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Kiehl's vs La Prairie

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

Kiehl's and La Prairie are distinct skincare houses offering thoughtful arrays of moisturizers, serums, toners, eye products, and more. Kiehl's is cherished for formulations anchored by nourishing ingredients like glycerin and squalane, whereas the Swiss brand is celebrated for its exquisite and sophisticated formulas. The American house suits skin with dark spots and mature skin best, while the European brand suits dry sensitive skin and mature skin best. Ultimately, they differ in their foundational ingredients and geographical origins.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

La Prairie is a Swiss skincare brand founded in 1978 and owned by maxingvest GmbH & Co. KGaA since 2003.

en.wikipedia.orgreports.beiersdorf.combeiersdorf.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs La Prairie products

People Say

Kiehl'sLa Prairie
  • Deep and Intense Hydration Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “gentle yet effective moisturizing — La Prairie Cellular Softening and Balancing Lotion”
    • “erased my dry patches — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
    • “skin feels plump — La Prairie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift”
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Lightweight and Non-Greasy Texture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “works on dark skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly — La Prairie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift”
    • “absorbs instantly — La Prairie Skin Caviar Eye Lift”
  • Luxurious Texture and Packaging Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “feels like liquid silk — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
    • “softens skin noticeably — La Prairie Cellular Softening and Balancing Lotion”
    • “fancy design — La Prairie Skin Caviar Eye Lift”
    • “creamy serum — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Glow, Radiance, and Plumping Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “doubles as moisturizer — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “gave my face a soft glow — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
    • “skin looks radiant — La Prairie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift”
  • Lifting and Firming Effects Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “felt skin tighten immediately — La Prairie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift”
    • “opened my eyes — La Prairie Skin Caviar Eye Lift”
    • “jawline genuinely looks lifted — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
  • Gentle and Sensitive Formula Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “perfect for retinol newbies — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “calm the complexion — La Prairie Cellular Softening and Balancing Lotion”
  • High Price and Cost Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “overpriced for what it does — Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Cream”
    • “eye-wateringly expensive — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
  • Scent and Fragrance Issues Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “smells like a rich grandma — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
  • Slow Results or Ineffectiveness Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Takes months to see — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “results were subtle — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “just a good moisturizer — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
  • Irritation, Stinging, and Breakouts Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “caused congestion — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
    • “caused breakouts — La Prairie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift”
    • “burned my face immediately — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”

Kiehl's vs La Prairie routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Kiehl's vs La Prairie routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Kiehl's vs La Prairie routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 94% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or La Prairie: which is better?

La Prairie is a better fit for mature skin and dry sensitive skin, offering superior results, whereas Kiehl's is better for avoiding strong fragrance and high prices across the products on this page.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and La Prairie?

Kiehl's tends to offer more gentle and affordable options with fewer added fragrances across the products on this page, whereas La Prairie specializes in luxurious, high-end formulations with stronger lifting and firming effects.

Kiehl's or La Prairie for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and La Prairie have a High routine fit for dry skin among the products on this page. Reviewers note that La Prairie delivers deep and intense hydration, while Kiehl's offers lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers.

Kiehl's or La Prairie: which moisturizer is better?

La Prairie offers a superior fit for mature and dry sensitive skin with products like Skin Caviar Luxe Cream, while Kiehl's provides a high routine fit for dry skin through options such as Super Multi-Corrective Cream and Midnight Recovery Omega-Rich Cloud Cream.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or La Prairie?

Kiehl's is more affordable, whereas La Prairie features exorbitant prices that are mostly mentioned by reviewers. Review themes also note that a high price and cost is a drawback associated with Kiehl's, though La Prairie is positioned at a much higher price point.

Which brand performs better for mature skin, Kiehl's or La Prairie?

La Prairie is the better fit for mature skin, achieving a Superior level on Lovi compared to Kiehl's High level. Reviewers often mention that La Prairie provides lifting and firming effects.

How do the fragrance profiles and number of fragrance-free products compare between Kiehl's and La Prairie?

Kiehl's offers significantly more fragrance-free choices, with 26 out of 28 products on this page listing no fragrance, whereas La Prairie includes fragrance in 4 of its 5 products. Reviewers often mention strong fragrance issues as a downside for La Prairie, while Kiehl's generally maintains a much higher proportion of unfragranced options.

Which brand has more superior or high Lovi fit levels for dry sensitive skin?

La Prairie has more superior Lovi fit levels for dry sensitive skin on this page, as it features a superior fit for that skin type compared to Kiehl's high fit.

Kiehl's or La Prairie for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and La Prairie offer a High routine fit for oily skin. Reviewers note that both brands provide lightweight and non-greasy textures.

Kiehl's or La Prairie for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, Kiehl's is often preferred because reviewers note it tends to be more gentle and fragrance-free across the products on this page compared to La Prairie.

Kiehl's or La Prairie for acne-prone skin?

La Prairie is the better fit for acne-prone skin, achieving a High routine fit level compared to Kiehl's Average level. The products on this page for La Prairie help provide deep hydration and firming effects, though reviewers note that potential irritation may occur.

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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