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Kiehl's vs Avène

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

Kiehl's and Avène are heritage skincare brands, with the former cherished for its thoughtful array of moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products, and the latter universally loved for its versatile moisturizers, reliable sunscreens, targeted serums, and gentle cleansers. Both brands utilize nourishing glycerin, while the American brand also anchors its formulations in squalane to counteract oxidative stress and stimulate fibroblast migration. Kiehl's suits skin with dark spots and mature skin best, whereas Avène suits acne-prone skin and oily acne-prone skin best by offering profound relief without heaviness. Ultimately, they differ in their origins, founding eras, and targeted skin concerns.

Kiehl's is an American skincare brand founded in 1851 and owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 2000.

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Avène is a French skincare brand founded in 1990 and owned by Fondation Pierre Fabre.

pierre-fabre.comavene.co.ukaveneusa.com

This page compares some of the most popular Kiehl's and Avène products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Kiehl's vs Avène products

People Say

Kiehl'sAvène
  • Skin Barrier and Tone Improvement Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “Saves my skin in winter — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “immediate radiance boost — Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum”
  • Texture and Absorption Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “Thick but absorbs well eventually — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “absorbs very quickly — Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum”
  • Hydration and Moisture Often 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”
    • “Restores moisture barrier — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “Leaves my skin feeling soft and hydrated. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
  • Gentleness and Sensitive Skin Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “leaves face clean but not dry — Avène Cleanance”
    • “Perfect cleanser for sensitive skin. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
    • “no irritation at all — Avène Hydrance+”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Pores and Oil Control Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “sucked the gunk out of my pores — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “keeps my oils at bay — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “Keeps me matte for hours — Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel”
    • “keeps skin matte — Avène Cleanance”
  • Soothing Irritation and Redness Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “Calmed my angry red skin overnight — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “Nothing has ever worked to soothe or heal my skin like these before. — Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm”
    • “Calms angry, red skin — Avène Soothing Radiance Mask”
  • Price and Value Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Its a bit pricey but so worth it!! — Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm”
    • “a bit pricey — Avène Cleanance”
    • “Tiny tube for the money — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Application and Texture Difficulties Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “hard to spread — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “leaves a tacky film — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “Tube squirted water everywhere — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “too thick — Avène Hydrance+”
  • Breakouts and Acne Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “cystic acne for some — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Woke up with tiny whiteheads all over — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “Caused small bumps/texture — Avène Soothing Radiance Mask”
  • Scents and Fragrance Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “smells clinical — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “faint lab smell — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “smell is overpowering — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “The fragrance is very present. — Avène Milk Cleanser”

Kiehl's vs Avène routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Kiehl's vs Avène routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Kiehl's vs Avène routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 94% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Avène: which is better?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer great routines for most skin types, but Avène is a better fit for acne-prone skin while Kiehl's is better for dry sensitive skin. Avène also tends to do better at soothing irritation and redness, whereas Kiehl's has fewer fragranced products on this page.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Avène?

Kiehl's and Avène both offer high fit routines for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, mature, dark spot, and oily acne-prone skin, but Avène provides a High fit for acne-prone skin while Kiehl's is Average. Avène performs better for soothing irritation and redness, whereas Kiehl's has fewer fragranced products on this page.

Kiehl's or Avène for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer a High routine fit for dry skin. Kiehl's is particularly well-suited as its products on this page best fit dry skin, while Avène is noted for its gentle formulations that soothe irritation.

Kiehl's or Avène: which cleanser is better?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer cleansers that fit oily and acne-prone skin well, such as the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash and Cleanance Cleansing Gel. Kiehl's products on this page often list no fragrance, while Avène includes fragrance in several of its cleansers.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Avène?

Avène is more affordable than Kiehl's, as reviews for Kiehl's often mention a high price point while Avène has a better price and value review theme.

Between Kiehl's and Avène, which brand has fewer products containing fragrance?

Kiehl's has fewer products containing fragrance, with only 2 out of 28 products listing fragrance compared to Avène where 7 of 15 products contain it.

How do the founding years and origins of Kiehl's and Avène compare?

Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States, whereas Avène was founded much later in 1990 in France.

Which brand performs better for soothing irritation and redness according to review themes?

Avène performs better for soothing irritation and redness according to review themes. Reviewers mention that Avène helps soothe irritation.

Kiehl's or Avène for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer a High routine fit for oily skin. Reviewers note that Avène provides gentle deep-clean cleansers and effective oil control, while Kiehl's features several products with a Superior fit for oily skin such as the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash and Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner.

Kiehl's or Avène: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and Avène offer moisturizers that fit dry skin at a High level. Kiehl's is well liked for lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers, while Avène is often noted for soothing irritation and offering better fragrance options with fewer products containing added scents on this page.

Kiehl's or Avène for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Avène provide a High routine fit for sensitive skin on the products on this page. Reviewers note that Avène is better for soothing irritation and has fewer scent complaints.

Kiehl's or Avène: which sunscreen is better?

Kiehl's and Avène both offer sunscreens that are a High fit for acne-prone skin, combination skin, and skin with dark spots. Reviewers mention that Avène sunscreens are gentle and non-stripping.

Kiehl's or Avène for acne-prone skin?

Avene fits acne-prone skin better with a High level, whereas Kiehl's has an Average level for this skin type. Both brands offer products that help manage oil, but Avene is noted for its gentleness on sensitive skin.

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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