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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.

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RoC is a French skincare brand founded in 1957 and owned by Bridgepoint Group plc since 2024.

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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

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

The Ordinary vs RoC routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs RoC routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or RoC: which is better?

Both The Ordinary and RoC offer great options depending on your skincare goals. The Ordinary provides better value and pricing, whereas RoC tends to do better for hydration and plumping, as well as wrinkle and fine line reduction.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and RoC?

The Ordinary provides better value and pricing, whereas RoC does better with hydration, plumping, and wrinkle reduction. For overall routine fit, The Ordinary achieves a Superior level for dry, dry sensitive, combination, sensitive, and mature skin types, while RoC reaches a High level for dry sensitive, combination, sensitive, and oily skin types.

The Ordinary or RoC for dry skin?

Both The Ordinary and RoC offer a Superior routine fit for dry skin based on the products on this page. Retinol helps stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged skin.

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

The Ordinary or RoC: which cleanser is better?

Both The Ordinary and RoC offer great options for cleansers, with Lovi rating their cleansers at a High fit level for dry and sensitive skin. Reviewers note that cleansers from both brands effectively cleanse without stripping moisture.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or RoC?

The Ordinary is more affordable, offering affordable and great value serums among the products on this page.

Which brand performs better for smoothing skin texture, The Ordinary or RoC?

Both The Ordinary and RoC perform equally well for smoothing skin texture. Reviewers often mention texture-smoothing serums for The Ordinary, and smooth skin texture and softness for RoC.

Do The Ordinary products contain fragrance, or are they fragrance-free?

The products on this page by The Ordinary are fragrance-free, as every product lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

How do the founding years and corporate ownership of The Ordinary and RoC compare?

The Ordinary was founded in Canada in 2016 and is owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. In contrast, RoC was founded in France in 1957 and is owned by Bridgepoint Group plc.

The Ordinary or RoC for oily skin?

For oily skin, The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit, while RoC has a High fit. The Ordinary offers better oil control options through its products on this page, whereas RoC focuses more on anti-aging with ingredients like retinol.

The Ordinary or RoC: which moisturizer is better?

Both The Ordinary and RoC offer moisturizers with a Superior routine fit for dry skin. The Ordinary features options like Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA, while RoC includes products such as Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Max Hydration Cream. Additionally, topical hyaluronic acid helps improve skin quality and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or RoC for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, both brands work well, but Lovi rates The Ordinary as Superior and RoC as High. Every product from The Ordinary on this page lists no fragrance, while RoC has some scented options.

The Ordinary or RoC for acne-prone skin?

Both The Ordinary and RoC offer a High routine fit for acne-prone skin. Reviewers note that The Ordinary features acne-clearing serums, while RoC provides non-greasy and lightweight options.

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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