NIVEA and MAC are established skincare brands offering distinct approaches to daily maintenance. NIVEA is known for reliable sunscreens, targeted serums, and nourishing moisturizers formulated with hydrating glycerin, suiting oily and sensitive skin best. MAC is celebrated for its reliable moisturizers and makeup removers crafted from carefully balanced formulas, suiting balanced skin best. While both provide thoughtful care, they differ in their foundational ingredients and target skin types.
NIVEA is a German skincare brand founded in 1911 and owned by maxingvest GmbH & Co. KGaA since 2004.
This page compares some of the most popular NIVEA and MAC products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.
“Works better than expensive luxury creams — NIVEA Creme”
“Best affordable vegan moisturizer. — NIVEA Soft”
“absolute steal for the price — NIVEA DERMA SKIN CLEAR”
–High price pointNot notedMostly Mentioned
“too expensive — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
–Causes breakoutsSometimes NotedOften Mentioned
“Clogged my pores and caused bad acne — NIVEA Creme”
“I noticed some acne breakouts on my chin after using this crème for a while. — NIVEA Soft”
“Don't expect miracles — MAC Mineralize Timecheck Lotion”
–Strong fragranceSometimes NotedOften Mentioned
“Scent is too overpowering for sensitive noses — NIVEA Creme”
“Has a heavy, baby powder smell. — NIVEA Soft”
“smell is too strong — NIVEA Protect & Moisture Sun Lotion SPF50+”
“scent is overpowering — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
Questions and answers
NIVEA or MAC: which is better?
NIVEA offers better value and skin softening and smoothing, whereas MAC excels as a makeup base and primer and provides effective cleansing. Glycerin helps maintain skin hydration across the products on this page.
What is the difference between NIVEA and MAC?
When comparing the products on this page, NIVEA offers better value and skin-smoothing results, whereas MAC excels as a makeup base and cleanser. Glycerin is a key ingredient in NIVEA products, which helps provide deep hydration.
NIVEA or MAC: which moisturizer is better?
For deep hydration, both NIVEA and MAC are equally matched. NIVEA delivers intense deep hydration, while MAC is known for its lightweight moisturizers. Glycerin is a key ingredient across NIVEA's products, helping to provide moisture.
Which is more affordable, NIVEA or MAC?
NIVEA is more affordable, as the products on this page offer better value compared to MAC. Reviewers note that MAC has a high price point.
Which causes fewer breakouts, NIVEA or MAC?
MAC is not noted for causing breakouts on this page, whereas reviewers of NIVEA sometimes note that the products on this page cause breakouts and acne.
Between NIVEA and MAC, which brand has products with no added fragrance?
NIVEA has products on this page with no added fragrance, while MAC has none.
How do the founding years and parent companies of NIVEA and MAC compare?
NIVEA was founded earlier in 1911 in Germany and is owned by maxingvest GmbH & Co. KGaA, whereas MAC was founded in 1984 in Canada and is owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
Which brand performs better regarding skin softening and smoothing according to review themes?
NIVEA performs better regarding skin softening and smoothing. Glycerin is a key ingredient across the products on this page.
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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.
