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Kiehl's vs Lancôme

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

Kiehl's and Lancôme are two storied American and French skincare brands owned by L'Oréal S.A., offering a thoughtful array of moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products. The American brand is beloved for featuring trusted ingredients like glycerin and squalane that suit dry skin and skin with dark spots best, whereas the French brand is celebrated for utilizing glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and adenosine to suit dry, mature, acne-prone, and uneven skin best. Ultimately, both brands improve skin hydration and barrier function, yet differ as the former relies on moisture-retaining and brightening properties, while the latter employs hydrating, smoothing, and restorative properties.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Lancôme is a French skincare brand founded in 1935 and owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 1964.

loreal.comen.wikipedia.orgcosmeticsbusiness.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Lancôme products

People Say

Kiehl'sLancôme
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “gives my skin an instant dewy glow — Lancôme Tonique Confort”
    • “keeps the skin soft and hydrated — Lancôme HYDRA ZEN”
    • “The product provides deep hydration and visible rejuvenation. — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Night Cream”
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy texture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “works on dark skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs quickly — Lancôme RÉNERGIE”
    • “absorbs almost instantly — Lancôme Génifique Ultimate”
  • Gentle for sensitive skin Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “doesn't irritate sensitive eyes — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “Doesn't sting my eyes — Lancôme Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover”
  • Skin barrier and texture improvement Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “skin feels smoother — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “skin looked & felt smoother — Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Cream”
    • “Skin feels cushiony soft — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate”
  • Makeup compatibility and primer benefits Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no pilling — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “concealer applies smoothly — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Eye Cream”
    • “layers beautifully under makeup — Lancôme Génifique Ultimate”
  • Brightening and fading dark spots Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Skin looks radiant — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Skin looks lit from within — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate”
    • “eyes look rested — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Eye Cream”
  • High price point and poor value Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “super expensive — Lancôme Absolue Precious Oil”
    • “expensive as hell — Lancôme RÉNERGIE”
  • Ineffective or slow results 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 much change in wrinkles — Lancôme Génifique Ultimate”
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate”
  • Unpleasant or strong fragrance issues Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “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”
    • “My only issue with it is the fragrance. — Lancôme Hydra Zen Gel Cream”

Kiehl's vs Lancôme moisturizers

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Lancôme: which is better?

Kiehl's is better for sensitive skin and barrier improvement, while Lancôme excels in deep hydration and moisturization. The products on this page for Kiehl's are mostly fragrance-free, whereas most Lancôme products include fragrance.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Lancôme?

Kiehl's and Lancôme are both owned by L'Oréal S.A., but Kiehl's is generally better for sensitive skin, while Lancôme tends to offer deeper hydration. Most products on the Kiehl's page are fragrance-free, whereas most Lancôme products on this page include fragrance.

Kiehl's or Lancôme: which cleanser is better?

Kiehl's does better on this page for cleansers, offering options like Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash that are fragrance-free and achieve High to Superior Lovi fit levels across most skin types. In contrast, Lancome lists only one cleanser on this page, Creme Radiance, which carries Warning fit levels across all skin types.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Lancôme?

Both Kiehl's and Lancôme are frequently noted by reviewers for having a high price point, so neither brand is more affordable on the products on this page.

Which causes fewer breakouts, Kiehl's or Lancôme?

Kiehl's does better than Lancome for being gentle on sensitive skin. Reviewers for Kiehl's note that it helps provide gentle serums, though breakouts and skin irritation are still a frequently mentioned issue across the products on this page.

Which brand has more fragrance-free products, Kiehl's or Lancôme?

Kiehl's has more fragrance-free products than Lancôme, as 26 of its 28 products on this page list no fragrance compared to only 3 of 14 for Lancôme.

Kiehl's or Lancôme: which brand is better for deep hydration?

Lancôme does better for deep hydration among the products on this page. Reviewers note that Lancôme provides deep hydration, while Kiehl's also offers deep hydration.

Which brand offers better results for brightening and fading dark spots?

Both Kiehl's and Lancôme are equal in providing brightening and fading dark spots based on reviewer feedback. Several products on this page for both brands, such as Kiehl's Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution and Lancôme Génifique Ultimate, help target dark spots and uneven pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Kiehl's or Lancôme: which moisturizer is better?

Lancôme does better for deep hydration and moisturization compared to Kiehl's. Reviewers note that Lancôme offers deep hydration alongside lightweight, fast-absorbing moisturizers, whereas Kiehl's is frequently noted for deep hydration with a high price point.

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

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