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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 brands offering nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, soothing toners, gentle eye products, and cleansers. The American brand relies on dependable ingredients like glycerin and squalane, while the French brand is enriched with proven ingredients like glycerin and retinol. Both suit mature skin best, though the former also suits sensitive skin and the latter suits dry skin. Ultimately, they differ through their formulations, with the first brand emphasizing gentle barrier support and the second brand focusing on deeply nourishing care that addresses aging and dryness.

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 · 95% 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 does better for fine lines, price, and acne-prone skin, while Kiehl's is better for skin barrier improvement and makeup compatibility. For overall routine fit, Lovi rates Kiehl's as High for dry skin and RoC as Superior.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and RoC?

RoC does better for fine lines and wrinkle reduction, while Kiehl's does better for skin barrier and tone improvement and makeup compatibility. RoC is a better value, but Kiehl's products on this page are less likely to cause stinging and irritation.

Kiehl's or RoC for dry skin?

For dry skin, RoC has a superior routine fit compared to Kiehl's. RoC features products like the BARRIER RENEW GEL-TO-FOAM CLEANSER and Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Max Hydration Cream that help provide deep hydration and support the skin barrier.

Kiehl's or RoC: which cleanser is better?

Both Kiehl's and RoC offer cleansers with strong options for various skin types, but Kiehl's features specialized formulations like the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash with a Superior fit for oily and oily acne-prone skin. RoC also provides reliable daily cleansing with products like the BARRIER RENEW GEL-TO-FOAM CLEANSER, which achieves High fits across multiple skin types including dry sensitive and acne-prone skin.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or RoC?

RoC is more affordable than Kiehl's, as RoC offers better price and value according to the review themes on this page.

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

Kiehl's has fewer products containing fragrance, with only 2 out of 28 products listing fragrance compared to RoC which has 10 out of 12 products with fragrance.

Kiehl's or RoC for oily skin?

For oily skin, both Kiehl's and RoC achieve a High routine fit on the products on this page. Kiehl's features standout options like the Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner, which rates as Superior for oily skin.

Kiehl's or RoC: which moisturizer is better?

RoC is better for mature skin and dry skin because its routine fit is Superior, compared to Kiehl's High level. RoC also 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 sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and RoC are good options for sensitive skin, as Lovi rates their routines as High for this skin type. Kiehl's offers mostly fragrance-free products on this page and is noted for skin barrier and tone improvement, while RoC provides hydrating eye products and soothing options.

Kiehl's or RoC: which sunscreen is better?

Both Kiehl's and RoC offer sunscreens with a High Lovi fit for mature skin, sensitive skin, and skin with dark spots on the products on this page. RoC provides better value according to reviewer feedback, while Kiehl's sunscreen on this page features high makeup compatibility.

Kiehl's or RoC for acne-prone skin?

RoC helps acne-prone skin with a Superior routine fit, whereas Kiehl's routine fit for acne-prone skin is High. Reviewers note that RoC provides good value and wrinkle reduction, while Kiehl's is often associated with breakouts and skin irritation.

Kiehl's or RoC for mature skin?

RoC may be better for mature skin on this page, as the products on this page help with fine lines and wrinkle reduction. Lovi rates the routine fit for mature skin as Superior for RoC and High for Kiehl's.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Kiehl's or RoC for skin with dark spots?

Both Kiehl's and RoC are options for skin with dark spots, with Lovi fit levels of High for Kiehl's and Superior for RoC. RoC includes key ingredients like retinol, while the products on this page for both brands feature Vitamin C to help brighten the skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

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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