🇬🇧United Kingdom

Kiehl's vs The INKEY List

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

Kiehl's and The INKEY List are distinct skincare brands that offer moisturizers, serums, toners, eye products, and more. Kiehl's is cherished for its nourishing ingredients like glycerin and squalane, while both brands feature glycerin to significantly increase hydration and restore epidermal barrier function. The American brand suits skin with dark spots and mature skin best, whereas the British brand fits sensitive skin and combination skin best. They differ primarily in their founding heritage, targeted skin concerns, and overall ingredient combinations.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

The INKEY List is a British skincare brand founded in 2018 and owned by Brand Evangelists for Beauty Limited.

cosmeticsbusiness.comprnewswire.comtheinkeylist.comtracxn.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs The INKEY List products

People Say

Kiehl'sThe INKEY List
  • Lightweight Texture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly without residue — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “sits beautifully under makeup — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “Gel consistency — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly 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”
    • “Super hydrating — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
    • “intense nourishment — The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum”
  • Gentle on Skin Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Great for sensitive skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
    • “Safe and gentle especially for my dry, sensitive skin — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
  • Makeup Compatibility Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no pilling — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Melts away makeup and impurities without drying — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “no pilling under makeup — The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
  • Skin Barrier and Texture 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”
    • “calmed my menopausal redness — The INKEY List ECTOIN HYDRO-BARRIER SERUM”
  • Affordable Price Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “Good for the price — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “One of the best balms for quality and also price — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “unbeatable value — The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
  • High Price Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Packaging Issues Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “dipping fingers is unsanitary — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Dropper doesn't reach bottom — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Pump breaks easily — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
  • Efficacy and 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 do anything for circles — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “did absolutely nothing — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
  • Breakouts and Acne Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “cystic acne for some — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “did cause major breakouts — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
    • “New formula breaks me out — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”

Kiehl's vs The INKEY List routines for dry skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · £181.95 · 82% fitBuy The INKEY List routine · £92.69 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · £160.15 · 86% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £283.08 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · £130.06 · 88% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £285.07 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or The INKEY List: which is better?

Both brands offer similar performance across most skin types, but The INKEY List is more affordable, while Kiehl's is better for skin barrier and texture.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and The INKEY List?

Kiehl's offers the products on this page with strengths in skin barrier and texture, while The INKEY List provides more affordable options with a Superior routine fit for sensitive skin. Both brands deliver similar results for hydration, lightweight texture, and makeup compatibility.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and The INKEY List achieve a High routine fit for dry skin among the products on this page. Kiehl's offers deep hydration with a High routine fit, while The INKEY List provides affordable, hydrating moisturizers.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

Kiehl's or The INKEY List: which cleanser is better?

Both Kiehl's and The INKEY List offer effective cleansers, with Lovi fit levels varying by skin type. For example, Kiehl's Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash has a Superior fit for oily and oily acne-prone skin, while The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser offers High fit for combination, acne-prone, and oily skin.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List is more affordable than Kiehl's, as reviewers frequently mention high prices for Kiehl's products and an affordable price point for The INKEY List.

Which brand performs better for mature skin, Kiehl's or The INKEY List?

Both Kiehl's and The INKEY List perform well for mature skin, as Lovi rates the routine fit for both brands as High on this page. Reviewers report that Kiehl's provides a better skin barrier and texture, while The INKEY List offers more affordable options.

Between Kiehl's and The INKEY List, which brand is better suited for skin with dark spots?

Both Kiehl's and The INKEY List fit skin with dark spots at a High level. For this skin type, The INKEY List has a Superior fit level for products like its PHA Toner, while Kiehl's features a Superior fit level with its Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner.

How do Kiehl's and The INKEY List compare regarding packaging issues and fragrance?

Kiehl's products on this page have packaging issues more often, while The INKEY List products on this page have packaging issues less frequently. Furthermore, The INKEY List features no fragrance across its products on this page, whereas Kiehl's lists fragrance in 2 of its 28 products on this page.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and The INKEY List fit oily skin at a High level. Reviewers state that both brands offer lightweight, non-greasy or fast-absorbing moisturizers, while Kiehl's also does better for skin barrier and texture.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List: which moisturizer is better?

The products on this page show that both Kiehl's and The INKEY List offer well-liked moisturizers, with Kiehl's providing options such as Ultra Facial Cream and The INKEY List offering products like Omega Water Cream. For dry skin specifically, Lovi rates Kiehl's routine as High and The INKEY List's routine as High.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, The INKEY List is a Superior fit, while Kiehl's provides a High fit based on the products on this page.

Kiehl's or The INKEY List for acne-prone skin?

Both Kiehl's and The INKEY List fit acne-prone skin well with an equal routine fit level of High. Reviewers note that both brands offer effective options, though individual experiences with breakouts can vary.

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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