🇫🇷France

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 that respectively bring American pharmacy roots from 1851 and French pharmaceutical expertise from 1957 to daily routines. Kiehl's is beloved for thoughtful moisturizers, serums, toners, eye products, and more that incorporate nourishing glycerin and squalane, while the French brand is celebrated for expertly formulated serums, eye products, moisturizers, cleansers, and more enriched with glycerin and retinol. The American line suits skin with dark spots and combination skin best, whereas the latter targets mature skin and skin with dark spots. They differ primarily in their core active ingredients and heritage, with the New York-born house emphasizing barrier-supporting squalane and the European creator focusing on collagen-boosting retinol.

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 · 98% fit

Kiehl's vs RoC routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% 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 and Kiehl's are both strong skincare brands, with RoC offering a Superior routine fit for dry, oily, acne-prone, mature, dark spot, and oily acne-prone skin types on the products on this page. Kiehl's provides High routine fits for these skin types and better makeup compatibility, while RoC provides better price and value.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and RoC?

RoC outperforms Kiehl's for wrinkle and fine line reduction, whereas Kiehl's excels in makeup compatibility.

Kiehl's or RoC for dry skin?

For dry skin, Kiehl's has a High routine fit while RoC has a Superior routine fit. Kiehl's offers the products on this page with mostly mentioned lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers and deep hydration, while RoC brings mostly mentioned wrinkle and fine line reduction and hydrating and soothing eye products.

Kiehl's or RoC: which cleanser is better?

Between the products on this page, both Kiehl's and RoC offer high-performing cleansers, with Kiehl's providing specialized options like the Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner and RoC featuring barrier-focused formulas like the BARRIER RENEW GEL-TO-FOAM CLEANSER.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or RoC?

RoC is more affordable than Kiehl's, as reviewers often note a high price point for Kiehl's and good value for RoC.

Between Kiehl's and RoC, which brand is better suited for mature skin?

RoC is better suited for mature skin, offering a Superior routine fit compared to Kiehl's High fit level for those products on this page. Reviewers report that RoC excels in wrinkle and fine line reduction. Retinol helps stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged human skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

How do the key ingredients in Kiehl's products compare to those in RoC products?

Kiehl's products on this page rely heavily on ingredients like glycerin, vitamin C, squalane, shea butter, and vitamin E, whereas RoC features glycerin, retinol, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid. Retinol helps stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged human skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Which brand performs better when it comes to skin barrier and tone improvement?

When it comes to skin barrier and tone improvement, Kiehl's does better than RoC. The products on this page help deliver strong hydration and target dark spots effectively.

Kiehl's or RoC for oily skin?

For oily skin, both brands offer products on this page with strong performance, but RoC achieves a Superior routine fit compared to Kiehl's High fit level.

Kiehl's or RoC: which moisturizer is better?

When it comes to moisturizers, RoC may offer better value and performance for fine lines, while the products on this page from Kiehl's excel in makeup compatibility and skin barrier improvement.

Kiehl's or RoC for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and RoC offer a High Lovi routine fit for sensitive skin. Reviewers note that both brands provide gentle formulas, though Kiehl's lists no fragrance in 26 of 28 products on this page while RoC lists none in 10 of 12.

Kiehl's or RoC: which sunscreen is better?

Kiehl's sunscreen on this page has a High Lovi fit for skin with dark spots, combination skin, sensitive skin, acne-prone skin, and mature skin, while RoC sunscreen has a High fit 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?

RoC is better for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to Kiehl's Average. RoC focuses on wrinkle and fine line reduction and includes key ingredients like retinol.

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

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