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La Roche-Posay vs MAC

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes · How the Fit score works

La Roche-Posay and MAC are distinct beauty brands with unique formulations, where the French skincare line established in 1975 features nourishing serums, rich moisturizers, gentle cleansers, and targeted eye products formulated with glycerin, soothing thermal water, and niacinamide to suit mature skin and skin with dark spots best, while the Canadian brand founded in 1984 is beloved for its thoughtful approach to daily skincare, offering reliable moisturizers and makeup removers crafted from carefully balanced formulas that suit balanced skin best. Both companies bring distinct qualities to everyday routines, though the former relies heavily on specialized active ingredients to address specific concerns like hyperpigmentation and barrier restoration, whereas the latter provides a calm and measured foundation for daily maintenance.

La Roche-Posay is a French skincare brand founded in 1975 and owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 1989.

laroche-posay.com.aufr.wikipedia.org

MAC is a Canadian skincare brand founded in 1984 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 1994.

elcompanies.comen.wikipedia.org

This page compares some of the most popular La Roche-Posay and MAC products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular La Roche-Posay vs MAC products

People Say

La Roche-PosayMAC
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly 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”
    • “absorbs instantly — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer”
  • Makeup Base and Primer Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “foundation glides on — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
    • “Sits beautifully under makeup — MAC Mineralize Timecheck Lotion”
    • “Reduces appearance of pores — MAC Mineralize Timecheck Lotion”
    • “makeup sits perfectly — La Roche-Posay Anthelios”
  • Sensitive Skin Care and Soothing Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Only cream that doesn't sting — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermallergo Eye Cream”
    • “Calmed my skin after a chemical peel — La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water”
    • “no stinging — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer”
    • “Does not cause breakouts — MAC Mineralize Timecheck Lotion”
  • Skin Texture Improvement Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Skin feels smoother — La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum”
    • “softens forehead lines — La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum”
    • “Skin feels softer — La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C10 Serum”
    • “petal-soft skin — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
  • Price and Value Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive for the size — La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum”
    • “Too expensive for the size — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermallergo Eye Cream”
    • “Tube is tiny for the price — La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Gel B5”
    • “too expensive — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
  • Fragrance and Scent Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “scent is awful — La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Serum”
    • “overwhelming floral smell — La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum”
    • “scent is overpowering — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
    • “Has a scent that might irritate very sensitive noses. — MAC Hyper Real Fresh Canvas Cleansing Oil”
  • Product Pilling and Texture Issues Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Felt sticky to me — MAC Mineralize Timecheck Lotion”
    • “pills like crazy — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer”
  • Skin Irritation and Stinging Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “burns my eyes — La Roche-Posay Anthelios”
    • “burned my face — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer”
    • “caused acne — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
    • “Stings if it accidentally gets into the eyes. — MAC Hyper Real Fresh Canvas Cleansing Oil”
  • Packaging and Pump Issues Often MentionedNot noted
    • “pump stops working — La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+M Triple Repair Moisturizing Cream”

Questions and answers

La Roche-Posay or MAC: which is better?

La Roche-Posay does better than MAC for sensitive skin care, soothing, and skin texture improvement, while MAC does better for hydration, moisture, makeup bases, and primers. Reviewers note that La Roche-Posay has advantages in price and value, though both brands have similar issues with fragrance, scent, skin irritation, and stinging.

What is the difference between La Roche-Posay and MAC?

La Roche-Posay offers a much wider selection of 35 products on this page compared to MAC's 3, with La Roche-Posay fitting best for mature skin, skin with dark spots, and dry skin. Reviewers note that La Roche-Posay excels in sensitive skin care and skin texture improvement, while MAC performs better in hydration and moisture as well as makeup bases and primers.

La Roche-Posay or MAC: which moisturizer is better?

La Roche-Posay does better than MAC for sensitive skin care and soothing moisturizers, while MAC offers lighter hydration. Lovi rates the La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C Cream as having a Superior fit for dry and mature skin, whereas MAC's Hyper Real Serumizer has an Average fit for those skin types.

Which is more affordable, La Roche-Posay or MAC?

La Roche-Posay does better than MAC on price and value.

Between La Roche-Posay and MAC, which brand offers better options for sensitive skin care and soothing?

La Roche-Posay does better than MAC for sensitive skin care and soothing, offering many options like Cicaplast Baume B5+ that has a Superior Lovi fit level for sensitive skin.

How do the founding years and corporate ownerships of La Roche-Posay and MAC compare?

La Roche-Posay was founded in France in 1975 and has been owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 1989. In comparison, MAC was founded in Canada in 1984 and is owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 1994.

Which brand performs better for hydration and moisture according to reviewer themes?

According to reviewer themes, MAC performs better for hydration and moisture.

Research behind their key ingredients

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.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

How does it fit your skin?

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