🇩🇪Germany

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 established skincare houses that offer nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, and soothing eye products. The American brand is beloved for thoughtful formulations incorporating glycerin and squalane that suit combination skin and dark spots best, whereas the French brand is fondly loved for expertly crafted options enriched with glycerin and retinol that suit mature skin and dry skin best. While both utilize glycerin to significantly increase hydration and restore epidermal barrier function, Kiehl's employs squalane to counteract oxidative stress, and RoC relies on retinol to reduce fine wrinkles and increase collagen.

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

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs RoC routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs RoC routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or RoC: which is better?

RoC does better for fine lines, price and value, while Kiehl's is better for skin barrier and tone improvement and makeup compatibility.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and RoC?

RoC outperforms Kiehl's for fine lines and wrinkle reduction, while Kiehl's is better for skin barrier and tone improvement and makeup compatibility. For routine fit, RoC is Superior for mature skin, dry skin, skin with dark spots, and acne-prone skin, whereas Kiehl's routine fit is High for those same skin types.

Kiehl's or RoC for dry skin?

For dry skin, RoC has a Superior routine fit, while Kiehl's routine fit is High. RoC offers great value, while the products on this page for Kiehl's feature lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers and deep hydration.

Kiehl's or RoC: which cleanser is better?

Both brands offer solid cleanser options, but Kiehl's may fit cleansing needs better for oily and acne-prone skin types on this page. For dry skin, Kiehl's routine fit is High, while RoC's routine fit is Superior.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or RoC?

RoC is more affordable than Kiehl's, as RoC is noted by reviewers for having good value while Kiehl's has a high price point.

Kiehl's or RoC: which brand is better for mature skin?

RoC is better for mature skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Kiehl's High fit on this page. RoC offers specialized retinol and wrinkle-reduction formulas that help smooth fine lines and improve skin texture.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Kiehl's or RoC: which brand has better fragrance-free options?

Kiehl's provides a higher proportion of fragrance-free choices, as 26 of the 28 products on this page list no fragrance compared to 10 of 12 for RoC.

Kiehl's or RoC: which brand is better for reducing fine lines and wrinkles?

RoC does better for reducing fine lines and wrinkles. The products on this page use retinol as a key ingredient, which 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 achieve a High routine fit for oily skin. Reviewers mostly mention lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers from Kiehl's and non-greasy, lightweight serums from RoC.

Kiehl's or RoC: which moisturizer is better?

Both brands offer moisturizers with varying levels of fit, but RoC products on this page are a Superior fit for dry skin, whereas Kiehl's moisturizers fit dry skin at levels ranging from Caution to High. RoC also does better for fine lines and wrinkle reduction, while Kiehl's is noted for lightweight, non-greasy formulas.

Kiehl's or RoC for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, both brands offer a High routine fit level on this page. Kiehl's is unlikely to cause issues as 26 of 28 products on this page list no fragrance.

Kiehl's or RoC: which sunscreen is better?

For sunscreens on this page, Kiehl's may fit skin with dark spots, combination skin, and sensitive skin at a High level, while RoC offers sunscreen with a High fit level for dry sensitive skin, dry skin, mature skin, sensitive skin, skin with dark spots, combination skin, and oily skin.

Kiehl's or RoC for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, RoC has a Superior routine fit level, whereas Kiehl's routine fit level is Average.

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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