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Kiehl's vs L'Oreal Paris

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

Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris are two distinct beauty lines under the same parent company, each offering a dedicated approach to daily skincare. The American brand is celebrated for its nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, soothing toners, and gentle eye products utilizing glycerin and squalane, while the French brand is beloved for its thoughtful range of serums, moisturizers, masks, and eye products featuring hyaluronic acid and glycerin. The former suits dry and mature skin best through formulations that address moisture loss and barrier resilience, whereas the latter suits oily, acne-prone, and combination skin best owing to its balanced composition. Ultimately, they differ in their heritage, foundational ingredients, and the specific skin types their portfolios are designed to support.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

L'Oreal Paris is a French skincare brand founded in 1909 and owned by L'Oréal S.A..

en.wikipedia.orgloreal.comloreal-paris.co.ukcosmeticsbusiness.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs L'Oreal Paris products

People Say

Kiehl'sL'Oreal Paris
  • Deep hydration and moisture Mostly 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”
    • “wake up with soft skin — L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Cream”
    • “Leaves my face feeling plump and dewy all day. — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift”
  • 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”
    • “Absorbs fast — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Night Cream”
  • Skin barrier and texture improvements Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin is a lot smoother — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Laser Pure Retinol Night Serum”
    • “My skin feels silky and soft to the touch. — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift”
    • “Smooth and creamy texture that spreads very nicely. — L'Oreal Paris Pure-Clay Mask”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
  • Dark spot fading and brightening Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin looks luminous — L'Oreal Paris Glycolic Bright”
    • “significant reduction in the appearance of dark spots — L'Oreal Paris Bright Reveal 12% Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum”
    • “skin looks glowing — L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Cream”
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
  • Gentle formula and suitability 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”
    • “perfect for retinol newbies — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “very gentle, didn't irritate my skin — L'Oreal Paris Bright Reveal 12% Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum”
  • Plumping and fine line reduction Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “diminished fine lines, under-eye discoloration as well Crow's feet — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Pressed Night Cream”
    • “fine lines around eyes less noticeable — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Laser Pure Retinol Night Serum”
    • “reduces puffiness under the eyes — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Eye Cream”
    • “Skin looks noticeably more plump — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • High price and poor value Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “a little bit pricy — L'Oreal Paris Glycolic Bright”
    • “taken aback by the price — L'Oreal Paris Bright Reveal 12% Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Burning, stinging, and irritation Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “left my face bright red — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “slight tingling the first few times — L'Oreal Paris Dark Spot Exfoliant Peel”
  • Unpleasant scent or strong fragrance 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”
    • “The perfume smell is overwhelming and lingers. — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift”

Kiehl's vs L'Oreal Paris routines for dry skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · S$209.58 · 92% fitBuy L'Oreal Paris routine · S$227.98 · 91% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs L'Oreal Paris routines for oily skin

Buy L'Oreal Paris routine · S$461.60 · 93% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · S$287.99 · 90% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs L'Oreal Paris routines for combination skin

Buy L'Oreal Paris routine · S$357.50 · 94% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · S$287.99 · 90% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris: which is better?

Both Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris offer products on this page with top-tier fit levels depending on your skin type, though Kiehl's generally features fewer products with added fragrance.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris?

Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris both offer routines with a High to Superior fit for most skin types on this page, but Kiehl's is generally better for sensitive skin while L'Oreal Paris tends to be more affordable. Lovi finds that Kiehl's has a Superior fit for sensitive skin, whereas L'Oreal Paris has a High fit for that skin type.

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris offer a Superior Lovi routine fit for dry skin, though they differ in their specific product selections and formulations. Kiehl's features mostly fragrance-free products on the products on this page and key ingredients like squalane and glycerin, whereas L'Oreal Paris relies on hyaluronic acid and glycerin.

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris offer moisturizers on this page that provide deep hydration. Lovi rates the routine fit for dry skin as Superior for both brands, while Kiehl's features lightweight, non-greasy options with mostly fragrance-free formulas.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris?

L'Oreal Paris is more affordable, whereas reviewers on the page often note a high price point for Kiehl's.

Between Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris, which brand is better for reducing dark spots and brightening?

For fading dark spots and brightening, L'Oreal Paris does better according to the review themes on this page. Lovi rates the routine fit for skin with dark spots as High for both brands.

How do Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris compare in terms of fragrance-free product options?

Kiehl's offers significantly more fragrance-free choices, with 26 of the 28 products on this page listing no fragrance, compared to only 5 of the 10 L'Oreal Paris products. Lovi rates Kiehl's as Superior for sensitive skin, making it a safer option for shoppers looking to avoid scents.

Which brand performs better for mature skin and fine line reduction?

Both Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris achieve a Superior routine fit level for mature skin on the products on this page. L'Oreal Paris does better for plumping and fine line reduction, whereas Kiehl's is noted for lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers and gentle serums.

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris offer a superior routine fit for oily skin. Lovi rates the routine fit as Superior for both brands.

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, Kiehl's is the better choice because Lovi rates its overall routine fit as Superior, whereas L'Oreal Paris is rated as High.

Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, both brands offer good options, though Lovi rates L'Oreal Paris as having a superior routine fit compared to Kiehl's high fit. L'Oreal Paris features items like Revitalift, while Kiehl's products on this page list key ingredients like glycerin and vitamin C.

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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