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Paula's Choice vs Kiehl's

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

Paula's Choice and Kiehl's are two respected American skincare brands with distinct heritages. The first brand offers serums, cleansers, moisturizers, toners, and more, built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c to suit oily skin and acne-prone skin best. Meanwhile, the second brand provides a thoughtful array of moisturizers, serums, toners, eye products, and more, anchored by glycerin and squalane to serve skin with dark spots and mature skin best. While both rely on glycerin to significantly increase hydration and restore barrier function, they differ in their foundational formulations and targeted concerns.

Paula's Choice is an American skincare brand founded in 1995 and owned by Unilever since 2021.

unilever.comtracxn.com

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 Paula's Choice and Kiehl's products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Paula's Choice vs Kiehl's products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceKiehl's
  • Fast Absorption and Lightweight Texture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Provides an internal level of hydration without leaving any heavy finish. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
    • “Absorbs quickly and leaves no greasy residue behind. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”
    • “absorbs instantly — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
  • Skin Texture Improvement Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “skin is insanely soft — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “skin never been this silky — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
  • Glow, 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”
    • “Skin looks radiant — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
  • Deep and Intense Hydration Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “skin feels incredibly soft afterwards — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
  • Non-Irritating and Gentle Formula Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “no stinging — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Acne and Blemish Clearing Often MentionedNot noted
    • “Helped clear my cystic acne — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “heals blemishes faster — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “controlled my back and chest acne — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
  • High Price and Value Concerns Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
  • Purging and Breakouts Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “skin purged — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “caused cystic acne — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “cystic acne for some — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Unpleasant Scent or Smell Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “smells clinical — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “faint lab smell — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “smells like hot dog water — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Irritation and Burning Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “burnt skin off — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “ruined my skin barrier — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “stung my face — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “burned my face immediately — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”

Paula's Choice vs Kiehl's routines for dry skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · £210.78 · 86% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £181.95 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Paula's Choice vs Kiehl's routines for oily skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · £280.77 · 92% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £283.08 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Paula's Choice vs Kiehl's routines for combination skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · £235.40 · 90% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £285.07 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Kiehl's: which is better?

Paula's Choice is better for oily and acne-prone skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Kiehl's High fit level, while both brands offer equal High fit levels for dry and sensitive skin. Reviewers note that Paula's Choice delivers better fast absorption and acne-clearing results, whereas Kiehl's excels in glow and deep hydration.

What is the difference between Paula's Choice and Kiehl's?

Paula's Choice achieves a Superior fit level for oily, combination, sensitive, acne-prone, mature, skin with dark spots, and oily acne-prone skin, whereas Kiehl's reaches a High fit level for these skin types. The products on this page from Paula's Choice list no fragrance, while two Kiehl's products contain fragrance.

Paula's Choice or Kiehl's for dry skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Kiehl's are a High fit for dry skin on the products on this page. Paula's Choice helps deliver deep hydration with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin. Kiehl's may also help improve moisture levels with similar hydrating ingredients.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Paula's Choice or Kiehl's: which cleanser is better?

Paula's Choice cleansers have a Lovi fit level of Superior for oily skin and acne-prone skin on the products on this page, while Kiehl's cleansers also reach a Superior fit level for those same skin types.

Which is more affordable, Paula's Choice or Kiehl's?

When it comes to affordability, reviewers report that both Paula's Choice and Kiehl's have a high price point. Review themes note that price and value concerns are equal for both brands.

Paula's Choice or Kiehl's for fading dark spots?

Paula's Choice offers a Superior fit for skin with dark spots, whereas Kiehl's provides a High fit for the products on this page. Niacinamide may help reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Which brand has more fragrance-free products?

Paula's Choice has more fragrance-free products, as every single product on its page lists no fragrance in its ingredients. In comparison, Kiehl's includes fragrance in two of the products on its page.

Paula's Choice or Kiehl's for oily skin?

Paula's Choice is a better fit for oily skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to High for Kiehl's. The products on this page for Paula's Choice also perform better for fast absorption and lightweight texture, as well as acne and blemish clearing.

Paula's Choice or Kiehl's: which moisturizer is better?

Paula's Choice offers a superior fit for oily skin, whereas Kiehl's provides lighter weight and non-greasy moisturizers across the products on this page.

Paula's Choice or Kiehl's for sensitive skin?

Paula's Choice achieves a Superior fit for sensitive skin, whereas Kiehl's achieves a High fit.

Paula's Choice or Kiehl's: which sunscreen is better?

Paula's Choice and Kiehl's both offer sunscreens on this page, and Paula's Choice's Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50 helps with dry and combination skin at a High Lovi fit level while Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum matches that High fit for skin with dark spots, combination, sensitive, acne-prone, and mature skin.

Paula's Choice or Kiehl's for acne-prone skin?

Paula's Choice is a better fit for acne-prone skin, with Lovi fit levels reaching Superior compared to Kiehl's High. Reviewers note that Paula's Choice does better for acne and blemish clearing on the products on this page.

Paula's Choice or Kiehl's for mature skin?

Paula's Choice offers a Superior fit for mature skin, whereas Kiehl's provides a High fit. Paula's Choice is formulated with targeted ingredients like retinol that help stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

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

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