acne-prone skin types, such as Anua's Heartleaf Quercetin Pore Deep Cleansing Foam and Kiehl's Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash. Reviewers frequently mention Anua for gentle toners and Kiehl's for gentle serums, but both brands provide effective options depending on your specific cleanser preferences.

Which is more affordable, Anua or Kiehl's?

Anua is more affordable, as Kiehl's is often noted by reviewers for having a high price point. Both brands offer high routine fit levels across all skin types.

Anua or Kiehl's: which brand is better for reducing dark spots?

Both Anua and Kiehl's are equally good for reducing dark spots, with both brands achieving a High fit for skin with dark spots. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Anua or Kiehl's: which brand is better for mature skin?

Both Anua and Kiehl's offer High routine fit for mature skin, with equal performance in review themes for hydration, texture, brightening, and sensitive skin care. Anua products on this page list no fragrance across the range, whereas Kiehl's includes fragrance in two of its products.

Anua or Kiehl's: which brand offers products without any fragrance?

Anua offers products without any fragrance, as every single product on its page lists no fragrance in its ingredients. In contrast, most products on Kiehl's page are also fragrance-free, though two items do contain fragrance.

Anua or Kiehl's for oily skin?

Both Anua and Kiehl's offer products on this page that are a High fit for oily skin. Reviewers note that Anua is better for glow and radiance, while Kiehl's tends to have a higher price point and may cause breakouts for some users.

Anua or Kiehl's: which moisturizer is better?

Both brands offer moisturizers for different skin needs, with Anua focused on barrier support and soothing ingredients like heartleaf and ceramide, while Kiehl's emphasizes deep hydration and options like squalane and glycerin. Reviewers often mention Anua's moisturizers for soothing and barrier support, and Kiehl's for deep hydration.

Anua or Kiehl's for sensitive skin?

Both Anua and Kiehl's are a High fit for sensitive skin on this page, offering fragrance-free and gentle options. Niacinamide may help soothe redness, while ceramide helps support the skin barrier.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Anua or Kiehl's: which sunscreen is better?

Both Anua and Kiehl's offer sunscreens on this page, with Anua featuring the Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sun Cream and Kiehl's featuring the Better Screen UV Serum. Both sunscreens match their respective brand-focused routines well across skin types.

Anua or Kiehl's for acne-prone skin?

Both Anua and Kiehl's are a High fit for acne-prone skin on the products on this page. Reviewers note that Kiehl's may cause breakouts and skin irritation, while Anua reviewers also report breakouts as a concern.

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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