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Anua vs Kiehl's

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

Anua and Kiehl's are distinct skincare brands offering thoughtfully formulated moisturizers, toners, serums, cleansers, and eye products. The Korean brand Anua centers its formulations on hyaluronic acid, heartleaf, and niacinamide to suit oily and acne-prone skin best, whereas the American brand Kiehl's relies on glycerin and squalane to serve mature skin and skin with dark spots. Through these compositions, both brands provide targeted care, differing primarily in their foundational ingredients and regional origins.

Anua is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2019 and owned by The Founders Inc..

prnewswire.comkedglobal.comtracxn.comv.daum.net

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

Popular Anua vs Kiehl's products

People Say

AnuaKiehl's
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “complexion feels so plump — Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum”
    • “leaves skin plump — Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner”
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • Texture and Lightweight Feel Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “melts into skin — Anua Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sun Cream”
    • “Feels like water, not heavy oil — Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil”
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
  • Brightening and Dark Spots Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Significant reduction in hyperpigmentation from acne scarring. — Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum”
    • “Gives a nice healthy glow — Anua PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM”
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
  • Sensitive Skin Care Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Calms my redness instantly — Anua Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner”
    • “calmed my red spots — Anua Heartleaf 77% Clear Pad”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Skin Smoothing and Texture Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Skin feels super smooth — Anua PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM”
    • “skin feels so smooth — Anua BHA 2% Gentle Exfoliating Toner”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “skin feels smoother — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Glow and Radiance Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “glass-like glow — Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner”
    • “glassy skin look — Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum”
    • “beautiful glow — Anua Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sun Cream”
    • “Skin looks noticeably more plump — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • Price and Value Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “price feels way too high — Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum”
    • “small size, the price is expensive — Anua Rice Enzyme Brightening Cleansing Powder”
    • “bottle too small — Anua NANO RETINOL™ 0.3% + NIACIN RENEWING SERUM”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Breakouts and Acne Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “cystic acne for some — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “developed tiny white bumps — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “Wrecked my skin barrier — Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil”
  • Sticky or Greasy Finish Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Left such a gross tacky finish that refused to dry. — Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum”
    • “leaves a tacky finish — Anua BHA 2% Gentle Exfoliating Toner”
    • “oil slick in summer — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “too radiant for oily skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”

Anua vs Kiehl's routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Anua vs Kiehl's routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Anua vs Kiehl's routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 94% fit

Questions and answers

Anua or Kiehl's: which is better?

Both Anua and Kiehl's are a High fit for most skin types, but Anua is better for acne-prone skin with a High fit compared to Kiehl's Average fit. Anua also does better for glow and radiance, while reviewers note that Kiehl's has a higher price point.

What is the difference between Anua and Kiehl's?

Anua is owned by The Founders Inc. and was founded in 2019 in South Korea, whereas Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States and has been owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 2000. Anua fits acne-prone skin at a High level, while Kiehl's fits it at an Average level. Every product on the Anua page lists no fragrance, while two products on the Kiehl's page contain fragrance.

Anua or Kiehl's for dry skin?

Both Anua and Kiehl's are a High fit for dry skin on the products on this page. Reviewers note that Anua helps with hydration and glowing skin, while Kiehl's provides deep hydration.

Anua or Kiehl's: which cleanser is better?

Both Anua and Kiehl's offer highly rated cleansers on this page, with Kiehl's providing options such as the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash that fit oily skin at a Superior level. Anua features cleansers like the Heartleaf Succinic Moisture Cleansing Foam that provide High fit levels for combination, oily, and acne-prone skin.

Which is more affordable, Anua or Kiehl's?

Anua is more affordable than Kiehl's, as high price points are often noted by reviewers of Kiehl's while Anua offers better price and value.

Between Anua and Kiehl's, which brand is better suited for managing dark spots?

Both Anua and Kiehl's are well-suited for managing dark spots, with both brands showing a High fit level for this skin concern on the products on this page. Topical niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer, an active found across Anua's brightening range.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

How do Anua and Kiehl's compare when it comes to mature skin routines?

Anua and Kiehl's both have a High routine fit level for mature skin. Reviewers note that Anua is better for glow and radiance, while Kiehl's features ingredients like retinol which stimulates collagen accumulation in naturally aged human skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Which brand performs better for glowing and radiant skin according to review themes?

Anua performs better for glowing and radiant skin according to the review themes on this page.

Anua or Kiehl's for oily skin?

Both Anua and Kiehl's are a High fit for oily skin. Reviewers mention that Anua offers better glow and radiance, while Kiehl's is noted for having fewer issues with breakouts and acne.

Anua or Kiehl's: which moisturizer is better?

Both brands offer moisturizers for different skin needs among the products on this page, with Anua favored for value and Kiehl's offering options ranging from lightweight gel creams to richer formulas. Niacinamide in moisturizers helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and control skin aging.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Anua or Kiehl's for sensitive skin?

Both Anua and Kiehl's offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin. Anua features products where every item on this page lists no fragrance, while Kiehl's also keeps most formulas fragrance-free.

Anua or Kiehl's: which sunscreen is better?

Both Anua and Kiehl's offer sunscreens on the products on this page with a High Lovi fit level for skin with dark spots, sensitive skin, and combination skin. Anua features the Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sun Cream, while Kiehl's provides the Better Screen UV Serum.

Anua or Kiehl's for acne-prone skin?

Anua has a High fit level for acne-prone skin, whereas Kiehl's has an Average fit level. Review themes also indicate that Anua performs better regarding breakouts and acne.

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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