Skintific and MAC are two distinct skincare lines known for thoughtful formulations, reliable daily care, and balanced ingredients. Skintific offers targeted moisturizers, potent serums, and protective sunscreens that suit dry skin and dry sensitive skin best, while the Canadian brand MAC provides daily moisturizers and makeup removers that suit balanced skin best. Both brands carefully balance every component to address specific concerns, such as acne-prone skin, dark spots, and mature skin. Ultimately, the two differ primarily in their core product types and the specific skin types they suit best.
MAC is a Canadian skincare brand founded in 1984 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 1994.
This page compares some of the most popular Skintific and MAC products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.
+Oil control and pore careMostly MentionedNot noted
“controls shine for 8 hours — Skintific MATE FIT”
“Pori tampak lebih bersih — Skintific AHA BHA PHA LHA Peeling Solution”
“oil control is good — Skintific 5X Ceramide Barrier Moisture Gel”
+Smoother skin texture and radianceSometimes NotedOften Mentioned
“Kulit terasa lebih halus — Skintific AHA BHA PHA LHA Peeling Solution”
“Tampak lebih cerah — Skintific AHA BHA PHA LHA Peeling Solution”
“lit-from-within look — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
“petal-soft skin — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
–High price pointNot notedMostly Mentioned
“too expensive — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
–Scent and fragrance dislikeOften MentionedOften Mentioned
“scent is actually quite strong — Skintific All Day Light Sunscreen Mist”
“Bau jamu/rempah — Skintific AHA BHA PHA LHA Peeling Solution”
“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 skin irritationRarely NotedSometimes Noted
“broke me out so bad — Skintific 5X Ceramide Barrier Moisture Gel”
“caused tiny bumps — Skintific MUGWORT”
“caused acne — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
Questions and answers
Skintific or MAC: which is better?
Neither brand is universally better, as Skintific fits dry, dry sensitive, and oily skin best with fragrance-free formulas, while MAC offers lighter textures and great makeup bases despite often featuring strong fragrance and sensitivity.
What is the difference between Skintific and MAC?
Skintific is a budget-friendly option that focuses on fragrance-free formulas for oil control, acne care, and barrier repair, while MAC is a pricier brand known for lightweight textures, makeup bases, and scented products. Lovi rates Skintific high for dry, dry sensitive, and oily skin types, whereas MAC fits dry sensitive skin best with products like Mineralize Timecheck Lotion. Both brands offer good lightweight moisturizers, but MAC reviewers often mention a strong fragrance.
Skintific or MAC: which moisturizer is better?
Skintific is better for soothing and repairing the skin barrier, while MAC stands out for its lightweight textures and makeup-friendly bases. The products on this page show that Skintific avoids added fragrance entirely, whereas MAC formulas include fragrance.
Skintific is more affordable, as MAC has a high price point that reviewers frequently mention.
Which causes fewer breakouts, Skintific or MAC?
MAC is noted by reviewers for having fewer issues with breakouts and skin irritation compared to Skintific, which has negative mentions for breakouts and skin sensitivity. Additionally, every Skintific product on this page lists no fragrance, whereas all MAC products on this page contain fragrance, which may influence skin reactions.
Between Skintific and MAC, which brand offers fragrance-free products?
Skintific offers fragrance-free products, as every product on its page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas MAC includes fragrance across its items on this page.
Which brand was founded more recently, Skintific or MAC?
Skintific was founded more recently in 2021, whereas MAC was founded in 1984.
How do Skintific and MAC compare in terms of deep cleansing and oil control?
MAC is noted for better deep cleansing and non-drying results with products like Hyper Real Fresh Canvas Cleansing Oil, whereas Skintific does better with oil control and pore care 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.
