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Kiehl's vs RoC

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

Kiehl's and RoC are heritage skincare brands rooted in apothecary traditions and clinical science, respectively. The American house is celebrated for moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products featuring glycerin and squalane, which suit dry and sensitive skin by increasing hydration and restoring the epidermal barrier. Meanwhile, the French house is known for effective serums, eye products, moisturizers, and cleansers utilizing glycerin and retinol, which best serve acne-prone and mature skin by reducing fine wrinkles and boosting collagen. While both offer targeted solutions for dark spots and blemishes, they differ primarily in their core formulations and ideal skin types.

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

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

RoC is a French skincare brand founded in 1957 and owned by Bridgepoint Group plc since 2024.

en.wikipedia.orgprnewswire.combeautymatter.com

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

Popular Kiehl's vs RoC products

People Say

Kiehl'sRoC
  • Texture and Absorption Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “works on dark skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “face looked smoother — RoC Daily Resurfacing Disks”
    • “absorbs nicely — RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream”
  • 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”
    • “skin is no longer dry — RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Max Hydration Cream”
    • “instant luminosity — RoC Multi Correxion Revive + Glow Daily Serum”
  • Fine Lines and Wrinkle Reduction Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “wrinkles look less deep — RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream”
    • “Fine lines definitely softer — RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “diminished my forehead lines — RoC Derm Correxion Fill + Treat Serum”
    • “plumped my smile lines — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
  • Skin Barrier and Tone Improvement Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “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”
    • “skin feels silky smooth — RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream”
  • Skin Sensitivity and Gentleness Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “doesn't leave my skin feeling tight — RoC BARRIER RENEW® GEL-TO-FOAM CLEANSER”
    • “No irritation for me — RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream”
  • Makeup Compatibility Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no pilling — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “no pilling — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “removing all dirts and even waterproof make up — RoC BARRIER RENEW® GEL-TO-FOAM CLEANSER”
  • Price and Value Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “small bottle — RoC Multi Correxion Revive + Glow Daily Serum”
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Ineffectiveness and Slow 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”
    • “results were subtle — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “took 4 weeks to see change — RoC Derm Correxion Fill + Treat Serum”
  • Stinging and Irritation Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “burned my face immediately — Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque”
    • “stings my face and feels like burning — Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Cream”
    • “burned my cheeks — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream”
    • “caused redness and stinging — RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream”

Kiehl's vs RoC routines for dry skin

Buy RoC routine · A$202.89 · 88% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · A$685.63 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs RoC routines for oily skin

Buy RoC routine · A$423.36 · 87% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · A$767.92 · 85% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs RoC routines for combination skin

Buy RoC routine · A$366.84 · 85% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · A$693.88 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or RoC: which is better?

Both Kiehl's and RoC are well-regarded options, with Kiehl's showing an edge for skin barrier and tone improvement and makeup compatibility, while RoC performs better for fine lines and wrinkle reduction and price and value.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and RoC?

RoC does better for fine lines and wrinkle reduction, while Kiehl's does better for skin barrier and tone improvement and makeup compatibility. RoC also offers better price and value, whereas Kiehl's has fewer issues with ineffectiveness, slow results, stinging, and irritation.

Kiehl's or RoC for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and RoC achieve a High routine fit for dry skin on this page. Kiehl's is often noted for its deep hydration and lightweight moisturizers, while RoC is frequently mentioned for wrinkle and fine line reduction.

Kiehl's or RoC: which cleanser is better?

Both Kiehl's and RoC offer cleansers with a High fit for acne-prone skin on this page, but reviewers note that Kiehl's may provide better makeup compatibility while RoC delivers better value.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or RoC?

RoC is more affordable than Kiehl's, as reviews for Kiehl's often mention a high price point while RoC is noted for good value.

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

Kiehl's has more fragrance-free products on this page than RoC, with 26 out of 28 products listing no fragrance compared to 10 out of 12 for RoC.

Kiehl's or RoC for reducing fine lines and wrinkles?

RoC does better for reducing fine lines and wrinkles. Retinol, a key ingredient across RoC products on this page, helps stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged human skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Kiehl's or RoC for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and RoC offer products on this page that are a High fit for oily skin. Reviewers note that both brands provide lightweight, non-greasy serums.

Kiehl's or RoC: which moisturizer is better?

Both brands offer moisturizers on this page with High fit levels for dry skin, such as Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Cream and RoC's Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Max Hydration Cream. Reviewers note that the products on this page for both brands help provide lightweight hydration.

Kiehl's or RoC for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and RoC achieve a High routine fit for sensitive skin. Kiehl's is often noted by reviewers for gentle serums and features fragrance-free formulas across almost all the products on this page.

Kiehl's or RoC: which sunscreen is better?

Kiehl's does better for makeup compatibility, while RoC offers better price and value. Both brands provide high routine fit for sunscreen across skin types.

Kiehl's or RoC for acne-prone skin?

Both Kiehl's and RoC achieve a High routine fit for acne-prone skin on the products on this page. Reviewers note that Kiehl's helps with gentle serums, while RoC helps with wrinkle and fine line reduction.

Kiehl's or RoC for mature skin?

Both Kiehl's and RoC offer a High routine fit for mature skin, with Kiehl's doing better in skin barrier and tone improvement and RoC doing better in fine lines and wrinkle reduction.

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

How does it fit your skin?

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