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The INKEY List vs RoC

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

The INKEY List and RoC are accessible skincare brands offering dedicated ranges of moisturizers, serums, eye products, and cleansers built around glycerin. The INKEY List, a British brand founded in 2018, is best suited for combination and sensitive skin with targeted options like its PHA Toner, Azelaic Acid Serum, and Ceramide Moisturizer. In contrast, RoC is a French brand founded in 1957 that favors mature and dry skin, providing deeply nourishing care through retinol- and glycerin-enriched formulas such as its Barrier Renew cleanser, Retinol Correxion cream, and Multi Correxion eye cream. While both brands harness glycerin to increase hydration and restore barrier function, the French brand uniquely incorporates retinol to reduce fine wrinkles and increase collagen.

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

cosmeticsbusiness.comprnewswire.comtheinkeylist.comtracxn.com

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 The INKEY List and RoC products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular The INKEY List vs RoC products

People Say

The INKEY ListRoC
  • Hydration & Moisture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Super hydrating — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
    • “intense nourishment — The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum”
    • “skin is no longer dry — RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Max Hydration Cream”
    • “Areas stay hydrated all day — RoC Multi Correxion Hydrate + Plump Eye Cream”
  • Affordable Price & Great Value Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “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”
    • “Worth the price — RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream”
  • Lightweight & Fast-Absorbing Texture Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “sits beautifully under makeup — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “Gel consistency — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “feels like applying straight up water to the skin — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
    • “absorbs instantly — RoC Derm Correxion Fill + Treat Serum”
  • Anti-Aging & Wrinkle Reduction Not 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”
  • Gentle & Soothing Formula Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Great for sensitive skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
    • “Safe and gentle especially for my dry, sensitive skin — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “calmed my menopausal redness — The INKEY List ECTOIN HYDRO-BARRIER SERUM”
    • “doesn't leave my skin feeling tight — RoC BARRIER RENEW® GEL-TO-FOAM CLEANSER”
  • Smoother Skin Texture Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “face looked smoother — RoC Daily Resurfacing Disks”
    • “skin feels silky smooth — RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream”
    • “skin feels like silk — RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Serum”
    • “Skin feels softer — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
  • Packaging & Texture Issues Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “tube cracks easily — RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream”
    • “Tube oozes product — RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “pump stopped working — RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Serum”
    • “Tube leaks liquified oil when opened — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
  • Ineffective or Lack of Results Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “didn't do anything for circles — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “did absolutely nothing — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “took 4 weeks to see change — RoC Derm Correxion Fill + Treat Serum”
    • “didn't notice difference — RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream”
  • Unpleasant Smell or Strong Fragrance Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Smells like BBQ/meat — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “Smells like chemicals — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
    • “smells like perfume — RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream”
    • “smell is too strong — RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Serum”

The INKEY List vs RoC routines for dry skin

Buy RoC routine · CA$216.11 · 91% fitBuy The INKEY List routine · CA$118.83 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

The INKEY List vs RoC routines for oily skin

Buy RoC routine · CA$353.85 · 89% fitBuy The INKEY List routine · CA$258.98 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The INKEY List vs RoC routines for combination skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · CA$206.30 · 90% fitBuy RoC routine · CA$320.94 · 89% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The INKEY List or RoC: which is better?

The INKEY List and RoC each suit different needs, with The INKEY List performing better for affordability and gentle formulas, while RoC excels in anti-aging and wrinkle reduction. The products on this page for The INKEY List focus heavily on hydration and accessible pricing, whereas RoC features key ingredients like retinol for mature skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Archives of Dermatology, 2007

What is the difference between The INKEY List and RoC?

The INKEY List tends to be better for hydration, value, lightweight textures, and sensitive skin, while RoC is better for anti-aging and wrinkle reduction. RoC features key ingredients like retinol, whereas the products on this page for The INKEY List focus heavily on glycerin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Archives of Dermatology, 2007

The INKEY List or RoC for dry skin?

For dry skin, RoC has a superior routine fit compared to The INKEY List, which has a high routine fit on the products on this page. RoC focuses on mature skin, dry skin, and skin with dark spots, and its retinol helps stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged human skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

The INKEY List or RoC: which cleanser is better?

The products on this page show that both The INKEY List and RoC offer strong cleansers, but they cater to different needs. The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser helps target acne-prone and oily skin types, while the RoC Barrier Renew Gel-to-Foam Cleanser achieves a High fit level for dry sensitive, dry, sensitive, oily, and mature skin types.

Which is more affordable, The INKEY List or RoC?

The INKEY List is more affordable than RoC, as the products on this page are frequently noted by reviewers for offering great value in both serums and moisturizers.

Which brand performs better for anti-aging and wrinkle reduction, The INKEY List or RoC?

RoC performs better for anti-aging and wrinkle reduction, while the products on this page from The INKEY List lean toward affordability and hydration. RoC relies on key anti-aging ingredients like retinol, which helps stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged human skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Do The INKEY List or RoC products contain fragrance?

Every product in the products on this page for The INKEY List lists no fragrance in its ingredients, while RoC has 10 of 12 products with no fragrance and includes fragrance in two serums.

Which brand is better suited for mature skin and skin with dark spots, The INKEY List or RoC?

RoC is better suited for mature skin and skin with dark spots because its routine fit is Superior for both, whereas The INKEY List routine fit is High. Topical retinol helps stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged human skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Archives of Dermatology, 2007

The INKEY List or RoC for oily skin?

Both The INKEY List and RoC fit oily skin well, as the products on this page achieve a High routine fit for this skin type with either brand.

The INKEY List or RoC: which moisturizer is better?

The INKEY List stands out for its hydrating and lightweight moisturizers that offer great value, while RoC is better known for its anti-aging formulas and wrinkle reduction. The products on this page for The INKEY List focus heavily on ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid to help maintain moisture.

The INKEY List or RoC for sensitive skin?

The INKEY List fits sensitive skin better, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to High for RoC. Reviewers also mention that The INKEY List offers a gentler and more soothing formula, whereas RoC reviewers frequently note skin irritation and burning.

The INKEY List or RoC for acne-prone skin?

Both brands fit acne-prone skin well, with high routines on the products on this page for both The INKEY List and RoC. The INKEY List tends to be more affordable, while RoC focuses more on anti-aging and wrinkle reduction.

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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