Side-by-side comparison

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate vs The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane

Both are facial oils. They share a 99% active-ingredient overlap, so the real decision is about price, texture and the supporting ingredients. Here's the side-by-side.

99%Active overlap
Kiehl's
Midnight Recovery Concentrate
Facial OilPremiumEvening only
DrynessDamaged BarrierSensitive skin

A lightweight PM facial oil blending squalane, evening primrose and lavender essential oil. The lavender isn't trace — it's functional and significant, so skip this if you react to essential oils. For everyone else it's a genuinely pleasant ritual oil.

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The Ordinary
100% Plant-Derived Squalane
Facial OilBudgetMorning or evening
DrynessDamaged Barrier

Pure, weightless occlusive oil derived from olive or sugarcane. Biomimetic with skin's own squalene, locks in moisture without greasiness, and plays well with almost every other ingredient. The universal final step in PM routines for dehydrated skin.

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The verdict

Which should you choose?

On price, the The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane sits in the Budget tier versus Premium for the Kiehl's — so it's the more budget-led pick if the overlap is what you're after. On how you'd use them, the Kiehl's is flagged Evening only while the The Ordinary is flagged Morning or evening.

The overlap

What they share

At 99% active overlap, these are the ingredients doing comparable work in both formulas:

Squalane
The formulation

Ingredient stacks, side by side

Kiehl's — top of the list

  • Squalane~50–80%
  • Caprylic/Capri…~5–25%
  • Rosa Moschata …~3–10%
  • Lavandula Angu…~2–6%
  • Glycine Soja (…~1.5–4%
  • Oenothera Bien…~1–2%

The Ordinary — top of the list

    ● marks ingredients that appear near the top of both lists. Percentages are positional estimates from INCI order, not disclosed doses.

    At a glance

    The specs

    Kiehl'sThe Ordinary
    CategoryFacial OilFacial Oil
    Price tierPremiumBudget
    Best forDryness, Damaged BarrierDryness, Damaged Barrier
    Usage notesEvening onlyMorning or evening
    Active overlap99% — Squalane
    Questions

    Common questions

    Is the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate or the The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane better?
    Neither is universally better — they share 99% active-ingredient overlap, so for the actives that drive results they're close. The The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane is the more budget-friendly option, while the other may differ on texture, finish and supporting ingredients. Pick based on your skin's priorities rather than a single 'winner'.
    What's the difference between the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate and the The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane?
    Both are facial oils that share Squalane. Where they differ: they sit in different price tiers (Premium vs Budget); the Kiehl's is Evening only; the The Ordinary is Morning or evening.
    Are the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate and The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane dupes for each other?
    They share 99% active-ingredient overlap based on published INCI lists, so one can stand in for the other on the actives that matter — chiefly Squalane. A dupe matches the hero actives, not the full sensory experience, so expect differences in texture, fragrance and exact concentrations.
    Can I use the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate and The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane together?
    They both fill the facial oil slot in a routine, so you'd normally pick one rather than layer both. If you want to use both, treat one as your daytime option and the other for evening, and patch-test when introducing anything new.
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