Peter Thomas Roth Review

OUR TOP SKINCARE PICKS

Some people believe that good skin is all in the genes, and that concept certainly applies to Peter Thomas Roth, who comes from a line of skincare professionals. His brand has been around for more than 25 years and is known for taking a clinical approach to beauty. Here’s a look at the Peter Thomas Roth product line, its signature ingredients, and is it worth a try?

Is Peter Thomas Roth Skincare Worth The Money?

A common question about this brand is if the products are worth the cost.

In our opinion, Peter Thomas Roth products are worth the money, but there are other brands that deliver greater value.

One brand is Carrot & Stick, a clean skincare brand that perfectly balances the gentle nurturing of plants with the powerful results of innovative science.

What’s Inside Peter Thomas Roth Skincare?

Peter Thomas Roth focuses on using evidence-based ingredients in their products, such as Vitamin C, retinol, and peptides. These ingredients should all be part of your skincare routine. Here’s why: 

Vitamin C
We’ve been hearing for years that Vitamin C is the best anti-aging ingredient. It’s a potent antioxidant that protects the skin from free radicals, the unstable molecules that contribute to the formation of premature wrinkles and fine lines on the skin.

Vitamin C also helps fade dark spots, evens out skin tone, and increases radiance. As if that wasn’t enough, research suggests that when vitamin C is applied to the skin, it significantly reverses aging-related structural changes by influencing collagen and elastin synthesis.

The Bright and Plump Moisturizer is formulated with 10% tetrahexyldecyl (THD) ascorbate,  and the Potent-C Power Serum contains 20% THD ascorbate. Vitamin C is also the key ingredient in the Camu Camu Power Cx30 Vitamin C Brightening Moisturizer, derived from the Amazonian camu camu berry.

But our favorite Vitamin C serum is Carrot & Stick The Defence Serum. It contains 3 distinct types of Vitamin C that work together to help fight free radical damage. We recommend using it every morning.

Peptides
As you age, your body’s production of collagen and elastin slows down. These two proteins are responsible for your skin’s structural support. As a result, the skin loses its natural plumpness and smoothness. 

While collagen is necessary for maintaining youthful-looking skin, the collagen protein is too large to absorb into the skin topically. That’s why applying skin care products that contain collagen won’t provide the anti-aging benefits you’re looking for.

This is where peptides come into action. Peptides are the building blocks of protein, and they are easily absorbed into the deeper layers of skin due to their smaller size. 

Peptides are used in many Peter Thomas Roth products, including PRO Strength Retinoid Peptide Serum, Peptide 21 Wrinkle Resist Serum, and more. 

If you’re looking for a peptide serum, we recommend Carrot & Stick The Repair Serum. It contains 7 plant-based peptides to promote plumper and smoother-looking skin.

Retinol
Retinol is the go-to anti-aging ingredient recommended by dermatologists and skin experts. It’s clinically proven to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, improve uneven skin tone, restore skin firmness, and shrink the appearance of enlarged pores.

The only downside? Retinol can often lead to side effects like skin dryness, peeling, and irritation. 

It’s used throughout the Peter Thomas Roth Retinol Fusion PM collection. 

Use retinoids at night. We recommend this retinoid oil serum. It contains Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, an ingredient that provides similar benefits with less irritation.

Everything Else

Peter Thomas Roth is also known for including plenty of innovative, patented ingredients, such as Syn-Eye Complex, Regu-Age, Pentavitin, Phyco’derm, and many more. While these ingredients may not have as much research as the ingredients we highlighted above, they do have clinical studies by the manufacturers demonstrating their benefits. 

Who Is Peter Thomas Roth?

Skincare is a key part of Roth’s heritage, who was born in the US to Hungarian parents. His father’s family-owned and operated two spa resorts in Hungary from the 1800s to early 1900s, and like most Hungarian spas, treatments incorporated mud and mineral water. According to Roth, he became interested in skincare while trying to treat his own skin issues, which included acne and later on, anti-aging concerns.

When Roth launched his eponymous skincare company in 1993, he drew on his heritage and the Hungarian spa principals of soothing the skin with mud and mineral water. Since its debut, the Peter Thomas Roth skincare collection has grown to include more than 100 products for men and women and is a major presence on QVC.

What is the Peter Thomas Roth Philosophy?

In interviews, Roth has said the cornerstone of his products is putting “the most effective ingredients in each product at the highest level possible that will create an astonishing result.” Products are labeled with the percentage of key ingredients.

What Does Peter Thomas Roth Sell?

The Peter Thomas Roth skincare collection includes moisturizers, masks, peels, eye patches, serums and eye creams. Body lotions, hair products and makeup are also available, along with lines based on Hungarian thermal water and Irish moor mud.

One of the best known products is the Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream, a moisturizer that contains 30% hyaluronic acid complex, as well as ceramides and elderberry. The Peter Thomas Roth Retinol Fusion PM collection focuses on anti-aging, and the key ingredient is encapsulated retinol, a vitamin A derivative that helps encourage cell turnover. The Retinol Fusion PM line includes three products- a Night Serum, Eye Cream and Overnight Resurfacing Pads.

A key part of Peter Thomas Roth skincare includes serums, masks and peels. Potent-C products include a high concentration of vitamin C. The Bright and Plump Moisturizer is formulated with 10% THD ascorbate, which the company says is 50 times more powerful than traditional Vitamin C. It is also available as the Potent-C Power Serum, which contains 20% THD ascorbate. Vitamin C is also the key ingredient in the Camu Camu Power Cx30 Vitamin C Brightening Moisturizer, derived from the Amazonian camu camu berry.

Peter Thomas Roth sells a variety of masks to address skin concerns such as dryness, oiliness and dullness. The Peter Thomas Roth 24k Gold Mask Pure Luxury Lift & Firm is infused with Pure 24K Gold and Colloidal Gold to help make the skin look brighter and firmer. The vivid green Cucumber Gel Mask is designed to soothe and hydrate the look of dry skin, while the Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Mask delivers both a manual and chemical exfoliation thanks to alpha hydroxy acids and aluminum oxide crystals.

Exfoliating products are sold as peels, scrubs and pads. The Peter Thomas Roth FirmX Peeling Gel is another customer favorite, delivering a manual and chemical exfoliation, thanks to fruit enzymes. The new PRO Strength Exfoliating Super Peel is a rinse-off peel formulated with a triple acid complex of 35% phytic acid and salicylic acid. The Peptide 21 Amino Acid Exfoliating Peel Pads are single use exfoliating products.

Peter Thomas Roth also offers several types of eye patches, including the 24K Gold Pure Luxury Lift & Firm Hydra-Gel Eye Patches, Cucumber De-Tox Hydra-Gel Eye Patches and Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Hydrating Eye Gel.

Where is Peter Thomas Roth Sold?

Peter Thomas Roth products are sold on the company website, as well as Sephora, Ulta, the Dermstore, and department stores including Macy’s and Nordstrom. The brand has a large presence on QVC.

How Much Do Peter Thomas Roth Products Cost?

Peter Thomas Roth skincare products are sold at a mid-level price point, comparable to other department store brands. Some of the priciest products include the PRO Strength Retinoid Peptide Serum ($110), Peptide 21 Wrinkle Resist Serum ($125), Potent-C Power Serum ($98) and 24K Gold Mask Pure Luxury Lift & Firm ($98). Most products are around $50 such as a jar of Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream Hydrating Moisturizer ($55) and Max Complexion Correction Pads ($46).

Is Peter Thomas Roth Cruelty-Free?

No. The company states that they “do not test any of our formulas or raw materials on animals,” although they “do sell our products in China and some other countries that still do a test on animals.”

What Are Our Top Skincare Picks?

Do Peter Thomas Roth Products Work?

Finding the right beauty products that work for you always involves some trial and error, which is why it’s helpful to look at customer reviews and editorial write-ups as a starting point.

The Peter Thomas Roth brand has been around for about 27 years, and has won its fair share of awards and editorial write-ups. One of the brand’s most famous products is the Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream Hydrating Moisturizer. When Allure magazine reviewed it, the author noted, “This was a lovely surprise: The first time I slathered on a tiny bit of the [cream]… it absorbed into my skin quickly and without any greasiness or tackiness. Could this be the perfect moisturizer to layer under makeup? Why, yes, in fact, it could.”

Allure also named the Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Serum one of “The 22 Best Hyaluronic Acid Serums to Hydrate Dry Skin This Season” in 2019. The Good Housekeeping Institute tested the Water Drench cream in 2019, giving it a 72 out of 100 scores. Their verdict: “Our lab test showed improvements in the hydration of the skin after a 4-week period of testers using the product. The lab liked the product was quickly absorbed and had a “pleasant cooling sensation” and “Skin felt hydrated for longer.” They noted that if too much product was used, it could feel sticky.

The Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C collection has also received plenty of press. In 2018 Vogue noted “A dollop of Peter Thomas Roth’s Potent-C Serum will leave dry, tired complexions dewy for the day ahead” while British Vogue called the Pumpkin Enzyme Mask a “Beauty Hero” in 2017, noting, “This mask is ideal for those times when your pores feel clogged, your skin looks tired and you feel a bit like you’ve lost your glow.”

Editors aside, what do real people think of Peter Thomas Roth? On TheDermstore.com, the Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream Hydrating Moisturizer gets a 5 out of 5 star rating from more than 50 reviews. Customers call it the “best for winter” and “The moisturizer I have always needed.” Customers that didn’t love it said it was “nothing special” and “not hydrating.”

Peter Thomas Roth products have been reviewed more than 60,000 times on Influenster. The Pumpkin Enzyme Masks has a 4.5 out of 5 star rating, based on more than 2,500 reviews. Fans like Andrea B. wrote “Smells like pumpkin spice and brightens my skin every time I use it, which is about once a week.” Those that didn’t love it thought it was too strong for their skin, like Chloe A who wrote, “BURNED MY SKIN.”

The Cucumber Gel Mask is one of the most reviewed products on Influenster, with a 4.3 out 5 star rating based on more than 5,500 reviews. Fans noted “This is a great, refreshing, hydrating mask. I love it, even more, when you have it chilled, before you put it on” and “It’s great for soothing stressed, dry skin.” Customers who gave it low ratings found it to be irritating to their skin. “Even though this face mask is supposed to be soothing, it made my face super red and irritated,” wrote Kyndall C.

What Are Some Alternatives to Peter Thomas Roth?

If you’re looking for skincare products to address the signs of aging, we recommend Carrot & Stick. Carrot & Stick maximizes the use of powerful ingredients and minimizes the use of superficial ones, resulting in advanced skincare solutions that help promote healthy, more youthful-looking skin.