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Kiehl's vs Elemis

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

Kiehl's and Elemis are established skincare brands that offer thoughtful arrays of moisturizers, serums, toners, and cleansers. The American brand is cherished for anchoring its products in glycerin and squalane, while the British brand harnesses nourishing ingredients like glycerin and shea. Both brands suit mature skin best, though the former also suits skin with dark spots, and the latter suits dry sensitive skin. They differ in their targeted solutions and underlying formulations, as the former relies on squalane to counteract oxidative stress, while the latter uses shea butter to reduce inflammation.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Elemis is a British skincare brand founded in 1989 and owned by L'Occitane Group since 2019.

elemis.comau.elemis.comen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Elemis products

People Say

Kiehl'sElemis
  • Deep hydration 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”
    • “The cream really hydrates and my face looks amazing. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream”
    • “Quenches thirsty skin... immediate improvement. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
  • 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”
    • “healthy glow — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
    • “instantly fresh glow — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
  • Lightweight texture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “Absorbs quickly — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Absorbs almost immediately, and my skin feels well hydrated all day. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
    • “weightless serum — Elemis Pro-Collagen Advanced Eye Treatment”
  • Skin barrier and texture improvement Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “skin feels smoother — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “baby soft — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
    • “skin feels baby soft — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
  • Relaxing or spa-like scent Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like a spa — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
    • “smells like a holiday — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “smells like a tropical cocktail — Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial”
    • “calming lavender smell — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
  • Gentle for sensitive skin Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “doesn't irritate sensitive eyes — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no stinging or redness — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
  • High price Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Complete waste of money for me. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
    • “very expensive — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
  • Burning, stinging, and irritation Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “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”
    • “blurry vision — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
    • “Developed milia and closed comedones. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
  • Ineffective or slow 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 see a difference — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “didn't see difference — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”

Kiehl's vs Elemis routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Kiehl's vs Elemis routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Kiehl's vs Elemis routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 94% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Elemis: which is better?

Both brands are equally good, as Lovi rates their routine fit as high across almost all skin types, with Elemis performing slightly better for acne-prone skin. Reviewers note that Kiehl's is gentler for sensitive skin, while Elemis offers a more relaxing, spa-like scent.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Elemis?

Kiehl's has a High routine fit for acne-prone skin, while Elemis is rated High. Both brands offer high routine fits for mature skin, dry skin, and oily skin, and both share common key ingredients like glycerin and shea butter.

Kiehl's or Elemis for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis match well for dry skin, offering high routine fit levels on this page. Reviewers note that both brands provide hydrating moisturizers, though Kiehl's lists no fragrance in the vast majority of its products.

Kiehl's or Elemis: which cleanser is better?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis offer cleansers with high or superior Lovi fit levels for various skin types, but shoppers looking for a wider fragrance-free selection may prefer Kiehl's, as almost all of their products on this page list no fragrance.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Elemis?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis share a high price point as a common drawback noted by reviewers on the products on this page.

How do Kiehl's and Elemis compare for mature skin?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis match mature skin well, as Lovi rates their routine fit levels as High for both brands. Reviewers note that Kiehl's tends to be gentler for sensitive skin, while Elemis offers a relaxing or spa-like scent.

Which brand has more fragrance-free products, Kiehl's or Elemis?

Kiehl's has more fragrance-free products than Elemis on this page, with 26 of its 28 products listing no fragrance compared to only 4 of 22 products for Elemis.

Which brand is better suited for acne-prone skin?

Elemis is better suited for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine fit as High compared to Kiehl's Average. Kiehl's lists more fragrance-free products on this page, but Elemis achieves better outcomes for acne-prone skin.

Kiehl's or Elemis for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis achieve a High routine fit for oily skin on the products on this page. Kiehl's lists no fragrance in the vast majority of its formulas, helping it feel gentler for sensitive skin.

Kiehl's or Elemis: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis offer hydrating moisturizers that are well-rated by shoppers, with Elemis leaning towards rich textures and Kiehl's focusing on lightweight options. Lovi finds that Kiehl's routine fit is High and Elemis routine fit is High for dry skin.

Kiehl's or Elemis for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis have a High routine fit for sensitive skin on the products on this page. Reviewers note that Kiehl's is more gentle for sensitive skin, while Elemis has more products with fragrance.

Kiehl's or Elemis for acne-prone skin?

Elemis is a better fit than Kiehl's for acne-prone skin, offering a High routine fit compared to Kiehl's Average level. Elemis helps provide a radiant glow and smoother skin texture, whereas Kiehl's reviewers sometimes note breakouts and skin irritation.

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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