🇸🇬Singapore

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, with the American label founded in 1851 and the French house established in 1957. Kiehl's is known for nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, soothing toners, and gentle eye products enriched with glycerin and squalane, whereas RoC is celebrated for expertly formulated serums, eye products, moisturizers, and cleansers enriched with glycerin and retinol. Both labels suit dry skin and mature skin best, though they differ through their distinct actives and foundational heritages.

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

Buy Kiehl's routine · S$209.58 · 92% fitBuy RoC routine · S$271.04 · 91% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs RoC routines for oily skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · S$287.99 · 90% fitBuy RoC routine · S$504.66 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Kiehl's vs RoC routines for combination skin

Buy Kiehl's routine · S$287.99 · 90% fitBuy RoC routine · S$400.56 · 89% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or RoC: which is better?

Both Kiehl's and RoC are great options, as RoC does better for fine lines and wrinkle reduction while Kiehl's is better for skin barrier and tone improvement and makeup compatibility. RoC provides better price and value, whereas Kiehl's may cause more stinging and irritation or ineffectiveness and slow results.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and RoC?

RoC does better for fine lines and wrinkle reduction and offers better price and value among the products on this page, while Kiehl's does better for skin barrier and tone improvement and makeup compatibility. Both brands feature routine fits that are equal for dry skin, acne-prone skin, mature skin, dry sensitive skin, and oily acne-prone skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Kiehl's or RoC for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and RoC achieve a Superior routine fit for dry skin. The products on this page for Kiehl's are best suited for dry skin, mature skin, and oily acne-prone skin, while RoC's best fits are mature skin, dry skin, and skin with dark spots.

Kiehl's or RoC: which cleanser is better?

Kiehl's offers a better fit for cleansers on this page, achieving a Superior routine fit for oily skin and oily acne-prone skin compared to RoC's High fit.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or RoC?

RoC is more affordable, as reviewers often note a good value compared to Kiehl's high price point.

Between Kiehl's and RoC, which brand performs better for fine lines and wrinkles?

RoC performs better for fine lines and wrinkle reduction compared to Kiehl's. RoC features retinol prominently across its line, which helps stimulate collagen accumulation in aged skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

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

Kiehl's has more products with fragrance than RoC, with 2 fragranced products out of 28 on its page compared to 10 out of 12 for RoC.

Kiehl's or RoC: which brand is better for improving skin barrier and tone?

Kiehl's does better than RoC for skin barrier and tone improvement. The products on this page help target dark spots and support the skin barrier, while RoC focuses more on wrinkle and fine line reduction.

Kiehl's or RoC for oily skin?

For oily skin, Kiehl's is the better option because the products on this page achieve a Superior routine fit, whereas RoC reaches a High fit. Reviewers note that Kiehl's offers lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers and cleansers that help manage excess oil.

Kiehl's or RoC: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and RoC offer effective options, with Kiehl's featuring lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers and RoC focusing heavily on wrinkle and fine line reduction. For dry skin, the routine fit for both brands is Superior.

Kiehl's or RoC for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, Kiehl's is a better choice because Lovi rates its routine as Superior, while RoC's routine is High. The products on this page for Kiehl's also feature a lower frequency of added fragrance, which helps reduce the risk of irritation.

Kiehl's or RoC: which sunscreen is better?

Both brands offer solid options, but Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum may edge out RoC for sensitive skin because Lovi rates its fit as High compared to RoC's High rating, and almost all Kiehl's products on this page are fragrance-free.

Kiehl's or RoC for acne-prone skin?

Both Kiehl's and RoC are great options, as Lovi rates both brands High for acne-prone skin. Reviewers for both brands often mention non-greasy and lightweight formulas.

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