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Kiehl's vs Olay

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

Kiehl's and Olay are two revered skincare brands offering rich portfolios of nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, soothing toners, gentle eye products, and cleansers. Kiehl's relies on dependable ingredients like glycerin and squalane to suit mature skin and sensitive skin best, whereas the latter utilizes nourishing niacinamide and glycerin to suit mature skin and dry skin best. Both brands differ in their specific standout solutions and unique active benefits, with glycerin and squalane in the American brand's formulations counteracting oxidative stress and supporting the epidermal barrier, while niacinamide in the second brand's products improves wrinkles, pigmentation, and skin aging.

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 Kiehl's and Olay products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Kiehl's vs Olay products

People Say

Kiehl'sOlay
  • Texture and Absorption Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “sinks in quickly — Olay Super Serum”
    • “absorbs quickly — Olay Vitamin C Serum”
  • 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”
    • “Instantly smoother, softer, and more hydrated — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
    • “light and smooth — Olay Ultimate Eye Cream”
  • Skin Smoothing and Barrier Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin feels baby soft — Olay Retinol24”
    • “Skin feels like silk — Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer”
    • “Makeup goes on so smooth — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
  • Brightening and Radiance Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “iridescent glow — Olay Super Serum”
    • “hides dark shadows — Olay Ultimate Eye Cream”
  • Gentle on Skin Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “fragrance-free — Olay Eye Lifting Serum”
    • “No irritation at all — Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer”
  • Makeup Compatibility Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no pilling — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “absorbs instantly — Olay Eye Lifting Serum”
    • “acts as primer — Olay Super Serum”
  • High Price Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “expensive for drugstore — Olay Super Serum”
    • “expensive — Olay Super Serum Night Repair”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Breakouts and Irritation Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “burned my face immediately — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “caused cystic acne — Olay Retinol24”
    • “Caused breakouts — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
  • Product Ineffectiveness Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “no difference — Olay Vitamin C Serum”
    • “not moisturizing enough — Olay Super Serum”
    • “didn't see a difference — Olay Retinol24”
    • “skin felt tight after an hour — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”

Kiehl's vs Olay routines for dry skin

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Kiehl's vs Olay routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Kiehl's vs Olay routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Olay: which is better?

Olay offers a Superior fit for most skin types on this page, including mature, sensitive, and dry skin. Reviewers note that Olay does better for skin smoothing and barrier support, while both brands tie on texture, hydration, and brightening.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Olay?

Olay and Kiehl's both offer effective skincare products, but Olay features superior routine fit levels for mature, sensitive, acne-prone, and dry sensitive skin types. Olay also performs better regarding skin smoothing and barrier benefits.

Kiehl's or Olay for dry skin?

Olay is a better choice for dry skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to High for Kiehl's. The products on this page help provide intense hydration and improve skin smoothing.

Kiehl's or Olay: which cleanser is better?

Both Kiehl's and Olay offer strong cleanser options on this page, but Kiehl's stands out with specialized cleansers like the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash that earn superior fit levels for oily and oily acne-prone skin. Reviewers note that Olay cleansers help improve texture and smoothness, while Kiehl's cleansers provide targeted daily cleansing across multiple skin types.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Olay?

Olay is more affordable, as reviewers on the products on this page frequently note a high price point for Kiehl's while pointing to Olay for better pricing.

Between Kiehl's and Olay, which brand offers more fragrance-free products?

Both Kiehl's and Olay offer twenty-six fragrance-free products on the products on this page. Kiehl's features two products with fragrance, while Olay features one.

How do the founding years and corporate ownership of Kiehl's and Olay compare?

Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States and has been owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 2000, whereas Olay was founded in 1952 and is owned by The Procter & Gamble Company.

Which brand performs better when it comes to skin smoothing and barrier repair?

Olay performs better for skin smoothing and barrier repair. The products on this page help support the skin barrier with key ingredients like niacinamide and peptides.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Kiehl's or Olay for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and Olay are a High fit for oily skin. The products on this page for both brands offer lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers and oil-balancing options.

Kiehl's or Olay: which moisturizer is better?

Olay is better for moisturizers on this page because Lovi rates its routines as Superior for dry skin, whereas Kiehl's routines for dry skin are rated High.

Kiehl's or Olay for sensitive skin?

Olay achieves a Superior routine fit for sensitive skin on the products on this page, whereas Kiehl's reaches a High fit level.

Kiehl's or Olay: which sunscreen is better?

For sunscreens on this page, Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum is rated High for skin with dark spots, combination skin, sensitive skin, acne-prone skin, and mature skin, while Olay Regenerist Whip Face Moisturizer SPF 25 is rated High for mature skin, dry sensitive skin, skin with dark spots, dry skin, oily acne-prone skin, combination skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, and acne-prone skin.

Kiehl's or Olay for acne-prone skin?

Olay has a Superior fit for acne-prone skin on the products on this page, while Kiehl's fit is High.

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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