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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 well-regarded skincare brands that offer nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, soothing toners, and gentle eye products. The American brand relies on dependable ingredients like glycerin and squalane to suit mature skin and sensitive skin best, while the British brand builds its lineup around glycerin to fit dry skin and sensitive skin best. Both brands differ in their founding history and exact formulations, yet each provides supportive options for specific concerns like acne, dark spots, and aging.

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

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Kiehl's vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% 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 perform well across skin types, but The INKEY List is generally more affordable while Kiehl's is noted for skin barrier and texture benefits.

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

The INKEY List offers a superior routine fit for dry, sensitive, dry sensitive, and combination skin on the products on this page, while Kiehl's provides better skin barrier and texture benefits. Reviewers note that The INKEY List is more affordable, whereas Kiehl's products on this page tend to have a higher price point and packaging issues.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List for dry skin?

The INKEY List offers a Superior routine fit for dry skin, whereas Kiehl's routine fit is High. Emollients help support the skin barrier for dry skin.

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

Both Kiehl's and The INKEY List offer cleansers with strong options for various skin types, but The INKEY List provides better affordability for budget-conscious shoppers. Reviewers note that The INKEY List delivers great hydration and lightweight textures, while Kiehl's excels in skin barrier and texture benefits.

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

The INKEY List is more affordable, as the products on this page offer a lower price point compared to Kiehl's. Reviewers often mention high prices for Kiehl's, while highlighting the affordable price of the products on this page for The INKEY List.

Which brand has better packaging and fewer packaging issues, Kiehl's or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List does better with packaging issues, as packaging issues are a negative review theme for Kiehl's while The INKEY List is noted for having better review themes in that area.

Which brand contains more fragrance across its products, Kiehl's or The INKEY List?

Kiehl's contains more fragrance because 26 of 28 products on this page list no fragrance while two do, whereas every product on The INKEY List page lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

Which brand is better for improving skin barrier and texture, Kiehl's or The INKEY List?

Kiehl's does better than The INKEY List for skin barrier and texture among the products on this page. Reviewers on the page sometimes note that Kiehl's improves skin texture.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and The INKEY List achieve a High routine fit level for oily skin. The products on this page show that both brands offer effective cleansers, toners, and treatments tailored to oily skin types.

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

The INKEY List is better for affordability and offers superior routine fit levels for dry and dry sensitive skin, whereas the products on this page for Kiehl's are more expensive and offer a High fit level for dry skin. Both brands provide hydrating moisturizers, but The INKEY List features popular options like Polyglutamic Acid Serum and Omega Water Cream that help deliver deep hydration with a lightweight feel.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Kiehl's or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and The INKEY List fit sensitive skin well, with Lovi fit levels of High and Superior respectively.

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

Both Kiehl's and The INKEY List fit acne-prone skin well, with Kiehl's offering a High routine fit and The INKEY List also offering a High routine fit. The INKEY List provides more affordable options, while Kiehl's excels in skin barrier and texture benefits.

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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