🇬🇧United Kingdom

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 thoughtful arrays of moisturizers, serums, toners, eye products, and cleansers anchored by nourishing ingredients like glycerin, squalane, and shea butter. Kiehl's suits skin with dark spots and mature skin best through standout choices like the Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner, Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash, and Ultra Facial Toner, while the brand Elemis suits dry skin and mature skin best with the Pro-Collagen Advanced Eye Treatment, Pro-Collagen Tri-Acid Peel, and Pro-Collagen Marine Cream. In both formulations, glycerin significantly increases hydration and restores epidermal barrier function. They differ as the American brand relies on squalane to counteract oxidative stress and stimulate fibroblast migration, whereas the British brand utilizes shea butter to reduce inflammation and relieve skin pruritus.

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 routines for dry skin

Buy Elemis routine · £324.88 · 88% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £181.95 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs Elemis routines for oily skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · £283.08 · 83% fitBuy Elemis routine · £290.16 · 76% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs Elemis routines for combination skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · £285.07 · 84% fitBuy Elemis routine · £263.56 · 78% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Elemis: which is better?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis are good, with equal routine fits across all skin types on their pages. Kiehl's is often noted as being more gentle for sensitive skin, while Elemis is better for a relaxing or spa-like scent.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Elemis?

Kiehl's and Elemis both offer high routine fit across all skin types, but Kiehl's is generally more gentle for sensitive skin while Elemis is noted for a more relaxing, spa-like scent. Kiehl's products on this page mostly avoid added fragrance with 26 of 28 options fragrance-free, whereas most Elemis options include fragrance.

Kiehl's or Elemis for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis fit dry skin well, offering an equal High routine fit level on the products on this page. Kiehl's provides mostly fragrance-free choices, whereas Elemis features more fragranced products.

Kiehl's or Elemis: which cleanser is better?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis offer cleansers with high routine fit levels across multiple skin types on the products on this page. Kiehl's stands out for being gentler on sensitive skin, whereas Elemis products more frequently feature a relaxing or spa-like scent.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Elemis?

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

Which brand has more fragrance-free products, Kiehl's or Elemis?

Kiehl's has more fragrance-free products than Elemis, as 26 of the 28 Kiehl's products on this page list no fragrance compared to only 4 of the 22 Elemis products.

Where and when were Kiehl's and Elemis founded?

Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States, and Elemis was founded in 1989 in the United Kingdom.

Which brand performs better for providing a relaxing or spa-like scent?

Elemis performs better for providing a relaxing or spa-like scent. The products on this page for Kiehl's list almost no fragrance, while most Elemis products feature added scents.

Kiehl's or Elemis for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis achieve a High routine fit level for oily skin. The products on this page for Kiehl's feature options like Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner with a Superior fit level for oily skin, while Elemis includes choices such as Balancing Lavender Toner with a High fit level.

Kiehl's or Elemis: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis offer moisturizers that help deliver deep hydration, and Lovi rates both brands as High for dry skin overall. Kiehl's features lightweight, non-greasy formulas with minimal fragrance, while Elemis provides luxurious textures with a more relaxing, spa-like scent.

Kiehl's or Elemis for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis achieve a High routine fit for sensitive skin. However, Lovi notes that Kiehl's is better for sensitive skin because it is gentler, as most of the products on this page list no fragrance.

Kiehl's or Elemis for acne-prone skin?

Both Kiehl's and Elemis are good for acne-prone skin, with the products on this page reaching a High routine fit for this skin type.

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.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play