So often, companies attempt to display themselves as honest, trustworthy individuals in order to make a sale. Many times, this is true and their claims are backed up. However, just as often, these companies provide lousy service at best and are complete scams at worst.
“We keep our promises” is the tagline of the popular RoC brand of anti-aging products, but do they really? We decided to dig deeper for ourselves.
Marketing materials tout that Retinol Correxion Eye Cream “visibly reduces wrinkles around the eyes, crow’s feet, dark circles, puffiness”. However, verified purchasers on Amazon.com say things like, “broke me out”, “leaves flakes under eyes”, “no noticeable difference at all”, and “I feel like my skin looked worse the morning after using this…” To be fair, half of the reviews on Amazon are positive, but that means 50% of those purchasing and using RoC Retinol Correxion Eye Cream are less than thrilled with their purchase.
We know that not every skin care product will work for every person. That’s an impossible request of a company. However, when half of past users report negative experiences, you begin to wonder.
Read on for our full product review, including background information on the manufacturers, the ingredients, and the product itself.
Table of Contents
Brand Overview
RoC’s story started in a pharmacy in Paris 60 years ago. Dr. Lissarrague wanted to develop a product that would proactively preserve beauty and help women of all ages to look, and feel their best. He is credited with developing the first ever hypoallergenic skin care product, first SPF sunscreen, and developed a method for stabilizing Retinol.
Today, the company says they continue to reinvent themselves and are developing new formulas to meet the needs of consumers. What is not promoted on their website or in their marketing materials is that they are now owned by mega-brand Johnson & Johnson.
The new company ownership threw up the first red flag in our product research. While RoC spent years developing healthy, effective, safe products, Johnson & Johnson is almost the exact opposite. This parent company uses known carcinogens even in baby products!
We continue our review to unpack whether or not their questionable morals have spread down into this anti-aging eye cream specifically and the once reputable skin care line in general.
Ingredients
For consumers looking for an anti-aging eye cream formulated with natural ingredients, this may not be the best choice. Here’s the entire ingredient list for you to begin to form your opinion of the product.
INGREDIENTS: Water, Glycerin, Lactose, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, PEG-8, Stearyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Tromethamine, Isopropyl, Myristate, Carbomer, Methylparaben, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Propylparaben, Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc Gluconate, Polysorbate 20, Retinol, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Copper Gluconate
| Ingredient | Purpose | Potential Risk |
| PEG 100 Stearate | Emulsifier | Cancer, reproductive toxicity, organ system toxicity |
| Methylparaben | Preservative | May increase the risk of breast cancer, decrease sperm production and motility |
| BHT | Preservative | Suspected carcinogen, increase the risk of certain cancers |
| Polysorbate 20 | Emulsifier | Known animal carcinogen, linked to skin allergies |
If you’re anything like we were in the early stages of our skincare journey, that list just looks like a load of gibberish. Let us further describe some of the key ingredients and their effects.
PEG 100 Stearate is an emulsifier. Basically, it exists to blend the water and oils together as one cream while also preventing from separating in the jar. While the need for an ingredient such as this makes sense, this particular one is known to cause cancer, reproductive toxicity, and organ system toxicity.
Methylparaben is a preservative. Obviously, we want our cream to stay fresh and prevent it from spoiling. However, we’d typically choose one that doesn’t increase the risk of breast cancer and decrease sperm production and motility. This is one of the more concerning ingredients on the list is the Methylparaben. A recent study published in the Journal of Applied Toxicology found that Methylparaben stimulates tumor-initiating cells in ER+ breast cancer models.
BHT is another preservative included in this lotion. It’s another suspected carcinogen that is linked with certain cancers.
Last, but not least, on our list of questionable ingredients is Polysorbate 20. Another emulsifier, this ingredient is linked to skin allergies and cancer in animals.
I don’t know about you, but when I choose an eye cream, I’d rather it take away my smile lines without causing cancer or other diseases. Fortunately, there are proven and effective retinoid-based skin care products, like these that are made with natural and organic ingredients.
Product Claims
Even with its slightly questionable ingredients list, this eye cream has a long list of claims. Many of them are backed by scientific research and clinical trials. Usually, a background like this has us excited to get our hands on a product to try for ourselves. This time, however, we still have some questions and potential concerns.
- Clinically proven to fight the signs of aging around your eyes.
- Moisturizes
- Reduces appearance of crow’s feet, dark circles, and puffiness
- Clinically shown to reduce wrinkles around the eyes in 12 weeks
- Formula contains retinol and exclusive mineral blend
- Starts to work immediately to smooth skin’s surface
One of the curious things in the marketing of this product is the lack of information on the concentration of retinol. It is generally accepted by dermatologists and beauty experts that 2.5% or higher concentration is required for products to be effective.
Application and Recommended Use
Using this eye cream is very easy. Unlike other products that require complicated rubbing patterns or many different tools and lotions, this process has two steps.
First, apply the cream in small dots around the eye area. Then gently smooth until thoroughly absorbed. That’s it!
You can use the eye lotion alone or under makeup. Similarly, it can be applied in the morning and/or in the evening.
Overall Analysis
As with all anti-aging products, there are good and bad qualities of this specific eye cream. We break them down for you below:
Pros:
- Developed by prominent French Pharmastist, Dr. Lissarrague, an early leader in the skin care industry
- Complementary products in the line
- Made in France
- Reasonably priced
Cons:
- Questionable safety of some ingredients
- Tagline states “We keep our promises” however no information on a money-back guarantee is indicated
- Reviews vary widely among verified purchasers
- Owned by Johnson & Johnson, the company behind cancer-causing talc-based baby powder.
Being reasonably priced and having a prominent brand, is not reason enough to purchase an anti-aging product. While reviews are mixed, it would be wise to consider the ingredients and the parent company history prior to purchasing this product.
For us, after looking at the big picture, we don’t think it’s worth the money or the risk to our skin and long-term health.
A natural and effective alternative to RoC Retinol Correxion Eye Cream is Elite Serum RX that comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee and is formulated from natural and organic ingredients. In addition to targeting wrinkles, it helps to increase collagen levels giving you a more youthful, and fresher face.
With natural and organic ingredients, a money-back guarantee, and terrific reviews click here to learn more about Elite Serum RX.