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The INKEY List vs RoC

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes · How the Fit score works

The INKEY List and RoC are established skincare lines offering moisturizers, serums, toners, eye products, and more, built around glycerin. The British brand fits combination skin and sensitive skin best, while the French brand suits mature skin and acne-prone skin best. Both brands rely on glycerin to significantly increase skin hydration and restore barrier function, whereas RoC additionally uses retinol to significantly reduce fine wrinkles and increase collagen. When choosing between them, readers can weigh these distinct ingredient profiles against their individual complexion goals.

The INKEY List is a British skincare brand founded in 2018 and owned by Brand Evangelists for Beauty Limited.

cosmeticsbusiness.comprnewswire.comtheinkeylist.comtracxn.com

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 The INKEY List and RoC products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular The INKEY List vs RoC products

People Say

The INKEY ListRoC
  • Hydration & Moisture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Super hydrating — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
    • “intense nourishment — The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum”
    • “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”
  • Affordable Price & Great Value Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Good for the price — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “One of the best balms for quality and also price — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “unbeatable value — The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
    • “Worth the price — RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream”
  • Lightweight & Fast-Absorbing Texture Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “sits beautifully under makeup — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “Gel consistency — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “feels like applying straight up water to the skin — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
    • “absorbs instantly — RoC Derm Correxion Fill + Treat Serum”
  • Anti-Aging & Wrinkle Reduction Not 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”
  • Gentle & Soothing Formula Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Great for sensitive skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
    • “Safe and gentle especially for my dry, sensitive skin — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “calmed my menopausal redness — The INKEY List ECTOIN HYDRO-BARRIER SERUM”
    • “doesn't leave my skin feeling tight — RoC BARRIER RENEW® GEL-TO-FOAM CLEANSER”
  • Smoother Skin Texture Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “face looked smoother — RoC Daily Resurfacing Disks”
    • “skin feels silky smooth — RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream”
    • “skin feels like silk — RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Serum”
    • “Skin feels softer — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
  • Packaging & Texture Issues Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “tube cracks easily — RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream”
    • “Tube oozes product — RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “pump stopped working — RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Serum”
    • “Tube leaks liquified oil when opened — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
  • Ineffective or Lack of Results Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “didn't do anything for circles — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “did absolutely nothing — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “took 4 weeks to see change — RoC Derm Correxion Fill + Treat Serum”
    • “didn't notice difference — RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream”
  • Unpleasant Smell or Strong Fragrance Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Smells like BBQ/meat — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “Smells like chemicals — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
    • “smells like perfume — RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream”
    • “smell is too strong — RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Serum”

The INKEY List vs RoC routines for dry skin

Buy RoC routine · SAR 1,037.98 · 90% fitBuy The INKEY List routine · SAR 1,013.85 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The INKEY List vs RoC routines for oily skin

Buy RoC routine · SAR 1,218.27 · 90% fitBuy The INKEY List routine · SAR 1,267.37 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The INKEY List vs RoC routines for combination skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · SAR 1,056.73 · 90% fitBuy RoC routine · SAR 1,205.08 · 90% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

The INKEY List or RoC: which is better?

Both brands are great depending on your goals, as The INKEY List excels at affordability, lightweight textures, and gentle formulas, while RoC stands out for anti-aging and wrinkle reduction. RoC features key ingredients like retinol, which helps stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged human skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

What is the difference between The INKEY List and RoC?

The INKEY List stands out for affordability, lightweight textures, and gentleness, while RoC excels in anti-aging and wrinkle reduction. Both brands offer fragrance-free options across most of the products on this page, but RoC focuses more on mature and acne-prone skin routines.

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

The INKEY List or RoC for dry skin?

For dry skin, both brands work well, with The INKEY List achieving a High routine fit and RoC achieving a Superior routine fit. The INKEY List focuses on hydrating moisturizers and lightweight serums, whereas RoC features key ingredients like retinol that may help stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged human skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

The INKEY List or RoC: which cleanser is better?

The INKEY List and RoC both offer strong cleanser options on their respective pages, with each brand providing effective formulations tailored to different skin needs. Reviewers note that the products on this page for The INKEY List focus on affordability and gentle care, while RoC provides robust cleansing combined with barrier renewal benefits.

Which is more affordable, The INKEY List or RoC?

The INKEY List does better than RoC for affordable price and great value based on the review themes on this page.

Between The INKEY List and RoC, which brand is better for anti-aging and wrinkle reduction?

RoC does better for anti-aging and wrinkle reduction among the products on this page, as reviewers mostly mention wrinkle and fine line reduction for the brand, and studies show that its key ingredient retinol stimulates collagen accumulation in naturally aged human skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Do The INKEY List products contain fragrance, and how does that compare to RoC skincare?

The products on this page from The INKEY List list no fragrance in their ingredients. By comparison, RoC includes fragrance in some items, as 10 of 12 products on that page list no fragrance while two serums do.

Which brand performs better for hydration and moisture according to reviewers?

Reviewers report that The INKEY List and RoC perform equally well for hydration and moisture.

The INKEY List or RoC for oily skin?

For oily skin, both The INKEY List and RoC are great options, as the products on this page achieve a High routine fit with The INKEY List and a Superior routine fit with RoC.

The INKEY List or RoC: which moisturizer is better?

When choosing a moisturizer, RoC is better suited for mature and acne-prone skin types, while The INKEY List is particularly praised for its affordable, hydrating, and lightweight formulas. RoC features key ingredients like retinol that help stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged human skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

The INKEY List or RoC for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, The INKEY List fits better as it achieves a Superior routine fit level compared to RoC's High fit level. Reviewers also indicate that The INKEY List does better for gentle and soothing formulas across the products on this page.

The INKEY List or RoC for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, RoC is the better choice because it has a superior routine fit compared to The INKEY List's high routine fit. Retinol, a key ingredient found in RoC products on this page, helps stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged human skin.

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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