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Kiehl's vs MAC

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

Kiehl's and MAC are distinct beauty brands with dedicated followers, where the first is an American skincare line founded in 1851 and the latter is a Canadian counterpart established in 1984. Kiehl's is known for its nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, soothing toners, and gentle eye products relying on glycerin and squalane, which suit mature and sensitive skin best. Meanwhile, the brand MAC 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. Ultimately, both differ primarily in their formulation focus, with the former emphasizing barrier support through active ingredients and the latter providing a calm, measured foundation for daily maintenance.

Kiehl's is an American skincare brand founded in 1851 and owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 2000.

loreal.comen.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 Kiehl's and MAC products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Kiehl's vs MAC products

People Say

Kiehl'sMAC
  • Lightweight and Non-Greasy Texture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “absorbs quickly — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
    • “Absorbs in a snap — MAC Mineralize Timecheck Lotion”
    • “Emulsifies beautifully and rinses off without a greasy film. — MAC Hyper Real Fresh Canvas Cleansing Oil”
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
  • Makeup Base and Primer Compatibility Sometimes 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”
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
  • Brightening and Radiance Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “works on dark skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “woke up glowing — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “lit-from-within look — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
  • Gentle and Sensitive Skin Friendly Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Does not cause breakouts — MAC Mineralize Timecheck Lotion”
    • “Doesn't sting my eyes or blur my vision. — MAC Hyper Real Fresh Canvas Cleansing Oil”
  • Skin Barrier and Texture Improvement Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “skin feels smoother — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “skin looked & felt smoother — Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Cream”
    • “petal-soft skin — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
  • Deep and Intense Hydration Often MentionedNot noted
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Feels like a drink of water — Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate”
    • “savior for dry patches — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
  • High Price Point Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “too expensive — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
    • “A bit expensive — MAC Mineralize Timecheck Lotion”
  • Breakouts and Acne Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “cystic acne for some — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “caused acne — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
    • “Breaks me out, I got pimples from this. — MAC Hyper Real Fresh Canvas Cleansing Oil”
  • Ineffective or Slow Results Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Takes months to see — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Don't expect miracles — MAC Mineralize Timecheck Lotion”
  • Unpleasant Scent and Fragrance Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells clinical — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “faint lab smell — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “smells like hot dog water — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “scent is overpowering — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”

Questions and answers

Kiehl's or MAC: which is better?

Kiehl's does better than MAC for deep and intense hydration as well as brightening and radiance among the products on this page. Lovi rates Kiehl's as a High fit for mature skin, sensitive skin, and skin with dark spots, whereas MAC has a more limited selection with all three products containing fragrance.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and MAC?

Kiehl's offers a much larger variety of products on this page and tends to do better for deep hydration, brightening, and skin barrier improvement, whereas MAC focuses mainly on lightweight makeup bases and primers. Lovi finds that Kiehl's fits mature skin, sensitive skin, and skin with dark spots best, while MAC's products on this page carry a strong fragrance that may cause sensitivity.

Kiehl's or MAC: which moisturizer is better?

Both Kiehl's and MAC offer lightweight moisturizers, but Kiehl's provides a wider variety of options with superior deep hydration and skin barrier benefits on the products on this page. Lovi finds that Kiehl's fits mature and sensitive skin best, whereas MAC focuses primarily on makeup bases and primers.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or MAC?

Both Kiehl's and MAC face criticism for their high price point, meaning neither brand is clearly more affordable than the other based on the products on this page.

Which causes fewer breakouts, Kiehl's or MAC?

Lovi finds that breakouts and acne are equally likely with both brands, as reviewers report issues for the products on this page from each. Kiehl's provides a range with many items rated Average or Low for acne-prone skin, while MAC offers only three items on this page, which are rated Average for acne-prone skin.

Which brand has more fragrance-free skincare products, Kiehl's or MAC?

Kiehl's has significantly more fragrance-free skincare products than MAC, as 26 of the 28 products on this page list no fragrance compared to none of the MAC products.

Which brand was founded earlier and in which country, Kiehl's or MAC?

Kiehl's was founded earlier, in 1851 in the United States, whereas MAC was founded in 1984 in Canada.

Which brand offers better results for brightening and radiance according to reviewers?

Kiehl's offers better results for brightening and radiance than MAC according to reviewers.

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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