Kiehl's

It is the brand's best-known face cream and a reliable everyday hydrator that feels rich without turning greasy, which is why a little tends to go a long way. Kiehl's sits at the lower end of prestige skin care, so it reads as accessible luxury rather than a splurge. If you want a no-drama daily moisturizer with apothecary heritage, it is an easy recommendation.

Kiehl's is actually priced at the lower end of prestige skin care, so it is more accessible than many counters. The price reflects an apothecary heritage dating to 1851 and a focus on quality formulas rather than flashy packaging. The Midnight Recovery Concentrate, a botanical night oil, is a fan favorite for overnight comfort and a good example of that craft.

Its whole personality is unorthodox. Kiehl's is distinguished by an unconventional marketing approach, an unusually large male clientele, and deliberately simple, straightforward packaging that nods to its old apothecary roots. Every store even keeps a motorcycle inside, a tribute to the fleet Aaron Morse once collected.

It fits a brand that has always enjoyed playing against type. Kiehl's leans into quirky, apothecary-era character rather than glossy beauty conventions, the same spirit behind its plain packaging and the vintage druggist relics and motorcycles in its original store. That offbeat charm is a big part of why customers find it authentic and fun.

Two classics make great entry points: the Ultra Facial Cream, the brand's signature everyday moisturizer, and the Midnight Recovery Concentrate, its beloved botanical night oil. Either showcases the simple, effective, apothecary-style approach Kiehl's is known for. And since the brand is famous for generous sampling, it is worth asking to try before you commit.

Kiehl's started as a single homeopathic pharmacy in New York City's East Village, at the corner of 3rd Avenue and 13th Street, founded in 1851 by John Kiehl. That original store still occupies the same space, making it the anchor of the brand's apothecary heritage.

Kiehl's was purchased by the French beauty and cosmetics group L'Oréal in April 2000, for somewhere between $100 and $150 million. L'Oréal kept it positioned as a luxury line rather than a mass-market one and expanded it internationally.

Several generations shaped it. Irving Morse, a former apprentice, bought the store in 1921 and helped develop products still sold today, like the Blue Astringent Herbal Lotion and Creme de Corps. His son Aaron Morse took over in the 1960s and moved it toward skin care, and Aaron's daughter Jami Morse Heidegger grew revenue to $40 million before the L'Oréal sale.

Notably so. Kiehl's draws an exceptionally large male clientele, around 30 to 40 percent of its customer base, and in cities like New York and Los Angeles nearly half of all customers are men. The in-store motorcycles were even used as a friendly way to introduce male shoppers to the products.

Strongly. More than 40 years ago Aaron Morse wrote the 137-word Mission of Kiehl's, committing the company to better citizens, firms, and communities. Today it focuses on AIDS research and prevention, children's well-being, and the environment, and it has run charity motorcycle rides such as the Kiehl's LifeRide for amfAR.

A couple of times. It was criticized for using squalene derived from shark liver, though Kiehl's and independent foundations affirm it sources squalene from olives. In 2025 its Personals intimate-care launch sparked debate over ads featuring visible pubic hair, followed by a deliberately provocative follow-up campaign.

Kiehl's sells through its own stores, department stores, select airports, and authorized stockists worldwide, with hundreds of locations. To be sure of authenticity, buy from those official stores and counters or established authorized retailers rather than unfamiliar resellers.