🇮🇪Ireland

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 American pharmacy and French dermatology, respectively. Kiehl's is known for its nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, soothing toners, and revitalizing eye products formulated with glycerin and squalane, while RoC offers expertly formulated serums, eye products, moisturizers, and cleansers enriched with glycerin and retinol. Both suit mature skin best, though the former also targets combination skin and the latter caters to dry skin. They differ primarily in their core active ingredients and formulations, as the American brand utilizes squalane to counteract oxidative stress and the French brand 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 · 98% 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 · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or RoC: which is better?

RoC outperforms Kiehl's for fine line and wrinkle reduction, while Kiehl's does better for makeup compatibility, skin barrier improvement, and tone enhancement.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and RoC?

RoC does better for fine lines and wrinkle reduction among the products on this page, while Kiehl's does better for skin barrier and tone improvement and makeup compatibility. RoC offers a Superior routine fit for mature skin, dry skin, and skin with dark spots, whereas Kiehl's routine fit is High for those skin types.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Kiehl's or RoC for dry skin?

For dry skin, RoC has a Superior routine fit while Kiehl's routine fit is High. Reviewers note that the products on this page for RoC provide wrinkle and fine line reduction along with hydrating and soothing eye products.

Kiehl's or RoC: which cleanser is better?

Both brands offer cleansers that receive high praise, but Kiehl's stands out for having multiple options with superior fit levels for oily and acne-prone skin types on this page. RoC also provides well-regarded cleansers like the BARRIER RENEW GEL-TO-FOAM CLEANSER, which helps maintain a gentle cleanse for various skin types.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or RoC?

RoC is more affordable, as reviewers often note its good value, whereas a high price point is often mentioned for the products on this page by Kiehl's.

Which brand has fewer products with fragrance, Kiehl's or RoC?

Kiehl's has fewer products with fragrance, as only 2 of the 28 products on this page list fragrance compared to 10 of the 12 products for RoC.

Kiehl's or RoC for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and RoC achieve a High routine fit level for oily skin. The products on this page for both brands feature lightweight, non-greasy formulations and options such as cleansers and serums that help manage excess oil.

Kiehl's or RoC: which moisturizer is better?

Both brands offer well-liked moisturizers, but RoC achieves a Superior routine fit for dry skin compared to Kiehl's High level. The products on this page for RoC rely on key ingredients like glycerin, retinol, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid to help improve skin hydration and reduce fine lines.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Kiehl's or RoC for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, both brands offer a High routine fit on the products on this page, with Kiehl's featuring fragrance-free options across the vast majority of its range and RoC featuring a selection of gentle formulas.

Kiehl's or RoC: which sunscreen is better?

When comparing the products on this page, Kiehl's better Screen UV Serum fits sensitive skin and acne-prone skin at a High level, whereas RoC BARRIER RENEW AM MOISTURIZER SPF 30 fits dry sensitive skin and mature skin at a High level.

Kiehl's or RoC for acne-prone skin?

RoC is better for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine as High while Kiehl's is Average. RoC features ingredients like retinol that help smooth skin texture, though the products on this page may occasionally cause skin irritation.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Kiehl's or RoC for mature skin?

For mature skin, RoC has a Superior routine fit while Kiehl's has a High fit level. RoC does better for fine lines and wrinkle reduction among the products on this page.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Kiehl's or RoC for skin with dark spots?

For skin with dark spots, both brands fit well, with RoC reaching a Superior routine fit and Kiehl's reaching a High routine fit on the products on this page.

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