🇺🇸United States

The Ordinary vs RoC

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

The Ordinary and RoC are accessible skincare options offering serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and more. The Canadian line relies on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, suiting dry, dry sensitive, acne-prone, dark spot, and mature skin, while the French brand favors glycerin and retinol to care for mature and dry skin, dark spots, and acne. Both lines differ in their exact founding years, geographic origins, and primary active ingredients, allowing individuals to choose between targeted single-ingredient focus and expertly formulated multi-action treatments.

The Ordinary is a Canadian skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 2021.

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

Popular The Ordinary vs RoC products

People Say

The OrdinaryRoC
  • Skin Texture Smoothing Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “skin feels baby butt smooth — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “diminished my forehead lines — RoC Derm Correxion Fill + Treat Serum”
    • “face looked smoother — RoC Daily Resurfacing Disks”
  • Great Value and Pricing Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “lasts forever — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “can't beat the price — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “extremely affordable — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “Worth the price — RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream”
  • Hydration and Plumping Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “My skin looks smoother and hydrated. — RoC Derm Correxion Contour Cream”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Gentle and Non-Irritating Formula Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft and not tight at all. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “Finally a cleanser that doesn't sting my face. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “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”
  • Effective Wrinkle and Fine Line Reduction Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “wrinkles look less deep — RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream”
    • “Fine lines definitely softer — RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “crow's feet are fading — RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Serum”
  • Matte and Non-Greasy Finish Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs nicely — RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream”
    • “Absorbs easily and quickly — RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “absorbs quickly without residue — RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Max Hydration Cream”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
  • Unpleasant Scent and Fragrance Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Smells like vinegar — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “smell is unbearable — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “has a slight chemical smell — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “smells like perfume — RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream”
  • Skin Irritation and Harshness Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “ruined moisture barrier — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “Caused breakouts — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “caused redness and burning — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “caused redness and stinging — RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream”
  • Sticky and Tacky Finish Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “slightly tacky feel — RoC Multi Correxion Revive + Glow Daily Serum”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”

The Ordinary vs RoC routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · $109.78 · 97% fitBuy RoC routine · $153.61 · 91% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

The Ordinary vs RoC routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · $207.87 · 93% fitBuy RoC routine · $329.90 · 90% fitSee multi-brand routine · 98% fit

The Ordinary vs RoC routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · $219.97 · 93% fitBuy RoC routine · $321.49 · 90% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or RoC: which is better?

Both brands are great choices depending on your goals, as RoC does better for wrinkle and fine line reduction while The Ordinary excels in value and pricing. RoC helps stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged skin with retinol.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

What is the difference between The Ordinary and RoC?

The Ordinary provides great value and pricing with fragrance-free products, whereas RoC specializes in effective wrinkle and fine line reduction and hydration. Both brands offer superior routine fits for most skin types, though reviewers note that RoC may sometimes leave a sticky finish while The Ordinary may cause skin irritation.

The Ordinary or RoC for dry skin?

Both The Ordinary and RoC achieve a Superior routine fit for dry skin. Reviewers note that RoC provides better hydration and plumping, while The Ordinary offers great value and pricing.

The Ordinary or RoC: which cleanser is better?

Both The Ordinary and RoC offer cleansers with a high Lovi fit for dry and sensitive skin. The BARRIER RENEW GEL-TO-FOAM CLEANSER from RoC is fragrance-free and fits every skin type on this page, while The Ordinary offers very affordable options like the Glycolipid Cream Cleanser.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or RoC?

The Ordinary offers better affordability and value among the products on this page, as noted by reviewers. Retinol helps reduce fine lines, and the brand's low-priced serums help shoppers save money.

Which brand has more products with added fragrance, The Ordinary or RoC?

RoC has more products with added fragrance, as 10 of 12 RoC products on this page list no fragrance while two do, whereas every product on The Ordinary page lists no fragrance.

How do The Ordinary and RoC compare in terms of reducing wrinkles and fine lines?

RoC does better than The Ordinary for effective wrinkle and fine line reduction. Retinol stimulates collagen accumulation in naturally aged human skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Which brand is better suited for oily acne-prone skin based on their routine fit?

For oily acne-prone skin, RoC is better suited than The Ordinary. RoC achieves a Superior routine fit level for this skin type, whereas The Ordinary reaches a High fit level.

The Ordinary or RoC for oily skin?

Both The Ordinary and RoC offer a superior routine fit for oily skin. The products on this page help provide effective care while maintaining a balanced feel.

The Ordinary or RoC: which moisturizer is better?

The products on this page from RoC may provide better hydration and plumping benefits for your skin, while The Ordinary offers superior value for money. Both brands achieve equal levels of routine fit for dry, oily, combination, acne-prone, mature, and dark spot skin types.

The Ordinary or RoC for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for sensitive skin, offering a Superior routine fit compared to RoC's High level. Additionally, every product on The Ordinary's page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, helping reduce the risk of irritation.

The Ordinary or RoC for acne-prone skin?

Both The Ordinary and RoC offer a superior routine fit for acne-prone skin on the products on this page. The Ordinary provides affordable serums that help with acne-clearing, while RoC provides options that may assist with skin texture.

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?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play