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Kiehl's vs Grown Alchemist

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

Kiehl's and Grown Alchemist are trusted skincare brands that offer distinct approaches to daily care. Kiehl's is cherished for its thoughtful array of moisturizers, serums, toners, eye products, and more, all anchored by nourishing ingredients like glycerin and squalane, while the other is loved for its cleansers and serums, as well as its formulas. The American brand suits skin with dark spots and mature skin best, whereas the second brand suits sensitive, dry, and combination skin best. Ultimately, they differ in their specific ingredient strengths and the exact skin types they target most effectively.

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Grown Alchemist products

People Say

Kiehl'sGrown Alchemist
  • Gentle for sensitive skin Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Perfect for sensitive skin — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “calms my skin down — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • 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”
    • “Skin version of chugging water — Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum”
  • Lightweight texture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “Absorbs quickly — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very light weight — Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum”
  • Non-stripping and gentle cleansing Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “Doesn't dry out my skin — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “doesn't strip at all — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
  • Relaxing and pleasant scent Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Smells amazing — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “smell is divine — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
    • “calming lavender smell — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
  • Cleanses and controls oil Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Gets everything nice and clean — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “sucked the gunk out of my pores — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
  • High price Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “expensive for what it is — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
    • “A bit pricey — Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Packaging and application issues Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “dipping fingers is unsanitary — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “hard to spread — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “Dropper doesn't reach bottom — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “tube cracks easily — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
  • Makeup removal and compatibility issues Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “Isn't going to be your makeup remover — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Grown Alchemist: which is better?

Grown Alchemist is generally better for sensitive skin and gentle cleansing, while Kiehl's offers a much wider variety of targeted products with lightweight textures. Lovi fit levels for Grown Alchemist are mostly Average across skin types, whereas Kiehl's products on this page achieve High or Superior fits for specific concerns like oil control and aging.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Grown Alchemist?

Kiehl's offers a much broader range of products with High and Superior Lovi fit levels for dry, mature, and dark spot-prone skin, whereas Grown Alchemist features only a few cleansers and a serum. Reviewers note that Grown Alchemist tends to do better for sensitive skin and gentle cleansing, while Kiehl's is often praised for lightweight textures.

Kiehl's or Grown Alchemist: which cleanser is better?

Grown Alchemist provides gentler, non-stripping cleansing, while Kiehl's cleansers on this page achieve High to Superior Lovi fit levels for oily and acne-prone skin types.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Grown Alchemist?

Grown Alchemist does better on price, while the products on this page for Kiehl's often have a high price point.

Which causes fewer breakouts, Kiehl's or Grown Alchemist?

Grown Alchemist is gentler for sensitive skin and helps avoid irritation better than Kiehl's. Reviewers often mention that Kiehl's products may cause breakouts and skin irritation.

How do the ownership histories of Kiehl's and Grown Alchemist compare?

Kiehl's was founded in the United States in 1851 and has been owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 2000, whereas Grown Alchemist was founded in 2008 and has been independently owned since 2024.

Which brand offers more fragrance-free products across its range?

Grown Alchemist offers a completely fragrance-free selection since every product on the page lists no fragrance. In comparison, Kiehl's features fragrance in two of its products on this page while the remaining 26 products list no fragrance.

What are the specific reviewer opinions regarding packaging and application issues for Kiehl's versus Grown Alchemist?

Grown Alchemist does better on packaging and application issues, while Kiehl's struggles with these aspects according to reviewer opinions on this page.

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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