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Kiehl's vs Olay

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

Kiehl's and Olay are two distinguished skincare lines that offer thoughtful arrays of moisturizers, serums, eye products, and cleansers. The American brand is cherished for its formulations anchored by glycerin and squalane, suiting skin with dark spots and mature skin best, whereas Olay is warmly loved for pairings of niacinamide and glycerin that suit acne-prone skin and mature skin best. While both utilize nourishing ingredients to improve hydration and barrier function, Kiehl's additionally targets oxidative stress and fibroblast migration, and its counterpart focuses on improving wrinkles, pigmentation, and skin aging.

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 Olay products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Kiehl's vs Olay products

People Say

Kiehl'sOlay
  • Texture and Absorption Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “sinks in quickly — Olay Super Serum”
    • “absorbs quickly — Olay Vitamin C Serum”
  • 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”
    • “Instantly smoother, softer, and more hydrated — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
    • “light and smooth — Olay Ultimate Eye Cream”
  • Skin Smoothing and Barrier Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin feels baby soft — Olay Retinol24”
    • “Skin feels like silk — Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer”
    • “Makeup goes on so smooth — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
  • 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”
    • “iridescent glow — Olay Super Serum”
    • “hides dark shadows — Olay Ultimate Eye Cream”
  • Gentle on Skin Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “fragrance-free — Olay Eye Lifting Serum”
    • “No irritation at all — Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer”
  • Makeup Compatibility Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no pilling — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “absorbs instantly — Olay Eye Lifting Serum”
    • “acts as primer — Olay Super Serum”
  • High Price Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “expensive for drugstore — Olay Super Serum”
    • “expensive — Olay Super Serum Night Repair”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Breakouts and Irritation Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “burned my face immediately — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “caused cystic acne — Olay Retinol24”
    • “Caused breakouts — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
  • Product Ineffectiveness Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “no difference — Olay Vitamin C Serum”
    • “not moisturizing enough — Olay Super Serum”
    • “didn't see a difference — Olay Retinol24”
    • “skin felt tight after an hour — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”

Kiehl's vs Olay routines for dry skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · £181.95 · 82% fitBuy Olay routine · £83.22 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs Olay routines for oily skin

Buy Olay routine · £195.17 · 86% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £283.08 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs Olay routines for combination skin

Buy Olay routine · £188.48 · 86% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £285.07 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Olay: which is better?

Both brands offer equal routine fit levels across nearly all skin types, with Olay achieving a Superior fit for acne-prone skin compared to Kiehl's High fit. Reviewers note that Olay does better for skin smoothing and barrier benefits as well as price point, while both perform equally well on texture, hydration, and brightening.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Olay?

Olay is an older brand founded in 1952 and owned by The Procter & Gamble Company, whereas Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States and is owned by L'Oréal S.A. Both brands offer high routine fits for most skin types, but Olay achieves a superior fit for acne-prone skin on the products on this page.

Kiehl's or Olay for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Olay offer a high routine fit for dry skin on this page. Kiehl's features standout options like Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate which has a superior fit for dry skin, while Olay provides products such as Regenerist Ultra Rich Hydrating Moisturizer with a superior dry skin fit.

Kiehl's or Olay: which cleanser is better?

Both Kiehl's and Olay offer effective cleansers, with Kiehl's providing options like the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash that is well-suited for oily and acne-prone skin on the products on this page.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Olay?

Olay does better on price compared to Kiehl's, where reviewers often note a high price point.

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

Both Kiehl's and Olay offer a high number of products on this page that list no fragrance, with 26 out of 28 products for Kiehl's and 26 out of 27 products for Olay.

Kiehl's or Olay for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and Olay fit oily skin at a High level on this page. Kiehl's offers targeted options like the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash, which has a Superior fit for oily skin.

Kiehl's or Olay: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and Olay offer intensely hydrating moisturizers on this page that help nourish dry skin, with Olay achieving a Superior fit for mature skin while Kiehl's features lightweight formulas. Kiehl's is frequently noted for high prices, whereas Olay often provides better value for intense hydration.

Kiehl's or Olay for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Olay offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin on the products on this page. Reviewers note that both brands provide options that are gentle on skin, though individual experiences with breakouts and irritation may vary.

Kiehl's or Olay: which sunscreen is better?

Olay offers better sunscreen options on this page, as the Regenerist Whip Face Moisturizer SPF 25 achieves a High Lovi fit across all skin types. In comparison, Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum reaches a High fit for specific skin types like combination and mature skin, but only an Average fit for oily and dry skin.

Kiehl's or Olay for acne-prone skin?

Olay achieves a Superior routine fit for acne-prone skin, whereas Kiehl's provides a High fit on the products on this page.

Kiehl's or Olay for mature skin?

Both Kiehl's and Olay are great options for mature skin, as Lovi rates the routine fit for both brands as High. For the products on this page, Kiehl's uses ingredients like retinol that help stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged skin, while Olay relies on key ingredients like niacinamide and peptides.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Kiehl's or Olay for skin with dark spots?

Both Kiehl's and Olay provide products on this page that are a High fit for skin with dark spots. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

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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