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Kiehl's vs Shiseido

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

Kiehl's and Shiseido are heritage skincare institutions founded in the nineteenth century, with the former cherished for moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products anchored by glycerin and squalane, and the latter beloved for moisturizers, cleansers, sunscreens, and serums formulated with key ingredients like glycerin. The American brand suits skin with dark spots and mature skin best, while the Japanese brand suits sensitive skin and mature skin best, offering gentle yet effective daily care. Both brands differ in their specific standout choices and targeted relief, such as the former using Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner for acne-prone skin and the latter using Treatment Softener for the same concern.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Shiseido is a Japanese skincare brand founded in 1872 and owned by Shiseido Company, Limited.

corp.shiseido.comen.wikipedia.orgmarketscreener.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Shiseido products

People Say

Kiehl'sShiseido
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Immediate sensation of comfort — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “skin feels plump, soft and nourished, eliminates dryness, bouncy feel — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “Skin feels more hydrated — Shiseido Activating Essence”
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy texture Mostly 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”
    • “Airy-soft texture — Shiseido Essential Energy Hydrating Cream”
  • Skin barrier and texture improvement Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Velvety smooth — Shiseido FUTURE SOLUTION LX”
    • “makes skin baby soft — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Cream Enriched”
    • “smoothes rough skin — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
  • Radiance and relaxing experience Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Skin looks brighter, more radiant, and "glowy." — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “Pleasant floral fragrance, relaxing, luxurious smell. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “spa-like scent, high-quality packaging, little goes a long way — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
  • Luxurious texture and formula Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “silky smooth, rich but non-greasy, absorbs quickly, melts into skin — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “Velvety, rich cream texture — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “Velvety texture — Shiseido FUTURE SOLUTION LX”
  • Plumping and anti-aging Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Smoothed out crow's feet — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “tighter jawline, lifted appearance, improved elasticity, less sagging — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “wrinkles look softer — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Cream Enriched”
    • “Skin looks noticeably more plump — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • High price and cost value Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Very expensive for the size — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “Expensive, pricey, high cost for the amount. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
  • Unpleasant or strong scent Rarely NotedOften 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”
    • “old lady smell — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
  • Greasy residue and oiliness Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “Stays tacky and shiny — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “feels a bit oily — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Cream Enriched”
    • “A little too much (too greasy) — Shiseido Bio-Performance Advanced Super Revitalizing Cream”
    • “oil slick in summer — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Lack of results or effectiveness Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “No change in deep wrinkles — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “No noticeable difference, not moisturizing enough on its own. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “no visible lifting, just a moisturizer, didn't erase deep wrinkles — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”

Kiehl's vs Shiseido routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Kiehl's vs Shiseido routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Kiehl's vs Shiseido routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 94% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Shiseido: which is better?

Both brands offer products on this page with high routine fit across almost all skin types, but Shiseido excels in deep hydration, while Kiehl's is known for lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers. Shiseido often provides luxurious textures, whereas most Kiehl's products on this page list no fragrance.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Shiseido?

Shiseido is often noted for deep hydration and luxurious textures, whereas Kiehl's features lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers and gentle serums across the products on this page. Shiseido has a High routine fit for acne-prone skin, while Kiehl's has an Average fit.

Kiehl's or Shiseido for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Shiseido offer a High Lovi fit level for dry skin. Reviewers often mention deep hydration for the products on this page from both brands.

Kiehl's or Shiseido: which cleanser is better?

Both Kiehl's and Shiseido offer cleansers that are well-rated for various skin types on the products on this page, but Kiehl's features fragrance-free cleansing options while Shiseido formulas are mostly scented.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Shiseido?

Both Kiehl's and Shiseido are considered equal in terms of high price point, as reviewers frequently note this for the products on this page.

Between Kiehl's and Shiseido, which brand has more fragrance-free products?

Between Kiehl's and Shiseido, Kiehl's has significantly more fragrance-free products on the products on this page, with 26 out of 28 options listing no fragrance, compared to only 5 out of 20 for Shiseido.

How do the founding years and countries of origin compare between Kiehl's and Shiseido?

Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States, whereas Shiseido was established earlier in 1872 in Japan.

Which brand performs better when it comes to deep hydration and moisturization according to reviewers?

Shiseido performs better for deep hydration and moisturization according to reviewers. The products on this page provide deep hydration as a mostly mentioned benefit.

Kiehl's or Shiseido for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and Shiseido offer products on this page that provide a High routine fit for oily skin. Reviewers note that Kiehl's features lightweight and non-greasy moisturizers, whereas Shiseido is often mentioned for its deep-cleansing and efficient cleansers.

Kiehl's or Shiseido: which moisturizer is better?

Shiseido is often noted for providing deeper hydration and more luxurious textures in its moisturizers compared to Kiehl's. However, Kiehl's is frequently praised for offering lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers across the products on this page.

Kiehl's or Shiseido for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Shiseido offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin among the products on this page. Kiehl's is mostly mentioned for lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers and gentle serums, while Shiseido is often noted for deep hydration and luxurious textures.

Kiehl's or Shiseido: which sunscreen is better?

Both brands offer solid options, but Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum may suit a wider range of needs since it has high Lovi fit levels for skin with dark spots, sensitive skin, and acne-prone skin. Shiseido's Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Day Cream also achieves a Superior Lovi fit level for mature skin and dry sensitive skin.

Kiehl's or Shiseido for acne-prone skin?

Shiseido is a better fit for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine as High compared to Kiehl's Average. Shiseido also performs better on review themes like skin barrier and texture improvement.

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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