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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 that cater to different complexion needs. The American skincare brand, founded in 1851 and owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 2000, is cherished for its thoughtful array of moisturizers, serums, toners, eye products, and more, all anchored by nourishing ingredients like glycerin and squalane. Its products suit skin with dark spots and mature skin best, offering targeted relief for these specific concerns. Meanwhile, the Canadian skincare brand, founded in 1984 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 1994, 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.

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 tends to offer a wider variety of products on this page and performs better for deep hydration, brightening, and texture improvement. MAC works well for lightweight textures and makeup base compatibility, but all its products on this page list fragrance.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and MAC?

Kiehl's features a wider variety of products on this page and is rated best for skin with dark spots, mature skin, and dry skin, whereas MAC offers a smaller selection tailored more toward lightweight textures and makeup bases. Reviewers often mention that Kiehl's helps with deep hydration and brightening, while MAC is noted for its makeup base and primer compatibility.

Kiehl's or MAC: which moisturizer is better?

Kiehl's offers a much wider selection of moisturizers on this page with better deep hydration and brightening benefits, whereas MAC features only a few lightweight moisturizing options. Reviewers note that Kiehl's provides deep hydration while MAC excels mainly as a makeup base and primer.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or MAC?

Both Kiehl's and MAC have a high price point as a shared drawback according to reviewers, so neither brand is more affordable on the products on this page.

Which causes fewer breakouts, Kiehl's or MAC?

Both Kiehl's and MAC perform equally regarding breakouts and acne according to reviewers.

How do the founding years and countries of origin compare between Kiehl's and MAC?

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

Which brand has more fragrance-free products listed on the page, Kiehl's or MAC?

Kiehl's has more fragrance-free products listed on the page, with 26 of its 28 products containing no fragrance compared to none of the products from MAC.

What are the specific skin types that Kiehl's fits best according to its brand-focused routines?

According to its brand-focused routines, Kiehl's fits skin with dark spots, mature skin, and dry skin best.

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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