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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 houses, with the French skincare brand offering serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and eye products crafted with glycerin, thermal water, and niacinamide, while the Canadian skincare brand provides reliable daily moisturizers and makeup removers from balanced formulas. The first brand suits dry skin and skin with dark spots best, featuring standout choices like Anthelios, Pure Vitamin C Cream, and MELA B3 Facial Gel Cleanser, whereas the second brand suits balanced skin best through gentle options like Mineralize Timecheck Lotion, Hyper Real Fresh Canvas Cleansing Oil, and Hyper Real Serumizer. Both entities differ because the French house relies on scientifically proven ingredients to soothe, replenish, and target specific concerns, while the Canadian maker 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 is better for sensitive skin care and skin texture improvement, while MAC is better for hydration and moisture as well as makeup bases and primers. The products on this page from La Roche-Posay feature key ingredients like niacinamide and retinol, which help reduce pigmentation and improve skin aging.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

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

La Roche-Posay is a French brand founded in 1975 that specializes in sensitive skin care and texture improvement, while MAC is a Canadian brand founded in 1984 that focuses on lightweight hydration and makeup bases. The products on this page for La Roche-Posay feature key ingredients like niacinamide and hyaluronic acid which help reduce pigmentation and improve skin aging.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

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

La Roche-Posay offers a much wider selection of moisturizers with High to Superior Lovi fit levels across skin types, whereas MAC features only a few options with average or high ratings. Reviewers note that La Roche-Posay excels in sensitive skin care and soothing, while MAC is praised for hydration and lightweight moisturizers.

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

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

Which causes fewer breakouts, La Roche-Posay or MAC?

La Roche-Posay offers a wide range of targeted acne treatments and cleansers with High and Superior Lovi fit levels for acne-prone skin, whereas MAC features only three general products on this page without specialized blemish control options.

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

La Roche-Posay offers better options for sensitive skin care and soothing compared to MAC. The products on this page for La Roche-Posay achieve a Superior fit level for sensitive skin in items like Cicaplast Baume B5+, Anthelios, and Cicaplast Gel B5.

How do the fragrance profiles of La Roche-Posay and MAC products compare across their ranges?

La Roche-Posay products on this page are mostly unfragranced, with 21 of 35 items listing no fragrance, whereas all MAC products on this page contain fragrance.

Which brand performs better for skin texture improvement according to reviewer themes?

La Roche-Posay performs better for skin texture improvement according to the reviewer themes on this page.

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

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