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Kiehl's vs Avène

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

Kiehl's and Avène are respected skincare brands, offering nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, and gentle cleansers that rely on glycerin for deep hydration and barrier support. Kiehl's is known for soothing toners and gentle eye products utilizing squalane, suiting mature and sensitive skin best through barrier-supporting formulations. Avène is recognized for versatile moisturizers and reliable sunscreens, suiting acne-prone and oily acne-prone skin best by providing profound relief without heaviness. Ultimately, both differ primarily in their geographical origins, parent companies, founding eras, and key specialty ingredients.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Avène is a French skincare brand founded in 1990 and owned by Fondation Pierre Fabre.

pierre-fabre.comavene.co.ukaveneusa.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Avène products

People Say

Kiehl'sAvène
  • Skin Barrier and Tone Improvement Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “Saves my skin in winter — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “immediate radiance boost — Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum”
  • Texture and Absorption Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “Thick but absorbs well eventually — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “absorbs very quickly — Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum”
  • Hydration and Moisture 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”
    • “Restores moisture barrier — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “Leaves my skin feeling soft and hydrated. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
  • Gentleness and Sensitive Skin Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “leaves face clean but not dry — Avène Cleanance”
    • “Perfect cleanser for sensitive skin. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
    • “no irritation at all — Avène Hydrance+”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Pores and Oil Control Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “sucked the gunk out of my pores — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “keeps my oils at bay — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “Keeps me matte for hours — Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel”
    • “keeps skin matte — Avène Cleanance”
  • Soothing Irritation and Redness Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “Calmed my angry red skin overnight — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “Nothing has ever worked to soothe or heal my skin like these before. — Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm”
    • “Calms angry, red skin — Avène Soothing Radiance Mask”
  • Price and Value Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Its a bit pricey but so worth it!! — Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm”
    • “a bit pricey — Avène Cleanance”
    • “Tiny tube for the money — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Application and Texture Difficulties Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “hard to spread — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “leaves a tacky film — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “Tube squirted water everywhere — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “too thick — Avène Hydrance+”
  • Breakouts and Acne Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “cystic acne for some — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Woke up with tiny whiteheads all over — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “Caused small bumps/texture — Avène Soothing Radiance Mask”
  • Scents and Fragrance Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “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”
    • “The fragrance is very present. — Avène Milk Cleanser”

Kiehl's vs Avène routines for dry skin

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Kiehl's vs Avène routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Kiehl's vs Avène routines for combination skin

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Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Avène: which is better?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer great products, but Kiehl's may be better for avoiding artificial scents since almost all the products on this page list no fragrance. Avène often helps more with soothing irritation and redness, while Kiehl's has a High routine fit for dry sensitive skin compared to Avène's Average fit level.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Avène?

Kiehl's has fewer products with fragrance on the products on this page, while Avène does better at soothing irritation and redness. Both brands offer high routine fit levels across most skin types.

Kiehl's or Avène for dry skin?

Kiehl's and Avène both offer a High routine fit for dry skin on this page. Kiehl's features mostly fragrance-free products, while Avène provides better soothing for irritation and redness.

Kiehl's or Avène: which cleanser is better?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer cleansers that fit oily and acne-prone skin well, such as the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash and the Cleanance Cleansing Gel. Reviewers note that Avène cleansers provide a gentle deep clean, while Kiehl's cleansers on this page frequently come with fragrance-free formulas.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Avène?

Avène does better on price and value according to the review themes on the products on this page. Kiehl's is often noted by reviewers for having a high price point.

Kiehl's or Avène: which brand has more fragrance-free products?

Kiehl's has more fragrance-free products on this page, with 26 out of 28 options listing no fragrance, compared to 7 out of 15 products for Avène.

Kiehl's or Avène: which brand is better for soothing irritation and redness?

Avène is better for soothing irritation and redness because reviewers often mention its ability to soothe irritation. Additionally, Avène outperforms Kiehl's specifically in soothing irritation and redness on this page.

Where and when were Kiehl's and Avène respectively founded?

Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States, and Avène was founded in 1990 in France.

Kiehl's or Avène for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and Avène provide a High routine fit for oily skin. Reviewers sometimes note effective oil control from Avène, while Kiehl's offers products like the Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner which has a Superior fit level for oily skin.

Kiehl's or Avène: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer moisturizers that fit dry skin at a High level on the products on this page. Kiehl's features a high percentage of fragrance-free products, while Avène is noted for soothing irritation and redness better.

Kiehl's or Avène for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin, but Avène does better for gentleness and sensitive skin. Kiehl's has fewer fragranced products on this page than Avène.

Kiehl's or Avène: which sunscreen is better?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer sunscreens on the products on this page with High fit levels for various skin types. Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum has a High fit for skin with dark spots, sensitive skin, acne-prone skin, and mature skin, while Avène Cleanance sunscreen provides a High fit for oily skin, oily acne-prone skin, combination skin, and acne-prone skin.

Kiehl's or Avène for acne-prone skin?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer a High routine fit for acne-prone skin on the products on this page. Kiehl's features targeted options like the Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner which has a Superior fit for acne-prone skin, while Avène provides gentle deep-cleaning cleansers that help soothe irritation.

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?

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