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L'Oreal Paris vs MAC

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

L'Oreal Paris and MAC are two distinct beauty lines offering thoughtfully formulated daily essentials. The French skincare brand, founded in 1909 and owned by L'Oréal S.A., is widely loved for its serums, moisturizers, masks, and eye products utilizing hydrators like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, while the Canadian brand, founded in 1984 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 1994, is beloved for reliable moisturizers and makeup removers crafted from carefully balanced formulas. The former suits acne-prone and oily acne-prone skin best through non-greasy options like the Revitalift, the Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Eye Cream, and the Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Cream, whereas the latter suits balanced skin best with offerings like the Mineralize Timecheck Lotion, the Hyper Real Fresh Canvas Cleansing Oil, and the Hyper Real Serumizer. Ultimately, the two differ because the former relies on science-backed ingredients where hyaluronic acid lengthens wrinkle reduction and glycerin increases hydration and barrier function, while both provide calm and measured foundations for daily maintenance.

L'Oreal Paris is a French skincare brand founded in 1909 and owned by L'Oréal S.A..

en.wikipedia.orgloreal.comloreal-paris.co.ukcosmeticsbusiness.com

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 L'Oreal Paris and MAC products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular L'Oreal Paris vs MAC products

People Say

L'Oreal ParisMAC
  • Deep hydration Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “wake up with soft skin — L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Cream”
    • “Leaves my face feeling plump and dewy all day. — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift”
    • “absorbs quickly — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
    • “Absorbs in a snap — MAC Mineralize Timecheck Lotion”
  • Luxurious and lightweight texture Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “melts into skin — L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Cream”
    • “glides on easily without residue — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Eye Cream”
    • “Soaks right in, doesn't sit on top of skin. — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift”
    • “Emulsifies beautifully and rinses off without a greasy film. — MAC Hyper Real Fresh Canvas Cleansing Oil”
  • Radiance and brightening Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin looks luminous — L'Oreal Paris Glycolic Bright”
    • “skin looks glowing — L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Cream”
    • “overall improvement in skin clarity — L'Oreal Paris Bright Reveal 12% Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum”
    • “lit-from-within look — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
  • Excellent makeup base Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “foundation glides on — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
    • “Sits beautifully under makeup — MAC Mineralize Timecheck Lotion”
  • Gentle on skin Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Does not cause breakouts — MAC Mineralize Timecheck Lotion”
    • “Doesn't sting my eyes or blur my vision. — MAC Hyper Real Fresh Canvas Cleansing Oil”
    • “very gentle, didn't irritate my skin — L'Oreal Paris Bright Reveal 12% Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum”
  • Smoothes skin texture Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “skin is a lot smoother — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Laser Pure Retinol Night Serum”
    • “My skin feels silky and soft to the touch. — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift”
    • “skin felt noticeably smoother after one use — L'Oreal Paris Dark Spot Exfoliant Peel”
    • “petal-soft skin — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
  • High price point Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “a little bit pricy — L'Oreal Paris Glycolic Bright”
    • “taken aback by the price — L'Oreal Paris Bright Reveal 12% Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum”
    • “too expensive — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
  • Skin irritation and sensitivity Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “caused acne — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
    • “Has a scent that might irritate very sensitive noses. — MAC Hyper Real Fresh Canvas Cleansing Oil”
    • “slight tingling the first few times — L'Oreal Paris Dark Spot Exfoliant Peel”
  • Strong fragrance Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “scent is overpowering — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
    • “The perfume smell is overwhelming and lingers. — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift”

Questions and answers

L'Oreal Paris or MAC: which is better?

L'Oreal Paris does better for luxurious and lightweight texture, radiance and brightening, and smoothing skin texture, while MAC does better as an excellent makeup base and being gentle on skin. Deep hydration is equal between both brands, and L'Oreal Paris is better for a lower price point.

What is the difference between L'Oreal Paris and MAC?

L'Oreal Paris offers products on this page that excel in anti-aging, radiance, and smooth textures, whereas MAC is better known for lightweight moisturizers and acting as an excellent makeup base. L'Oreal Paris products on this page often help with deep hydration and skin smoothing using key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

L'Oreal Paris or MAC: which moisturizer is better?

When comparing moisturizers, L'Oreal Paris offers products with a High Lovi fit for dry and mature skin like Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Cream, while MAC's Mineralize Timecheck Lotion has a High fit for dry and sensitive skin. Reviewers often note that L'Oreal Paris provides deep hydration and luxurious textures, whereas MAC is known for lightweight moisturizers.

Which is more affordable, L'Oreal Paris or MAC?

L'Oreal Paris is more affordable than MAC, as MAC has a high price point while L'Oreal Paris offers value and affordability.

Which causes fewer breakouts, L'Oreal Paris or MAC?

MAC is unlikely to cause fewer breakouts because Lovi rates its Mineralize Timecheck Lotion as a High fit for acne-prone skin, while L'Oreal Paris products on this page such as Revitalift also achieve a High fit for acne-prone skin.

Which brand has been around longer, L'Oreal Paris or MAC?

L'Oreal Paris has been around longer, having been founded in France in 1909 compared to MAC, which was founded in Canada in 1984.

Do more L'Oreal Paris products contain fragrance compared to MAC?

Yes, 5 of the 10 L'Oreal Paris products on this page list no fragrance, meaning half do contain fragrance, while all 3 MAC products list fragrance. Retinol helps reduce signs of aging.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Which brand performs better for radiance and brightening according to reviewers?

L'Oreal Paris performs better for radiance and brightening according to reviewers. The products on this page help deliver radiance and brightening effects as a mostly mentioned benefit.

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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