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Kiehl's vs Pixi

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

Kiehl's and Pixi are popular skincare lines offering thoughtful moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products. The American brand is cherished for formulations anchored by glycerin and squalane that suit skin with dark spots and mature skin best. Meanwhile, the British brand is universally loved for gentle formulas that suit sensitive skin and dry sensitive skin best. They differ primarily in their active ingredients and targeted concerns, providing distinct pathways for daily routines.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Pixi is a British skincare brand founded in 1999.

pixibeauty.comtracxn.compitchbook.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Pixi products

People Say

Kiehl'sPixi
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
    • “Instant surge of hydration — Pixi Hydrating Milky Mist”
    • “deeply hydrates and balances — Pixi Antioxidant Tonic”
  • Lightweight and Non-Greasy 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 — Pixi Hydrating Milky Mist”
    • “Absorbs fairly quickly into the skin. — Pixi Vitamin-C Serum”
  • Brightening and Radiance Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “gives instant glow — Pixi Glow Tonic”
    • “Skin is noticeably brighter — Pixi Glow Peel Pads”
    • “gives a lovely glow — Pixi Rose Oil Blend”
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
  • 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”
    • “Skin feels incredible, so smooth — Pixi Glow Peel Pads”
    • “forehead bumps gone — Pixi Glow Tonic”
  • Gentle on Skin 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”
    • “doesn't sting — Pixi Glow Tonic”
  • Scent and Fragrance Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like fresh roses — Pixi Rose Oil Blend”
    • “lovely subtle rose scent — Pixi Rose Tonic”
    • “Smells fresh — Pixi Hydrating Milky Mist”
    • “calming lavender smell — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
  • High Price Point Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Bottle is too small — Pixi Hydrating Milky Mist”
    • “Slight downside is the price — Pixi Glow Peel Pads”
    • “bottle is very small — Pixi Rose Oil Blend”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Sticky, Tacky, or Heavy Finish Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “leaves a tacky film — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “rolled off my face — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “pills under my makeup — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “slippery and won't stay put — Pixi DetoxifEYE Depuffing Eye Patches”
  • Product Ineffectiveness 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 notice change in dark circles — Pixi DetoxifEYE Depuffing Eye Patches”
    • “Not strong enough — Pixi Retinol Tonic”
  • Strong Scent and Fragrance Issues Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “smell is overpowering — Pixi Glow Tonic”

Kiehl's vs Pixi routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Kiehl's vs Pixi routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Kiehl's vs Pixi routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 94% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Pixi: which is better?

Pixi offers a superior routine fit across all skin types on this page compared to Kiehl's. Pixi stands out for radiance and glow, though Kiehl's is noted as being more gentle on skin.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Pixi?

Both Kiehl's and Pixi offer products that target hydration, but Pixi achieves a Superior routine fit across all skin types compared to Kiehl's High fit. Kiehl's tends to be gentler on skin, whereas Pixi provides better brightening and radiance.

Kiehl's or Pixi for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Pixi provide good options for dry skin, though Lovi rates Pixi's routine fit as Superior and Kiehl's as High. Reviewers note that both brands offer deep hydration, and the products on this page include soothing key ingredients like glycerin in Kiehl's and hyaluronic acid in Pixi.

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

Kiehl's or Pixi: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and Pixi offer moisturizers and related hydration products on the page, but Pixi achieves a Superior routine fit for dry skin compared to Kiehl's High fit level. Kiehl's features lightweight, non-greasy options with mostly fragrance-free formulas, whereas Pixi emphasizes deep hydration, radiance, and glow.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Pixi?

Pixi is more affordable, whereas a high price point is often noted as a drawback for Kiehl's on the products on this page.

Between Kiehl's and Pixi, which brand offers a better routine fit for acne-prone skin?

Pixi offers a Superior routine fit for acne-prone skin, whereas Kiehl's routine fit is Average.

How do the fragrance profiles of Kiehl's and Pixi products compare across their ranges?

The products on this page show that most items from both Kiehl's and Pixi are fragrance-free. Specifically, 26 out of 28 Kiehl's products list no fragrance, while 7 of 10 Pixi products are similarly formulated without added scent.

Which brand performs better for brightening and radiance according to reviewer themes?

Pixi performs better for brightening and radiance according to the reviewer themes on this page.

Kiehl's or Pixi for oily skin?

For oily skin, both Kiehl's and Pixi achieve a High routine fit on the products on this page. Pixi offers a Superior routine fit for oily skin.

Kiehl's or Pixi for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Pixi provide products suited for sensitive skin, with Kiehl's being noted as gentler overall. For sensitive skin, Lovi rates Kiehl's routine as High and Pixi's routine as Superior. Pixi's formulations feature ingredients like hyaluronic acid and aloe vera, while most Kiehl's products on this page list no fragrance.

Kiehl's or Pixi for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, Lovi rates Pixi as Superior and Kiehl's as Average among the products on this page. Pixi offers targeted treatments like its Glow Tonic and Retinol Tonic, which help improve skin clarity with a Superior fit.

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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