Beauty of Joseon vs MAC
Beauty of Joseon and MAC are two distinct beauty lines with unique foundations, where the former is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2016 and the latter is a Canadian skincare brand founded in 1984. Beauty of Joseon is loved for its thoughtful serums, masks, moisturizers, sunscreens, and more that feature star ingredients like niacinamide, glycerin, and hyaluronic, whereas MAC is beloved for its thoughtful approach to daily skincare, offering reliable moisturizers and makeup removers crafted from carefully balanced formulas. The products of the former suit dry skin and sensitive skin best, offering gentle yet effective daily care, while the offerings of the latter suit balanced skin best, supported by gentle and effective ingredients. Both differ as the first focuses on targeted treatments such as the Ground Rice and Honey Glow Mask, the Light On Serum: Centella + Vita C, and the Revive Eye Serum, whereas the second provides options including the Mineralize Timecheck Lotion, the Hyper Real Fresh Canvas Cleansing Oil, and the Hyper Real Serumizer.
Beauty of Joseon is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by Goodai Global Inc. since 2019.
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MAC is a Canadian skincare brand founded in 1984 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 1994.
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This page compares some of the most popular Beauty of Joseon and MAC products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.
Popular Beauty of Joseon vs MAC products
People Say
Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
- “absorbs quickly — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
- “Absorbs in a snap — MAC Mineralize Timecheck Lotion”
- “Leaves skin feeling soft and supple, never tight. — MAC Hyper Real Fresh Canvas Cleansing Oil”
- “Saved my dry winter skin — Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream”
Texture and Application Mostly MentionedNot noted
- “feels like a light moisturizer — Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics”
- “sinks in instantly — Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water”
- “skin feels incredibly smooth — Beauty of Joseon Ground Rice and Honey Glow Mask”
Gentle and Non-Irritating Often MentionedOften Mentioned
- “no irritation at all — Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum”
- “doesn't irritate my sensitive skin — Beauty of Joseon Apricot Blossom Peeling Gel”
- “Does not cause breakouts — MAC Mineralize Timecheck Lotion”
- “Doesn't sting my eyes or blur my vision. — MAC Hyper Real Fresh Canvas Cleansing Oil”
Makeup Compatibility Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
- “foundation glides on — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
- “Sits beautifully under makeup — MAC Mineralize Timecheck Lotion”
- “makeup sits beautifully on top — Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics”
Makeup Removal Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
- “Removes waterproof mascara completely without needing a separate remover. — MAC Hyper Real Fresh Canvas Cleansing Oil”
- “Emulsifies beautifully and rinses off without a greasy film. — MAC Hyper Real Fresh Canvas Cleansing Oil”
- “melts waterproof mascara — Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Cleansing Oil”
Glow and Radiance Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
- “gives a glass skin look — Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum”
- “Gives me that chok-chok dewy look — Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream”
- “lit-from-within look — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
High Price Point Not notedMostly Mentioned
- “too expensive — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
Scent and Fragrance Issues Often MentionedOften Mentioned
- “smells like cooking oil — Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Cleansing Oil”
- “smells like cheese — Beauty of Joseon Ground Rice and Honey Glow Mask”
- “scent is overpowering — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
- “Has a scent that might irritate very sensitive noses. — MAC Hyper Real Fresh Canvas Cleansing Oil”
Breakouts and Acne Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
- “Broke me out in cystic acne — Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream”
- “gave me cystic acne — Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Cleansing Oil”
- “caused acne — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
- “Breaks me out, I got pimples from this. — MAC Hyper Real Fresh Canvas Cleansing Oil”
Questions and answers
Beauty of Joseon or MAC: which is better?
Beauty of Joseon and MAC both have strong options, but Beauty of Joseon stands out for texture and application across the products on this page, while MAC performs better for hydration and moisture, makeup compatibility, and makeup removal. Lovi finds that Beauty of Joseon fits best for dry skin, sensitive skin, and dry sensitive skin.
What is the difference between Beauty of Joseon and MAC?
Beauty of Joseon and MAC differ notably in their formulations, as every product on the Beauty of Joseon page lists no fragrance, whereas all three products on the MAC page contain fragrance. Additionally, reviewers note that Beauty of Joseon excels in texture and application, while MAC is better known for hydration and moisture, makeup compatibility, and makeup removal.
Beauty of Joseon or MAC: which moisturizer is better?
Beauty of Joseon offers multiple options like the Dynasty Cream and Red Bean Water Gel with High Lovi fit levels for various skin types and no fragrance, whereas MAC includes the Hyper Real Serumizer and Mineralize Timecheck Lotion which contain fragrance. Topical hyaluronic acid, found in the products on this page, helps improve skin hydration and moisture.
Which is more affordable, Beauty of Joseon or MAC?
Beauty of Joseon is more affordable than MAC, as MAC has a high price point across the products on this page.
Which causes fewer breakouts, Beauty of Joseon or MAC?
Both Beauty of Joseon and MAC perform equally regarding breakouts and acne according to the review themes on this page.
Between Beauty of Joseon and MAC, which brand offers products specifically formulated without fragrance?
Beauty of Joseon offers products formulated without fragrance, as every product on its page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas all of the MAC products on this page contain fragrance.
How do the founding years and corporate ownerships of Beauty of Joseon and MAC compare?
Beauty of Joseon was founded in South Korea in 2016 and has been owned by Goodai Global Inc. since 2019, whereas MAC was founded in Canada in 1984 and has been owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 1994.
Which brand performs better in terms of hydration and moisture according to reviewer themes?
According to reviewer themes, MAC performs better than Beauty of Joseon in terms of hydration and moisture.
Research behind their key ingredients
The effect of niacinamide on reducing cutaneous pigmentation and suppression of melanosome transfer
Safety evaluation of topical applications of ethanol on the skin and inside the oral cavity
Cutaneous photoprotection from ultraviolet injury by green tea polyphenols
Bacterial cellulose membranes as drug delivery systems: an in vivo skin compatibility study
Panax ginseng induces human Type I collagen synthesis through activation of Smad signaling
Effect of Camellia japonica oil on human type I procollagen production and skin barrier function
Microneedling by dermapen and glycolic acid peel for the treatment of acne scars: Comparative study
Self-Assembled Cubic Liquid Crystalline Nanoparticles for Transdermal Delivery of Paeonol
Supramolecular collagen nanoparticles for anti-wrinkle, skin whitening, and moisturizing effects
Novel beads made of alpha-cyclodextrin and oil for topical delivery of a lipophilic drug
A study of anti-wrinkle functions and improvement of cream with Phaseolus angularis
The anti wrinkle efficacy of synthetic hexapeptide (Argireline) in Chinese Subjects
Hippophae rhamnoides oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion improves barrier function in healthy human subjects
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.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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