The campaign focuses on a clinical experiment that tracked the effects of RoC’s cult-favorite Line Smoothing Eye Cream on 10 women over eight weeks. A survey the brand conducted with more than 150 women unearthed deeper emotional insights that are a theme of the campaign: 81% of women said their skin’s appearance affects how they feel. Fifty-six percent said the way their undereye area looks makes them feel older than their chronological age. “I’m aging and it’s scary,” one participant admitted.

The product targets dark circles, puffiness, and fine lines with retinol, ascorbic acid and glycerin. Using SkinVisia imaging to quantify “eye age,” the study revealed up to a 10-year visible reduction in those eight weeks. Acosta sees the initiative as more than a product campaign—it’s a blueprint for how RoC and the broader beauty industry will evolve alongside longevity science, diagnostic technology and emotionally resonant skincare rituals.

The Empowered Aging initiative builds on RoC’s partnership with the SeekHer Foundation, expanding its mental health and longevity focus through a three-part support program: a downloadable Empowered Aging Guide, a four-part virtual Heal & Lead circle series led by licensed experts and ongoing monthly reflection prompts to foster peer connection and purpose in later life stages.

Beauty Independent spoke with Acosta about why empowered aging is more than a marketing phrase, how retinol is being reimagined for the modern consumer and where he sees the future of skincare heading, from the eye area to the scalp and beyond.

You’ve launched this Empowered Aging initiative as part of a broader longevity conversation. What does that term mean to you?

The spirit of empowered aging is about helping women look as great as they feel through all life stages. Everyone’s talking about longevity now, but it’s not just about living longer. It’s about healthspan—living better for longer. If you’re going to live to 100, what are you doing at 80 or 90 to look and feel your best? That’s where RoC comes in.

How does RoC bridge this emotional mindset with measurable skin improvement?

One insight that really stuck with us was that 70% of people over 25 say they feel younger than their actual age. So we asked, can we help them look younger too? That led to our “eye age” experiment. We used SkinVisia imaging—one of the most advanced technologies available—to measure participants’ eye age before and after using our Line Smoothing Eye Cream. After just eight weeks, we saw reductions of five to ten years. It wasn’t about marketing spin. It was real science.

Retinol and RoC are nearly synonymous, but many consumers still hesitate to use retinol around the eyes. How are you addressing that?

Retinol is incredibly effective, but it comes with a reputation for irritation. Our philosophy is “less is more.” We’ve developed proprietary ways of stabilizing and delivering retinol gently and consistently, especially around the eye area where the skin is 10 times thinner. For example, in our eye cream, we use much lower levels than many competitors, but still deliver impressive results without compromising comfort.

Why focus so heavily on the eye area? Is that where women tend to notice aging first or more dramatically?

No doubt, the first signs of aging almost always show up around the eyes. That skin is 10 times thinner than the rest of your face, and it’s the only area where there’s no fat between the muscle and the skin. Plus, we blink 15,000 to 20,000 times a day—so over time, that repeated movement takes a toll.

Signs of aging, whether it’s puffiness, redness, or fine lines, tend to appear there first. That’s why the eye area is often the moment when someone looks in the mirror and says, “I need help.” And that’s exactly where we come in. RoC is the number one retinol eye cream in America. We know how to formulate for this sensitive area, and now we’re taking that same expertise and extending it to other parts of the face.

The lip area is another delicate skin zone that has alot of traction right now. How is RoC addressing the opportunity in that category?

We just launched the first-ever Lip Volumizer exclusively at Ulta, and it’s outperforming all of our previous launches. It’s now rolling out to all retailers. The demand has been massive. We sold out in France and Italy within weeks. Like the eye area, the lips lose volume and definition with age, and consumers are looking for non-invasive ways to restore them.

Looking ahead, where else might RoC apply its retinol expertise?

We’re exploring a few directions. Firming for the body. We’re also seriously investigating scalp care. There’s a strong connection between the health of the follicle and ingredients like retinol. We’re not trying to enter the shampoo game, but we do believe we can bring credible innovation to scalp health. Like the growth we have seen in lip care, I think we could see something similar happen in hand care.

How do you see diagnostic technology changing how consumers shop for skincare?

I think we’re at the very beginning. Today’s phone cameras can already pick up so much—location, environmental stressors, even skin condition to some degree. In the near future, I can see people scanning their skin at home, getting a read on their “skin age,” and tracking changes over time, just like you do with a fitness app. It brings trust and tangibility to a category that’s often felt vague.

What role is the RoC Longevity Council playing in the Empowered Aging initiative?

We’ve brought together experts from aging science, wellness and skincare to shape our approach. We also have a five-year partnership with Brown University focused on aging research. The goal is a 360-degree view—how everything from lifestyle to supplements to topicals affects the skin. And it’s not just about insights. It’s also about listening. We’re conducting active listening research across the U.S. to understand what aging means to different communities.

Allie Egan, Founder of Veracity, Chris Mirabile, Founder & CEO of NOVOS and Member of the Longevity Biotechnology Association and Professor John M Sedivy, PhD, Director of the Brown University Center on the Biology of Aging are among the council members.

Will longevity become the core of RoC’s identity going forward?

Yes. Right now, we’re using the phrase “Empowered Aging,” but we’re on a journey to sharpen that language. Ultimately, we want to support our consumers from their first wrinkle into every stage of life. Whether she’s 30 or 60, we want to be the brand that helps her feel confident, resilient and seen.