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Some By Mi vs Kiehl's

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

Some By Mi and Kiehl's are distinct skincare brands designed to address various complex concerns. The Korean brand, founded in 2016 and owned by JKL Partners since 2021, offers serums, cleansers, toners, and moisturizers built around niacinamide, centella asiatica, and salicylic acid, fitting dry sensitive skin and skin with dark spots best. Conversely, the American brand, founded in 1851 and owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 2000, is cherished for moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products anchored by nourishing glycerin and squalane, suiting skin with dark spots and mature skin best. While both cater to overlapping concerns, they differ through their foundational ingredients and regional traditions.

Some By Mi is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by JKL Partners since 2021.

kedglobal.compreqin.comtracxn.com

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

Popular Some By Mi vs Kiehl's products

People Say

Some By MiKiehl's
  • Lightweight and Fast Absorbing Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “works on dark skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “absorbs quickly — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream”
  • Hydration and Moisture Often 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”
    • “savior for dry patches — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “Lasts 100 hours as claimed — Some By Mi Beta Panthenol Repair Cream”
  • Brightening and Radiance Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Fades dark spots — Some By Mi Galactomyces Pure Vitamin C Glow Serum”
    • “skin looks visibly brighter — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Anti Blemish Serum”
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
  • Skin Smoothing and Texture Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Skin became smoother — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “Surprisingly gentle — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “Skin feels baby soft — Some By Mi Retinol Intense Reactivating Serum”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
  • Gentle Formula Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Zero irritation or redness — Some By Mi Retinol Intense Reactivating Serum”
    • “doesn't strip dry my skin — Some By Mi Super Matcha Pore Clean Clay Mask”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedNot noted
    • “Reduces pimples — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “cleared my cystic acne — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Acne Clear Foam”
    • “flattened my cystic acne — Some By Mi AHA BHA PHA 30 Days Miracle Serum”
  • Price and Value Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive — Some By Mi Super Matcha Pore Clean Clay Mask”
    • “Too expensive for 50ml — Some By Mi Beta Panthenol Repair Cream”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Scents and Fragrance Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “smells clinical — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “faint lab smell — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “smells like hot dog water — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “overwhelming citrus fragrance — Some By Mi V10 Hyal Air Fit Sunscreen”
  • Sticky or Greasy Residue Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “leaves face really greasy — Some By Mi V10 Hyal Air Fit Sunscreen”
    • “leaves sticky film — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream”
    • “oil slick in summer — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “too radiant for oily skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”

Some By Mi vs Kiehl's routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Some By Mi vs Kiehl's routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Some By Mi vs Kiehl's routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 94% fit

Questions and answers

Some By Mi or Kiehl's: which is better?

Some By Mi is better for sensitive skin and skin with dark spots, where Lovi rates its fit as Superior compared to Kiehl's High level. Both brands achieve equal High routine fit levels for dry, oily, combination, mature, and oily acne-prone skin types.

What is the difference between Some By Mi and Kiehl's?

Some By Mi is a South Korean brand founded in 2016 that excels in acne-prone and sensitive skin care with a fragrance-free lineup, whereas Kiehl's is a historic American brand founded in 1851 that focuses on anti-aging and deep hydration with mostly fragrance-free products. Lovi rates Some By Mi as Superior for sensitive skin and skin with dark spots, while Kiehl's achieves a High fit level for those skin types.

Some By Mi or Kiehl's for dry skin?

Both Some By Mi and Kiehl's offer a High routine fit for dry skin. Reviewers often mention deep hydration for Kiehl's and excellent texture moisturizers for Some By Mi.

Some By Mi or Kiehl's: which cleanser is better?

Some By Mi is better for acne-prone skin, with cleansers like the Snail Truecica Miracle Repair Low pH Gel Cleanser showing a Superior Lovi fit level, whereas Kiehl's cleansers like the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash offer Superior fit levels for oily skin.

Which is more affordable, Some By Mi or Kiehl's?

Some By Mi is more affordable, whereas Kiehl's often receives negative reviews regarding its high price point.

Some By Mi or Kiehl's: which brand is better for reducing dark spots?

Some By Mi is better for reducing dark spots, as Lovi rates its fit for skin with dark spots as Superior compared to High for Kiehl's. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

How do the fragrances in Some By Mi and Kiehl's products compare?

Some By Mi lists no fragrance across every product on its page, whereas Kiehl's includes fragrance in 2 of its 28 products.

Which brand performs better for mature skin according to the reviews?

When it comes to mature skin, Kiehl's performs better in terms of reviews because it is noted for being lightweight and fast-absorbing as well as providing deep hydration. Both brands achieve a High routine fit for mature skin.

Some By Mi or Kiehl's for oily skin?

Both Some By Mi and Kiehl's are a High fit for oily skin, offering effective options like the AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner and the Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner. Reviewers note that Some By Mi is particularly strong for acne-control, while Kiehl's is often praised for lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers.

Some By Mi or Kiehl's: which moisturizer is better?

When it comes to moisturizers, Kiehl's takes the lead for being lightweight and non-greasy, while also providing deep hydration. On the other hand, Some By Mi offers moisturizers that feature key ingredients like niacinamide and Centella asiatica to help brighten the complexion and clear acne. Lovi rates both brands as having a High fit level for dry skin routines.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Some By Mi or Kiehl's for sensitive skin?

Some By Mi is the better choice for sensitive skin because Lovi gives it a Superior fit level for this skin type, compared to Kiehl's which has a High fit level. Reviewers also note that Some By Mi offers a gentle formula on par with Kiehl's while avoiding fragrance across all products on this page.

Some By Mi or Kiehl's: which sunscreen is better?

When it comes to sunscreens on these pages, Some By Mi offers the V10 Hyal Air Fit Sunscreen, which achieves a high fit for oily, acne-prone, sensitive, dry, and mature skin types. Kiehl's features the Better Screen UV Serum, which rates high for skin with dark spots, combination, sensitive, acne-prone, and mature skin.

Some By Mi or Kiehl's for acne-prone skin?

Some By Mi fits acne-prone skin better with a High routine fit level compared to Kiehl's Average level. The products on this page help with acne-clearing treatments and blemishes.

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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