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Kiehl's vs Elemis

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

Kiehl's and Elemis are esteemed skincare brands that offer nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, soothing toners, and gentle cleansers. The American brand is formulated with glycerin and squalane to suit dry and mature skin, while the British brand is enriched with glycerin and shea to suit dry, balanced, and sensitive skin. Both lines differ through their distinct heritage, standout treatments, and precise approaches to moisture loss and barrier resilience.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Elemis is a British skincare brand founded in 1989 and owned by L'Occitane Group since 2019.

elemis.comau.elemis.comen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Elemis products

People Say

Kiehl'sElemis
  • Deep hydration Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
    • “The cream really hydrates and my face looks amazing. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream”
    • “Quenches thirsty skin... immediate improvement. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
  • Brightening and radiance Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “healthy glow — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
    • “instantly fresh glow — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
  • Lightweight texture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “Absorbs quickly — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Absorbs almost immediately, and my skin feels well hydrated all day. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
    • “weightless serum — Elemis Pro-Collagen Advanced Eye Treatment”
  • 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”
    • “baby soft — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
    • “skin feels baby soft — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
  • Relaxing or spa-like scent Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like a spa — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
    • “smells like a holiday — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “smells like a tropical cocktail — Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial”
    • “calming lavender smell — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
  • 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”
    • “no stinging or redness — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
  • High price Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Complete waste of money for me. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
    • “very expensive — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
  • Burning, stinging, and irritation Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “burned my face immediately — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “stings my face and feels like burning — Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Cream”
    • “blurry vision — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
    • “Developed milia and closed comedones. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
  • 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 see a difference — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “didn't see difference — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”

Kiehl's vs Elemis moisturizers

Kiehl's vs Elemis serums and treatments

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Elemis: which is better?

Both brands offer hydrating products, but Kiehl's is often considered better for sensitive skin because it is formulated without fragrance in most of its products on this page.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Elemis?

Kiehl's is generally more gentle for sensitive skin, whereas Elemis is noted for offering a more relaxing or spa-like scent.

Kiehl's or Elemis: which cleanser is better?

For cleansers, Kiehl's may be the better choice because Lovi rates its cleansers like the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash as Superior for oily and oily acne-prone skin. Reviewers note that Kiehl's is gentler for sensitive skin, while Elemis has more products with fragrance that can cause irritation.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Elemis?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis share a high price point according to the reviews on the products on this page.

Which causes fewer breakouts, Kiehl's or Elemis?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis have mixed reviews regarding breakouts, with reviewers for both brands sometimes noting skin irritation and breakouts. Lovi fit levels show that Kiehl's features several products with High fit for acne-prone skin, such as the Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner and Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream, while Elemis products generally show Average fit for acne-prone skin.

Between Kiehl's and Elemis, which brand offers more fragrance-free skincare products?

Kiehl's offers more fragrance-free skincare products, as 26 of the 28 products on this page list no fragrance. In contrast, only 4 of the 22 Elemis products on this page are fragrance-free.

Which brand has been around longer, Kiehl's or Elemis, and where were they founded?

Kiehl's has been around longer than Elemis, having been founded in the United States in 1851. Elemis was founded later, in the United Kingdom in 1989.

How do Kiehl's and Elemis compare regarding gentle formulations for sensitive skin according to reviewers?

According to reviewers, Kiehl's does better than Elemis when it comes to gentle formulations for sensitive skin.

Kiehl's or Elemis: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis offer hydrating moisturizers on the products on this page, but they cater to different needs with Kiehl's being gentler for sensitive skin and Elemis providing a relaxing or spa-like scent. Kiehl's fits best for dry skin, mature skin, and oily acne-prone skin.

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?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

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