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Kiehl's vs Allies of Skin

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

Kiehl's and Allies of Skin are two distinct skincare lines known for nourishing moisturizers, potent serums, and targeted eye products. The American brand, founded in 1851, relies on glycerin and squalane to suit skin with dark spots and mature skin best, whereas Allies of Skin utilizes niacinamide to serve dry skin and acne-prone skin best. While both offer thoughtful formulations, Kiehl's addresses aging and dark spots with classics like its Ultra Facial Toner, and the other brand focuses on clarity and firming with treatments like the Molecular Saviour Probiotics Treatment Mist.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Allies of Skin products

People Say

Kiehl'sAllies of Skin
  • Deep hydration and moisturization 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”
    • “nourished and hydrated — Allies of Skin Peptides & Omegas Firming Eye Cream”
    • “more like a spray serum — Allies of Skin Molecular Saviour Probiotics Treatment Mist”
  • Lightweight texture and absorption Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “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”
    • “sinks easily into damp skin — Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum”
  • 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”
    • “Woke up looking well-rested — Allies of Skin Retinal & Peptides Repair Night Cream”
    • “Pores appear to be tighter — Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum”
  • Gentle and non-irritating formula Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Best retinol for sensitive skin — Allies of Skin Retinal & Peptides Repair Night Cream”
    • “feels super soothing, doesn't trigger redness — Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum”
  • Fades dark spots and brightens Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “scars visibly lightened after I started using this — Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum”
    • “Gives me a nice youthful glow — Allies of Skin Peptides & Antioxidants Firming Daily Treatment”
    • “brightens the undereye — Allies of Skin Peptides & Omegas Firming Eye Cream”
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
  • Visible plumping Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “more like a spray serum — Allies of Skin Molecular Saviour Probiotics Treatment Mist”
    • “Skin feels hydrated — Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum”
    • “Skin looks noticeably more plump — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • High price point Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “overpriced for what it does — Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Cream”
    • “Pricey — Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum”
  • Ineffective or slow results Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Takes months to see — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “results were subtle — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “still not impressed with the results — Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum”
  • Burning, stinging, and irritation Rarely 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”
    • “left my face bright red — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “Slightly irritating... when I first started — Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum”
  • Packaging and design issues Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “dipping fingers is unsanitary — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Dropper doesn't reach bottom — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “pump head is fixed — Allies of Skin Peptides & Omegas Firming Eye Cream”

Kiehl's vs Allies of Skin routines for dry skin

Buy Allies of Skin routine · £137.36 · 98% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £181.95 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs Allies of Skin routines for oily skin

Buy Allies of Skin routine · £276.71 · 93% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £283.08 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs Allies of Skin routines for combination skin

Buy Allies of Skin routine · £254.43 · 94% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £285.07 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Allies of Skin: which is better?

Allies of Skin is rated better on Lovi for its routines across all skin types, including dry skin, where it achieves a Superior fit compared to Kiehl's High fit. Reviewers note that Allies of Skin does better at fading dark spots and brightening, while Kiehl's is noted for its lightweight texture and absorption.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Allies of Skin?

Allies of Skin outperforms Kiehl's on this page for fading dark spots and visible plumping. Both brands offer products with no fragrance, though Kiehl's has a higher price point and is more often noted by reviewers for causing skin irritation.

Kiehl's or Allies of Skin for dry skin?

Allies of Skin achieves a Superior routine fit for dry skin, whereas Kiehl's achieves a High routine fit. Allies of Skin offers hydrating and plumping serums that help dry skin, and the products on this page list no fragrance.

Kiehl's or Allies of Skin: which moisturizer is better?

Allies of Skin offers superior moisturizer fit levels for dry skin compared to Kiehl's, with products like the Molecular Saviour Probiotics Treatment Mist rated as Superior. Allies of Skin formulas feature key ingredients like niacinamide that help reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Allies of Skin?

When it comes to affordability, Allies of Skin is noted for its high price point, while Kiehl's is also frequently mentioned by reviewers as having a high price point.

Which brand has more fragrance-free products, Kiehl's or Allies of Skin?

Allies of Skin has more fragrance-free products since every product on the page lists no fragrance, whereas 26 out of 28 products on this page list no fragrance for Kiehl's.

How do the founding years and corporate ownership of Kiehl's and Allies of Skin compare?

Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States and has been owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 2000, whereas Allies of Skin was founded in 2016 and is owned by Allies Group Pte. Ltd.

Which brand performs better for fading dark spots and brightening according to reviewer themes?

Allies of Skin performs better for fading dark spots and brightening according to the reviewer themes on this page.

Kiehl's or Allies of Skin for oily skin?

For oily skin, Lovi rates both Kiehl's and Allies of Skin as having a High fit across their brand routines. The products on this page from Allies of Skin may help deliver superior routine fit and brightening benefits, while Kiehl's offers a larger variety of lightweight, non-greasy options.

Kiehl's or Allies of Skin for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Allies of Skin offer routines that Lovi rates as High for sensitive skin. The products on this page from Allies of Skin list no fragrance, while two Kiehl's products contain fragrance.

Kiehl's or Allies of Skin for acne-prone skin?

Both brands offer products for acne-prone skin, with Lovi fit levels reaching High for several Kiehl's items and select Allies of Skin products. Reviewers often mention that Allies of Skin provides effective brightening and plumping, while Kiehl's is frequently noted for causing breakouts and skin irritation.

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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