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Paula's Choice vs Kiehl's

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

Paula's Choice and Kiehl's are American skincare brands offering serums, cleansers, moisturizers, toners, and more. Paula's Choice relies on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c, while Kiehl's relies on glycerin and squalane. The former fits oily skin and acne-prone skin best, whereas the latter suits mature skin and sensitive skin best through gentle formulations and barrier-supporting properties. Glycerin significantly increases hydration and restores barrier function for both, while squalane uniquely counteracts oxidative stress and stimulates fibroblast migration for the second brand.

Paula's Choice is an American skincare brand founded in 1995 and owned by Unilever since 2021.

unilever.comtracxn.com

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Kiehl's products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceKiehl's
  • Fast Absorption and Lightweight Texture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Provides an internal level of hydration without leaving any heavy finish. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
    • “Absorbs quickly and leaves no greasy residue behind. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”
    • “absorbs instantly — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
  • Skin Texture Improvement Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “skin is insanely soft — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “skin never been this silky — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
  • Glow, 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”
    • “Skin looks radiant — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
  • Deep and Intense Hydration Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “skin feels incredibly soft afterwards — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • Non-Irritating and Gentle Formula Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “no stinging — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Acne and Blemish Clearing Often MentionedNot noted
    • “Helped clear my cystic acne — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “heals blemishes faster — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “controlled my back and chest acne — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
  • High Price and Value Concerns Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
  • Purging and Breakouts Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “skin purged — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “caused cystic acne — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “cystic acne for some — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Unpleasant Scent or Smell Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “smells clinical — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “faint lab smell — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “smells like hot dog water — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Irritation and Burning Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “burnt skin off — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “ruined my skin barrier — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “stung my face — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “burned my face immediately — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”

Paula's Choice vs Kiehl's routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Paula's Choice vs Kiehl's routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Paula's Choice vs Kiehl's routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Kiehl's: which is better?

Paula's Choice is a better choice than Kiehl's for oily, combination, sensitive, acne-prone, mature, and oily acne-prone skin because the products on this page achieve superior Lovi fit levels for those skin types.

What is the difference between Paula's Choice and Kiehl's?

Paula's Choice offers a Superior Lovi fit level for oily, combination, sensitive, acne-prone, mature, and oily acne-prone skin on the products on this page, whereas Kiehl's provides a High fit level for those same skin types.

Paula's Choice or Kiehl's for dry skin?

For dry skin, both Paula's Choice and Kiehl's reach a High routine fit level on this page. Paula's Choice products on this page list no fragrance, whereas two Kiehl's products contain fragrance.

Paula's Choice or Kiehl's: which cleanser is better?

Paula's Choice is better for cleansers, as the products on this page offer a Superior fit for oily, acne-prone, and oily acne-prone skin types. Kiehl's cleansers also provide a Superior fit for these specific skin types.

Which is more affordable, Paula's Choice or Kiehl's?

Both brands frequently face reviewer concerns about high prices, making them roughly equal in affordability.

Paula's Choice or Kiehl's for dark spots?

Both Paula's Choice and Kiehl's are good options for skin with dark spots, with Paula's Choice achieving a High routine fit level and Kiehl's also achieving a High routine fit level on this page. Ingredients like niacinamide help reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Which brand has fragrance-free products, Paula's Choice or Kiehl's?

Paula's Choice offers fragrance-free products, as every product on its page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, while Kiehl's includes fragrance in some of its products on this page.

Paula's Choice or Kiehl's for sensitive skin?

Paula's Choice offers a Superior fit for sensitive skin, whereas Kiehl's provides a High fit.

Paula's Choice or Kiehl's: which moisturizer is better?

Both brands offer effective moisturizers, with Paula's Choice providing superior routine fits for oily, acne-prone, and mature skin, while Kiehl's is well-regarded for deep and intense hydration. The moisturizers on this page help improve skin texture and hydration.

Paula's Choice or Kiehl's for acne-prone skin?

Paula's Choice is a better fit for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to Kiehl's High level. The products on this page help clear blemishes effectively.

Paula's Choice or Kiehl's: which sunscreen is better?

Paula's Choice offers a sunscreen with a high fit for dry and combination skin, while Kiehl's sunscreen provides a high fit for skin with dark spots, combination skin, sensitive skin, acne-prone skin, and mature skin. Both brands formulate their sunscreens with no fragrance listed on this page.

Paula's Choice or Kiehl's for mature skin?

Paula's Choice offers a Superior fit for mature skin, whereas Kiehl's provides a High fit. Paula's Choice features fragrance-free formulas with active ingredients like retinol that help stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged human skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

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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