🇳🇱Netherlands

COSRX vs Kiehl's

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

COSRX and Kiehl's are two celebrated skincare brands that offer thoughtful selections of serums, moisturizers, cleansers, toners, and masks. The Korean brand, founded in 2013, is best suited for acne-prone skin through targeted formulations featuring hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide, while the American heritage label, established in 1851, focuses on nourishing skin with dark spots and mature skin using glycerin and squalane. Both lines differ primarily in their geographical origins, founding eras, parent companies, and specific active ingredients designed to address unique complexion concerns.

COSRX is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2013 and owned by Amorepacific Group since 2024.

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

Popular COSRX vs Kiehl's products

People Say

COSRXKiehl's
  • Glow and skin texture improvement Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “woke up with soft, supple skin — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “gives me that glass skin look — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
  • Lightweight and fast-absorbing Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly like water — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “sinks in immediately — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
  • Gentle and non-stripping formula Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “No stinging or irritation — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “doesn't strip my skin — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “no stinging — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
    • “savior for dry patches — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “skin drinks it up — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
  • Effective acne and pore control Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “helped to improve my acne after only 2 weeks — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “cleared up my spots — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “Melted blackheads right off — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “sucked the gunk out of my pores — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
  • High price and poor value Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive for me — COSRX The Hyaluronic Acid 3 Serum”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Allergic reactions and skin irritation Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “stings really bad if it accidentally gets in the eyes — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “burns eyes when sweating — COSRX Ultra-Light Invisible Sunscreen”
    • “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”
  • Dryness or insufficient moisture Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “skin felt tight after an hour — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “some extremely dry skin types need a thicker balm or oil on top — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “left my face tight — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
  • No visible or slow results Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Takes a month to work — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “didn't do anything — COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner”
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Takes months to see — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”

COSRX vs Kiehl's routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

COSRX vs Kiehl's routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

COSRX vs Kiehl's routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 94% fit

Questions and answers

COSRX or Kiehl's: which is better?

Both brands offer solid routines, but COSRX is a superior fit for acne-prone and oily acne-prone skin types. Reviewers note that COSRX excels at effective acne and pore control, while Kiehl's provides deeper hydration.

What is the difference between COSRX and Kiehl's?

COSRX excels at acne and pore control, whereas Kiehl's is noted for deep hydration and moisturization. Both brands offer high routine fit levels across most skin types, though COSRX is superior specifically for acne-prone and oily acne-prone skin.

COSRX or Kiehl's for dry skin?

Both COSRX and Kiehl's are great options for dry skin, as the routine fit for dry skin on Lovi is High for both brands. While Kiehl's excels in deep hydration, COSRX offers gentle and non-stripping formulas with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and panthenol that help improve skin texture and moisture retention.

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

COSRX or Kiehl's: which cleanser is better?

COSRX is better for acne-prone skin, as its cleansers offer superior or high fit levels, whereas Kiehl's cleansers fit acne-prone skin less consistently. Additionally, reviewers note that COSRX provides more effective acne and pore control than Kiehl's.

Which is more affordable, COSRX or Kiehl's?

COSRX is more affordable, whereas Kiehl's features a high price point among its review themes. For shoppers seeking better value, the products on this page by COSRX avoid the high price and poor value drawbacks associated with Kiehl's.

COSRX or Kiehl's: which brand is better for reducing dark spots?

Both COSRX and Kiehl's are well suited for reducing dark spots, achieving equal fit levels across routines on this page. Kiehl's features ingredients like Vitamin C, while COSRX uses niacinamide, which helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppresses melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

COSRX or Kiehl's: which has better options for mature skin?

Both COSRX and Kiehl's offer High fit levels for mature skin across the products on this page, making them equally good options. While COSRX relies on ingredients like snail mucin and niacinamide, Kiehl's features retinol and vitamin C to help target signs of aging.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

COSRX or Kiehl's: which brand uses fragrance in fewer products?

COSRX uses fragrance in fewer products on this page than Kiehl's does, with only one fragranced product compared to Kiehl's two.

COSRX or Kiehl's for oily skin?

Both COSRX and Kiehl's offer a High routine fit for oily skin. Reviewers note that COSRX provides effective acne and pore control, while Kiehl's is known for deep hydration and moisturization.

COSRX or Kiehl's: which moisturizer is better?

When comparing moisturizers, COSRX offers superior fit levels for acne-prone and oily acne-prone skin on this page, while Kiehl's is noted for deep hydration. Hyaluronic acid helps provide moisture benefits in formulations across both brands.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Drug Delivery, 2017

COSRX or Kiehl's for sensitive skin?

Both COSRX and Kiehl's are a High fit for sensitive skin on Lovi. COSRX is noted for its gentle and non-stripping formulas, whereas Kiehl's is recognized for deep hydration and moisturization.

COSRX or Kiehl's: which sunscreen is better?

Both COSRX and Kiehl's offer sunscreens on the page, with COSRX providing products like the Ultra-Light Invisible Sunscreen and Kiehl's featuring the Better Screen UV Serum.

COSRX or Kiehl's for acne-prone skin?

COSRX is the better choice for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to an Average fit for Kiehl's. The products on this page help provide effective acne control and clearing.

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?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play