RoC Retinol Capsules: a Guru Score of 82% from 8 experts

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

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✓Yay

"RoC is a great company. They were the first ones ever to make a retinoid stable for shelf use, and [...] every other company learned from them. They're laser focused on skin care, not selling eyeshadow or purses, [...] and they do a really good job for a supermarket skincare brand."

All 2 takes from Darnell Cox | 50+ Healthy Aging Expert

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"RoC has been making over-the-counter retinol since they were the first to stabilize retinol in an over-the-counter form. You can get it at CVS or Walgreens, and just because it's there doesn't mean it's not a great product. [...] They're not making a handbag or an eyeshadow line, they're a skincare brand only, and I love that. That's why they're economical, but the research is there."

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"RoC is a great company. They were the first ones ever to make a retinoid stable for shelf use, and [...] every other company learned from them. They're laser focused on skin care, not selling eyeshadow or purses, [...] and they do a really good job for a supermarket skincare brand."

208SkinDoc

2.09M subs

✓Yay

"RoC is a mid-range brand that I'm a big fan of. They make a number of different ways to apply retinol to the skin, whether it's a stick, a cream, or a serum, and they have an option that'll definitely work for you. It's well liked by dermatologists, so I highly recommend RoC as an over-the-counter brand."

Dr. Aleksandra Brown

142k subs

✓Yay

"My two favorites are going to be RoC Retinol and the CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum. They're both going to be very affordable, very gentle, accessible. You can find them at your local Target or Walmart. Retinoids work by improving the uneven tone and texture from sun exposure. They're going to help reduce the look of post-inflammatory marks and hyperpigmentation. And they're both gentle enough for beginners."

All 2 takes from Dr. Aleksandra Brown

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"My two favorites are going to be RoC Retinol and the CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum. They're both going to be very affordable, very gentle, accessible. You can find them at your local Target or Walmart. Retinoids work by improving the uneven tone and texture from sun exposure. They're going to help reduce the look of post-inflammatory marks and hyperpigmentation. And they're both gentle enough for beginners."

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"If you start over the counter there's Rock Neutrogena larage py they all have really good retinols"

Dr. Daniel Sugai

720k subs

✓Yay

"Rock was the first retinol that I ever tried and it's very affordable with no fragrance. They've done a great job with the retinol. I've enjoyed alternating retinol with my prescription tretinoin, and for myself personally, especially in the winter time when things start to get dry and sensitive on the face, I'm going to use a retinol. Rock has always been one of my favorite OGs in my routine."

All 6 takes from Dr. Daniel Sugai

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"I like to travel with rocks Retinol Capsules is dose for your face but I also will apply um a little extra onto my neck"

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"RoC's a great option for beginners because it's not very irritating and a lot of my patients can tolerate it well. The capsules are biodegradable and dosed for your face and neck, which is nice for travel. The jar is quite durable and small, and you just twist off the top for the serum and apply it to your face. RoC is around $35 to $40 and that can last you a while because you're just using a very small amount of the product for it to work."

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"Each capsule is biodegradable. You just tear the top off and squirt that retinol serum into your palm and that's good to go. You can bring it down to your neck even, so you would apply it to your face and neck. It's dosed appropriately for those areas and put your moisturizer on and you're good to go to sleep after that. This has been really nice for travel, so giving you some options that you can get at your local drugstore if you're traveling. You forgot your retinol, go ahead and grab that at the Target or wherever you are at the moment. A little goes a long way, so you're not going to the store and buying it frequently."

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"Rock makes a really nice one where it's very portable. I like their Retinol Capsules too."

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"RoC, not as expensive as Kiehl's, but I've been using RoC the longest. This is the first retinol I've ever tried as a dermatology resident at Harvard. A nice convenient pump as well. The one in the tube is pretty heavily fragrant, the one in the jar has no fragrance, this one has a little bit of a scent to it, very nice. RoC is just reliable. A lot of my patients use it, and I like the capsules for traveling. If you're a guy and you're willing to open up a capsule and squirt on your hand, get on your face and your neck, it's all dose appropriately for your face and neck. Very convenient retinol capsule, and then you throw away the capsules, they're biodegradable, so it's pretty simple."

Dermatologist Explains: Which is the Best Retinol for You!

"Rock was the first retinol that I ever tried and it's very affordable with no fragrance. They've done a great job with the retinol. I've enjoyed alternating retinol with my prescription tretinoin, and for myself personally, especially in the winter time when things start to get dry and sensitive on the face, I'm going to use a retinol. Rock has always been one of my favorite OGs in my routine."

Dr. Vanita Rattan

1.23M subs

✓Yay

"They've corrected the problems in the capsules with 1% retinol in an airless, very interesting packaging. They've also added ceramides to counter any irritation. It has a [...] silky smooth finish on the skin. It is great for beginners for anti-aging and for texture improvement."

All 2 takes from Dr. Vanita Rattan

I TESTED every RETINOL in Sephora

"They've corrected the problems in the capsules with 1% retinol in an airless, very interesting packaging. They've also added ceramides to counter any irritation. It has a [...] silky smooth finish on the skin. It is great for beginners for anti-aging and for texture improvement."

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"I recommend these RoC Capsules, not the serum as this contains fragrance. It's £35 for 30 capsules with 1% retinol in an airless pump plus ceramides that help reduce irritation. I love it."

Dr. Jenny Liu

321k subs

✓Yay

"RoC is a very well-respected brand in the retail space with years of research and over 25 patents on their product formulation, so a brand that I trust makes effective yet gentle retinols. I like these capsules especially if you are a beginner and you're worried about using too much product that may contribute to irritation. These capsules are great for a couple reasons: number one, it ensures the freshness and the stability of the retinol; two, it helps you to dose the right amount each time so that way you're not using too much that may lead to irritation. These capsules are also biodegradable. Formulation-wise, it contains retinol and an antioxidant that's very similar to vitamin E, so it works together synergistically to combat signs of skin aging. Texture-wise, it's very lightweight, fast absorbing, and non-sticky, so it's a great one to use for all skin types, especially if you have sensitive skin."

All 2 takes from Dr. Jenny Liu

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"RoC is a very well respected brand in the retinol space with years of research and over 25 patents on their product formulation, so it's a brand that I trust makes effective yet gentle retinols. I like these capsules especially if you are a beginner and you're worried about using too much product that may contribute to irritation. These capsules are great for a couple reasons: number one, it ensures the freshness and stability of the retinol; two, it helps you to dose the right amount each time so you're not using too much that may lead to irritation. These capsules are also biodegradable. The formulation contains retinol and an antioxidant that's very similar to vitamin E, so it works together synergistically to combat signs of skin aging. Texture-wise, it's very lightweight, fast-absorbing, and non-sticky, so it's a great one to use for all skin types, especially if you have sensitive skin."

Dermatologist's favorite Retinols for Sensitive Skin

"RoC is a very well-respected brand in the retail space with years of research and over 25 patents on their product formulation, so a brand that I trust makes effective yet gentle retinols. I like these capsules especially if you are a beginner and you're worried about using too much product that may contribute to irritation. These capsules are great for a couple reasons: number one, it ensures the freshness and the stability of the retinol; two, it helps you to dose the right amount each time so that way you're not using too much that may lead to irritation. These capsules are also biodegradable. Formulation-wise, it contains retinol and an antioxidant that's very similar to vitamin E, so it works together synergistically to combat signs of skin aging. Texture-wise, it's very lightweight, fast absorbing, and non-sticky, so it's a great one to use for all skin types, especially if you have sensitive skin."

Dr Dray

2.68M subs

✓Yay

"RoC is a good brand. Retinol differs from tretinoin or adapalene in that your skin has to convert it to retinoic acid, which takes two steps to get there. [...] It just takes a little bit more time and patience to work. This particular product I have tried and it's very nice. It's nice and moisturizing and it almost has an immediate skin smoothing and hydrating impact from a cosmetic angle, but it does take time for the retinol to work. What the retinol is going to do is help improve the rate of skin cell turnover. Retinol is not actually exfoliating the skin like an alpha hydroxy acid, but instead it is teaching the cells in the skin to move along at a more reasonable rate. [...] The long-term benefit of consistent retinol use can help with smoothing out the skin surface, removing some sun damage, getting the cells of the epidermis to turn over more efficiently, and ultimately improving moisture retention."

All 2 takes from Dr Dray

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"RoC is a good brand. Retinol differs from tretinoin or adapalene in that your skin has to convert it to retinoic acid, which takes two steps to get there. [...] It just takes a little bit more time and patience to work. This particular product I have tried and it's very nice. It's nice and moisturizing and it almost has an immediate skin smoothing and hydrating impact from a cosmetic angle, but it does take time for the retinol to work. What the retinol is going to do is help improve the rate of skin cell turnover. Retinol is not actually exfoliating the skin like an alpha hydroxy acid, but instead it is teaching the cells in the skin to move along at a more reasonable rate. [...] The long-term benefit of consistent retinol use can help with smoothing out the skin surface, removing some sun damage, getting the cells of the epidermis to turn over more efficiently, and ultimately improving moisture retention."

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"Roc is another popular retinol on the market. I believe all of their products have fragrance, and fragrance does increase the risk of irritation. Since retinols are already irritating to begin with, adding fragrance increases the risk further. However, many people have no issue with it and it's fine."

Dr. Sam Ellis

882k subs

✓Yay

"One of my favorites for beginners is the RoC Retinol Capsules. RoC is sort of one of the OG brands when it comes to developing a stable retinol that can be incorporated into a variety of products, but they make an excellent face cream that I think is great for beginners. The other thing that I really like about this is that it's formulated in a really rich, moisturizing base, so you're sort of achieving two skincare steps in one, it can act as your topical retinol and your moisturizer."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Retinoids

Retinoids are among the best studied ingredients in dermatology, with solid evidence for acne and for the fine lines and rough texture that come from sun exposure. Dryness and flaking in the first few weeks are common and usually settle.

Source: DermNet

Ceramides

Ceramides are part of the skin's own barrier, and moisturisers built around them have evidence for holding water in and settling the tightness and flaking that come with a damaged barrier.

Source: DermNet

Frequently asked.

What is RoC Retinol Capsules?

RoC Retinol Capsules are single-dose, biodegradable capsules containing 1% retinol with ceramides, designed to deliver a measured amount of retinol serum for anti-aging and skin texture improvement.

Is RoC Retinol Capsules worth it?

Yes. All 8 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 82%.

What is RoC Retinol Capsules's Guru Score?

RoC Retinol Capsules holds a Guru Score of 82%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 8 expert reviewers we have collected.