🇬🇧United Kingdom

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 former founded in America in 1851 and the latter originating in France in 1957. Kiehl's is cherished for its thoughtful array of moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products anchored by glycerin and squalane, whereas RoC is beloved for expertly formulated serums, eye products, moisturizers, and cleansers enriched with glycerin and retinol. Both brands suit mature skin and skin with dark spots best, offering targeted relief for these specific concerns through standout solutions like the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash and the Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Max Hydration Cream. They differ primarily in their signature active ingredients and unique formulations, with glycerin significantly increasing hydration and barrier function across both lines while squalane and retinol provide distinct specialized benefits.

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 RoC routine · £114.75 · 91% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £181.95 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Kiehl's vs RoC routines for oily skin

Buy RoC routine · £202.94 · 89% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £283.08 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Kiehl's vs RoC routines for combination skin

Buy RoC routine · £180.66 · 88% fitBuy Kiehl's routine · £285.07 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or RoC: which is better?

Both brands offer strong options, with Kiehl's providing better makeup compatibility and RoC offering better value and wrinkle reduction. Lovi rates the routine fit for mature skin as High for Kiehl's and Superior for RoC.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and RoC?

Kiehl's and RoC both feature strong routines for mature skin and dark spots, though Kiehl's is noted for better makeup compatibility and RoC is noted for better wrinkle reduction.

Kiehl's or RoC for dry skin?

For dry skin, Lovi rates Kiehl's routine as High and RoC's routine as Superior. The products on this page for both brands feature glycerin, while RoC also includes retinol and hyaluronic acid.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Kiehl's or RoC: which cleanser is better?

Both brands offer solid options, but Kiehl's may be the better choice for cleansers because it features specialized formulas like the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash that earns high marks for oily and acne-prone skin on Lovi. RoC also provides reliable choices such as the Barrier Renew Gel-to-Foam Cleanser, which achieves a high fit across all skin types.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or RoC?

RoC offers better value and a lower price point than Kiehl's, whereas reviewers often mention that Kiehl's products have a high price point.

Between Kiehl's and RoC, which brand does better for fine lines and wrinkle reduction?

RoC does better for fine lines and wrinkle reduction. Topical retinol, a key ingredient across RoC products, stimulates collagen accumulation in naturally aged human skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

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

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

How do the founding years and countries of origin compare between Kiehl's and RoC?

Kiehl's was founded in 1851 in the United States, whereas RoC was founded later in 1957 in France.

Kiehl's or RoC for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and RoC are good options for oily skin, as the products on this page achieve a High routine fit level for both brands. Reviewers note that both brands offer non-greasy and lightweight serums, while Kiehl's also features high-fit cleansers and toners for oily skin types.

Kiehl's or RoC: which moisturizer is better?

When comparing moisturizers, RoC offers superior routine fit for dry skin, whereas Kiehl's products on this page are mostly mentioned as lightweight and non-greasy.

Kiehl's or RoC for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and RoC are great options, as Lovi rates their routines as High for sensitive skin. Kiehl's offers a wide variety of fragrance-free products on this page, while RoC is noted for providing good value.

Kiehl's or RoC: which sunscreen is better?

Both Kiehl's and RoC offer sunscreens on this page with High fit levels for mature skin, skin with dark spots, and sensitive skin, but Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum has a High fit for acne-prone skin while RoC BARRIER RENEW AM MOISTURIZER SPF 30 rates as High for dry skin.

Kiehl's or RoC for acne-prone skin?

Both Kiehl's and RoC are great options, as Lovi rates both as having a High routine fit for acne-prone skin, while RoC offers a Superior fit. RoC focuses on retinol and hyaluronic acid, whereas Kiehl's features key ingredients like glycerin and vitamin C.

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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