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Kiehl's vs Clinique

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

Kiehl's and Clinique are heritage American skincare brands that offer thoughtfully formulated moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products for diverse complexions. Kiehl's relies on glycerin and squalane to best suit dry and mature skin, while the other brand combines hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and caffeine to effectively support dry and oily skin. These specialized offerings differ as the first label focuses on barrier resilience and moisture loss, whereas the second brand balances hydration and controls oil.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Clinique is an American skincare brand founded in 1968 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc..

en.wikipedia.orgelcompanies.combusinesswire.comglossy.co

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Clinique products

People Say

Kiehl'sClinique
  • 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”
    • “sinks in immediately — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “sinks in instantly — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel”
  • Gentle for Sensitive Skin Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “never irritated my eyes — Clinique All About Eyes”
    • “No stinging eyes — Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm”
    • “doesn't dry out — Clinique all about clean”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
  • Deep Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “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”
    • “Keeps my dry patches at bay all day — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
  • 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 feels silky smooth — Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum”
    • “leaves face porcelain smooth — Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream Rinse-Off Formula”
  • Makeup Compatibility and Base Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no pilling — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “foundation glides on — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “holds concealer in place — Clinique All About Eyes”
  • Radiance and Glow Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “doubles as moisturizer — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “gives a very nice radiance — Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Cream”
    • “wake up glowing — Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask”
  • High Price and Cost Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “jar is too small for the cost — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “quite pricey — Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum”
    • “Expensive for cleanser — Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Insufficient Hydration or Dryness Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “skin felt tight after an hour — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “some extremely dry skin types need a thicker balm or oil on top — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “skin felt tight — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel”
  • Causes Breakouts and Acne Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “cystic acne for some — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Woke up with whiteheads on my chin — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
    • “gave me tiny bumps — Clinique moisture surge”
  • 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 help dark circles — Clinique All About Eyes”
    • “don't expect miracles overnight — Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum”

Kiehl's vs Clinique routines for dry skin

Buy Clinique routine · S$253.28 · 95% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · S$209.58 · 92% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs Clinique routines for oily skin

Buy Clinique routine · S$486.90 · 94% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · S$287.99 · 90% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs Clinique routines for combination skin

Buy Clinique routine · S$382.80 · 94% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · S$287.99 · 90% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Clinique: which is better?

Both Kiehl's and Clinique provide equal routine fit levels for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, and mature skin, while Clinique achieves a higher Lovi fit for acne-prone skin, dry sensitive skin, and skin with dark spots. Reviewers note that Clinique is better for sensitive skin, whereas Kiehl's is better for deep hydration and radiance.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Clinique?

Clinique is better for sensitive skin, while Kiehl's is better for deep hydration and radiance on the products on this page. Clinique lists no fragrance in any of its products, whereas Kiehl's includes fragrance in a couple of items.

Kiehl's or Clinique for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Clinique are a Superior fit for dry skin on the products on this page. Reviewers note that Kiehl's provides deep hydration, while Clinique is known for lightweight and fast-absorbing moisturizers.

Kiehl's or Clinique: which cleanser is better?

Both Kiehl's and Clinique offer strong cleanser options, but Kiehl's stands out with products like the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash achieving a Superior Lovi fit for oily and oily acne-prone skin types. Reviewers frequently note that Clinique provides gentle and effective cleansers, while Kiehl's cleansers on this page also help manage oily and acne-prone skin effectively.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Clinique?

Clinique may be more affordable, as a high price point is noted as a negative review theme for Kiehl's on this page.

Kiehl's or Clinique: which brand has fragrance-free products?

Clinique features no fragrance across all the products on this page, whereas 26 out of 28 Kiehl's products list no fragrance.

Kiehl's or Clinique: which is better for dark spots?

Clinique is better for dark spots, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to Kiehl's High level for the products on this page.

Kiehl's or Clinique: which is better for mature skin?

Both Kiehl's and Clinique are great for mature skin, as Lovi rates the routine fit for both brands as Superior. Clinique has fragrance-free products on the products on this page, while Kiehl's includes a few products with fragrance.

Kiehl's or Clinique for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and Clinique are great for oily skin, as Lovi rates the routine fit for this skin type as Superior for both brands. Clinique offers 100 percent fragrance-free products on the page, while Kiehl's includes fragrance in only 2 of its 28 products.

Kiehl's or Clinique: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and Clinique offer moisturizers with a Superior routine fit for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, and mature skin. Kiehl's is known for deep hydration and non-greasy textures, while Clinique is noted for lightweight, fast-absorbing, and fragrance-free formulas.

Kiehl's or Clinique for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Clinique provide a Superior routine fit for sensitive skin on the products on this page. Clinique may be preferred for sensitive skin as reviewers note it is gentler.

Kiehl's or Clinique for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, Clinique has a superior routine fit compared to Kiehl's. On the products on this page, Clinique offers a higher Lovi fit level for this skin type across its targeted routines.

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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