🇬🇧United Kingdom

Kiehl's vs Lancôme

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

Kiehl's and Lancôme are two distinct beauty lines under the L'Oréal umbrella, representing American pharmacy heritage and French luxury respectively. Kiehl's is cherished for its moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products anchored by glycerin and squalane, suiting skin with dark spots and mature skin best. Meanwhile, the French brand is deeply loved for its thoughtful array of moisturizers, eye products, serums, and toners formulated with glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and adenosine, which suit sensitive skin and mature skin best. Ultimately, they differ in their foundational ingredients and specific target concerns, allowing both to offer tailored care.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Lancôme is a French skincare brand founded in 1935 and owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 1964.

loreal.comen.wikipedia.orgcosmeticsbusiness.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs Lancôme products

People Say

Kiehl'sLancôme
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “gives my skin an instant dewy glow — Lancôme Tonique Confort”
    • “keeps the skin soft and hydrated — Lancôme HYDRA ZEN”
    • “The product provides deep hydration and visible rejuvenation. — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Night Cream”
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy texture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “works on dark skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs quickly — Lancôme RÉNERGIE”
    • “absorbs almost instantly — Lancôme Génifique Ultimate”
  • 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”
    • “Doesn't sting my eyes — Lancôme Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover”
  • Skin barrier and texture improvement 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”
    • “Skin feels cushiony soft — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate”
  • Makeup compatibility and primer benefits Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no pilling — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “concealer applies smoothly — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Eye Cream”
    • “layers beautifully under makeup — Lancôme Génifique Ultimate”
  • Brightening and fading dark spots Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Skin looks radiant — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Skin looks lit from within — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate”
    • “eyes look rested — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Eye Cream”
  • High price point and poor value Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “super expensive — Lancôme Absolue Precious Oil”
    • “expensive as hell — Lancôme RÉNERGIE”
  • 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 notice much change in wrinkles — Lancôme Génifique Ultimate”
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate”
  • Unpleasant or strong fragrance issues Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “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”
    • “My only issue with it is the fragrance. — Lancôme Hydra Zen Gel Cream”

Kiehl's vs Lancôme routines for dry skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · £181.95 · 82% fitBuy Lancôme routine · £294.78 · 77% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs Lancôme routines for oily skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · £283.08 · 83% fitBuy Lancôme routine · £282.47 · 77% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs Lancôme routines for combination skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · £285.07 · 84% fitBuy Lancôme routine · £331.47 · 74% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Lancôme: which is better?

Both Kiehl's and Lancôme are strong choices, with Kiehl's standing out for being gentler on sensitive skin while Lancôme excels in deep hydration and moisturization. The products on this page for both brands offer high routine fit levels across most skin types, though Lancôme features a pleasant scent on many items whereas the vast majority of Kiehl's products list no fragrance.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Lancôme?

Kiehl's tends to be better for gentle care on sensitive skin and skin barrier improvement, while Lancôme excels in deep hydration and moisturization among the products on this page.

Kiehl's or Lancôme for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Lancôme are great options, as the products on this page show high routine fit levels for dry skin. Kiehl's features a high level of fragrance-free options and is noted for being gentle for sensitive skin, while Lancôme provides deep hydration and moisturization.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Kiehl's or Lancôme: which cleanser is better?

Both Kiehl's and Lancôme offer cleansers, but Kiehl's features a wider variety of options with high Lovi fit levels across multiple skin types, including dry, oily, and sensitive skin. The products on this page for Kiehl's include top-performing cleansers like the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash and Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser, whereas Lancôme lists only one cleanser on this page.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Lancôme?

Both Kiehl's and Lancôme have a high price point according to reviewers on this page, making them equal in affordability.

Between Kiehl's and Lancôme, which brand has better options for brightening and fading dark spots?

Both Kiehl's and Lancôme are equal in brightening and fading dark spots, with both brands achieving a High routine fit for this skin type. Kiehl's stands out for having 26 of 28 products on this page list no fragrance, whereas Lancôme formulates most of its products on this page with fragrance.

How do the fragrance levels compare between Kiehl's and Lancôme products?

Kiehl's products generally feature far less added scent, as 26 of the products on this page list no fragrance, whereas 11 of the 14 Lancôme products on this page include fragrance.

Which brand performs better for improving skin texture and the skin barrier?

Kiehl's performs better than Lanc$$$ for improving skin texture and the skin barrier. The products on this page help support skin barrier repair and texture improvement.

Kiehl's or Lancôme for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and Lancôme offer a High routine fit for oily skin. Kiehl's features a higher proportion of fragrance-free products on this page and is noted for being gentle for sensitive skin.

Kiehl's or Lancôme: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and Lancôme offer lightweight and fast-absorbing moisturizers, though Lancôme generally delivers deeper hydration and moisturization for dry skin. Kiehl's is particularly noted for being gentle on sensitive skin and improving the skin barrier, while the products on this page for both brands share a high price point.

Kiehl's or Lancôme for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Lancôme have a High routine fit for sensitive skin, but Kiehl's is often considered gentler for sensitive skin types based on reviewers and product formulations.

Kiehl's or Lancôme for acne-prone skin?

Both Kiehl's and Lancôme achieve a High routine fit for acne-prone skin, but Kiehl's may be the preferred choice for this skin type due to offering more targeted options like the Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner and Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque.

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