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Kiehl's vs The INKEY List

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

Kiehl's and The INKEY List are heritage and contemporary beauty houses offering nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, soothing toners, and gentle eye products. Both brands suit dry skin best, while the American house also caters to mature skin and the British label addresses dry sensitive skin. The first brand is known for utilizing glycerin and squalane to restore epidermal barrier function and counteract oxidative stress, whereas the second brand builds its range around glycerin. They differ in their founding eras, geographic origins, corporate ownership, and specific formulation approaches.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

The INKEY List is a British skincare brand founded in 2018 and owned by Brand Evangelists for Beauty Limited.

cosmeticsbusiness.comprnewswire.comtheinkeylist.comtracxn.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs The INKEY List products

People Say

Kiehl'sThe INKEY List
  • Lightweight Texture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “sits beautifully under makeup — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “Gel consistency — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly 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”
    • “Super hydrating — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
    • “intense nourishment — The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum”
  • Gentle on Skin Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Great for sensitive skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
    • “Safe and gentle especially for my dry, sensitive skin — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
  • Makeup Compatibility Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no pilling — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Melts away makeup and impurities without drying — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “no pilling under makeup — The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
  • Skin Barrier and Texture 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”
    • “calmed my menopausal redness — The INKEY List ECTOIN HYDRO-BARRIER SERUM”
  • Affordable Price Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “Good for the price — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “One of the best balms for quality and also price — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “unbeatable value — The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
  • High Price Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Packaging Issues Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “dipping fingers is unsanitary — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Dropper doesn't reach bottom — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Pump breaks easily — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
  • Efficacy and 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 do anything for circles — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “did absolutely nothing — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
  • Breakouts and Acne Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “cystic acne for some — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “did cause major breakouts — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
    • “New formula breaks me out — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”

Kiehl's vs The INKEY List routines for dry skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · S$253.28 · 96% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · S$209.58 · 92% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · S$520.95 · 94% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · S$287.99 · 90% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · S$411.40 · 94% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · S$287.99 · 90% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or The INKEY List: which is better?

The INKEY List may be better for affordability and specific concerns like dark spots or dry sensitive skin, where Lovi rates its routines as Superior compared to Kiehl's High. Both brands achieve equal Lovi routine fit levels for dry, oily, combination, mature, and oily acne-prone skin.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and The INKEY List?

The INKEY List offers an affordable price for the products on this page, while Kiehl's is often noted for a high price. Lovi finds The INKEY List has a Superior fit for acne-prone skin and skin with dark spots, compared to Kiehl's High fit for those skin types.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List for dry skin?

Both brands offer an equal routine fit for dry skin, where Lovi rates the routine fit as Superior for both Kiehl's and The INKEY List. Reviewers note that the products on this page provide hydrating moisturizers for both options. Lovi notes that the products on this page help deliver deep hydration to dry skin.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Kiehl's or The INKEY List: which cleanser is better?

Both Kiehl's and The INKEY List offer effective cleansers, with Lovi fit levels for cleansers like the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash and the Salicylic Acid Cleanser reaching High or Superior across multiple skin types. The INKEY List is generally noted for providing more affordable options, whereas Kiehl's products on this page are frequently associated with a higher price point.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List is more affordable, as the products on this page offer budget-friendly options compared to Kiehl's, which is often noted for a high price point.

Between Kiehl's and The INKEY List, which brand is better suited for dry sensitive skin?

The INKEY List is better suited for dry sensitive skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Kiehl's High fit level on this page. Emollients help support the skin barrier for improved moisture retention.

How do Kiehl's and The INKEY List compare regarding packaging issues?

When it comes to packaging issues, The INKEY List does better than Kiehl's according to the reviewer themes on the page.

Which brand performs better for skin barrier and texture improvement?

Kiehl's performs better for skin barrier and texture improvement. Emollients help support the skin barrier, while ingredients like retinol may stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged human skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Kiehl's or The INKEY List for oily skin?

Both brands offer an equal Superior routine fit for oily skin. The products on this page help provide lightweight moisture and target oiliness effectively.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List: which moisturizer is better?

The INKEY List offers more affordable moisturizer options with highly rated hydrating formulas, while Kiehl's provides deeply nourishing choices often praised for improving texture and barrier health. Lovi rates the routine fit for dry skin as Superior for both brands.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and The INKEY List are well suited for sensitive skin, as Lovi rates the routine fit for both brands as Superior.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List for acne-prone skin?

The INKEY List offers a Superior routine fit for acne-prone skin, whereas Kiehl's provides a High routine fit for the products on this page. Reviewers for both brands note breakouts and acne as a concern.

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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