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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 respected beauty labels rooted in heritage, with Kiehl's celebrated for its glycerin- and squalane-rich moisturizers, serums, and toners that best suit dark spots and mature skin, and L'Oreal Paris beloved for its hyaluronic acid and glycerin serums, moisturizers, and masks tailored primarily for oily and combination skin. While both share a parent company, they diverge in their foundational chemistries and targeted efficacies, offering distinct pathways for individual complexions. The American brand delivers specialized relief for mature concerns and uneven tone, whereas the French brand provides balanced formulations for daily equilibrium.

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 L'Oreal Paris routine · £88.05 · 91% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £181.95 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

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

Buy L'Oreal Paris routine · £176.24 · 94% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £283.08 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

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

Buy L'Oreal Paris routine · £153.96 · 94% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £285.07 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% 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 strong benefits, but L'Oreal Paris generally achieves superior routine fit levels across most skin types. Kiehl's often features lightweight textures and fragrance-free formulas, while L'Oreal Paris provides strong value and effective hydration.

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

Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris both offer effective skincare options, but Kiehl's is known for having very few products with fragrance while L'Oreal Paris provides more budget-friendly pricing. Reviewers note that Kiehl's delivers lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers and gentle serums, whereas L'Oreal Paris offers luxurious textures and strong hydration.

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

Both Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris offer products that work well for dry skin, though Lovi rates the routine fit for dry skin as High for Kiehl's and Superior for L'Oreal Paris. Reviewers mention deep hydration and moisturization for both brands, with Kiehl's also noted for lightweight and non-greasy textures.

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 and moisture equally well, but Kiehl's is often preferred for lightweight, non-greasy textures while L'Oreal Paris is better known for luxury and value.

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

L'Oreal Paris is more affordable, as high price and poor value are common complaints for Kiehl's on the products on this page.

Which brand has more fragrance-free products, Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris?

Kiehl's has more fragrance-free products on the page than L'Oreal Paris, with 26 out of 28 products listing no fragrance compared to only 5 out of 10 for L'Oreal Paris.

Which brand focuses its routines best on mature skin, Kiehl's or L'Oreal Paris?

Both Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris offer a High routine fit for mature skin among the products on this page, with L'Oreal Paris also achieving a Superior fit level.

Which brand performs better for dark spot fading and brightening?

L'Oreal Paris performs better for dark spot fading and brightening among the products on this page.

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

For oily skin, L'Oreal Paris offers a Superior routine fit among the products on this page, while Kiehl's provides a High routine fit. Reviewers note that L'Oreal Paris brings deep hydration and moisturization, whereas Kiehl's is known for lightweight and non-greasy moisturizers.

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

For sensitive skin, both Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris fit well, with Kiehl's having a High Lovi fit level and L'Oreal Paris having a Superior Lovi fit level based on the products on this page.

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

Both Kiehl's and L'Oreal Paris offer products that are well-suited for acne-prone skin, with Lovi fit levels reaching High across several options. L'Oreal Paris achieves a Superior routine fit for this skin type, while Kiehl's achieves a High routine fit.

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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