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Kiehl's vs L'Oreal Paris

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

Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris are respected skincare brands under the same parent company, offering distinct formulations tailored to different complexions. The American brand is known for nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, soothing toners, and gentle eye products featuring glycerin and squalane, making it best suited for mature and sensitive skin. Conversely, the French brand is beloved for its thoughtful range of serums, moisturizers, masks, and eye products harnessing hyaluronic acid and glycerin, which suit acne-prone and oily skin best. While both brands utilize glycerin to increase hydration and restore barrier function, Kiehl's relies on squalane to counteract oxidative stress, whereas L'Oreal Paris employs hyaluronic acid to reduce wrinkles.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

L'Oreal Paris is a French skincare brand founded in 1909 and owned by L'Oréal S.A..

en.wikipedia.orgloreal.comloreal-paris.co.ukcosmeticsbusiness.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs L'Oreal Paris products

People Say

Kiehl'sL'Oreal Paris
  • Deep hydration and moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
    • “wake up with soft skin — L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Cream”
    • “Leaves my face feeling plump and dewy all day. — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift”
  • 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”
    • “Absorbs fast — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Night Cream”
  • Skin barrier and texture improvements Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin is a lot smoother — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Laser Pure Retinol Night Serum”
    • “My skin feels silky and soft to the touch. — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift”
    • “Smooth and creamy texture that spreads very nicely. — L'Oreal Paris Pure-Clay Mask”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
  • Dark spot fading and brightening Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin looks luminous — L'Oreal Paris Glycolic Bright”
    • “significant reduction in the appearance of dark spots — L'Oreal Paris Bright Reveal 12% Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum”
    • “skin looks glowing — L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Cream”
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
  • Gentle formula and suitability for sensitive skin Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “perfect for retinol newbies — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “very gentle, didn't irritate my skin — L'Oreal Paris Bright Reveal 12% Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum”
  • Plumping and fine line reduction Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “diminished fine lines, under-eye discoloration as well Crow's feet — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Pressed Night Cream”
    • “fine lines around eyes less noticeable — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Laser Pure Retinol Night Serum”
    • “reduces puffiness under the eyes — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Eye Cream”
    • “Skin looks noticeably more plump — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • High price and poor value Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “a little bit pricy — L'Oreal Paris Glycolic Bright”
    • “taken aback by the price — L'Oreal Paris Bright Reveal 12% Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Burning, stinging, and irritation Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “burned my face immediately — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “stings my face and feels like burning — Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Cream”
    • “left my face bright red — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “slight tingling the first few times — L'Oreal Paris Dark Spot Exfoliant Peel”
  • Unpleasant scent or strong fragrance 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”
    • “The perfume smell is overwhelming and lingers. — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift”

Kiehl's vs L'Oreal Paris routines for dry skin

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Kiehl's vs L'Oreal Paris routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Kiehl's vs L'Oreal Paris routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris: which is better?

Both Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris have products on this page that suit various skin types well, with Kiehl's being particularly noted for its lightweight textures and suitability for sensitive skin, while L'Oreal Paris offers strong options for skin barrier improvements and brightening.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris?

Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris are both owned by L'Oréal S.A., but Kiehl's was founded in the United States in 1851 while L'Oreal Paris started in France in 1909. According to the products on this page, Kiehl's fits best for mature skin, sensitive skin, and skin with dark spots, whereas L'Oreal Paris fits best for acne-prone skin, oily skin, and combination skin.

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris for dry skin?

For dry skin, L'Oreal Paris has a Superior routine fit on this page, while Kiehl's has a High routine fit.

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris offer moisturizers on this page, and Lovi rates L'Oreal Paris as having a Superior routine fit for dry, oily, combination, acne-prone, mature, and dark spot skin types compared to Kiehl's High fit for those same types. Kiehl's moisturizers on this page are mostly lightweight and non-greasy, while L'Oreal Paris moisturizers often provide deep hydration and moisturization.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris?

L'Oreal Paris is more affordable, as high price and poor value are noted as drawbacks for Kiehl's compared to L'Oreal Paris on this page.

Between Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris, which brand has more fragrance-free products?

Kiehl's has more fragrance-free products, with 26 out of 28 products on this page listing no fragrance, compared to 5 out of 10 products for L'Oreal Paris.

How do Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris compare when it comes to dark spot fading and brightening?

When it comes to dark spot fading and brightening, L'Oreal Paris does better than Kiehl's based on the products on this page.

Which brand performs better for skin barrier and texture improvements?

L'Oreal Paris does better for skin barrier and texture improvements among the products on this page.

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris for oily skin?

For oily skin, both brands work well, with Lovi rating L'Oreal Paris as Superior and Kiehl's as High for the products on this page.

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin among the products on this page.

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, Lovi rates L'Oreal Paris as Superior and Kiehl's as High across the products on this page.

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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