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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 followings, offering tailored formulations for daily routines. Kiehl's is known for nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, soothing toners, and gentle eye products featuring glycerin and squalane, which suit dry and mature skin best. Meanwhile, the Canadian brand is beloved for reliable daily moisturizers and makeup removers crafted from balanced formulas that suit balanced skin best. While both provide thoughtful options for specific concerns, they differ through their signature ingredients and ideal skin types.

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 features a wider variety of products on this page and tends to do better for skin barrier improvement, deep hydration, and brightening compared to MAC. Meanwhile, the products on this page by MAC are often noted for their lightweight texture and makeup primer compatibility.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and MAC?

Kiehl's offers a much larger selection of skincare products on this page than MAC, with specialized options that target skin barrier improvement and deep hydration. Meanwhile, MAC focuses more on makeup bases and lightweight moisturizers.

Kiehl's or MAC: which moisturizer is better?

Kiehl's offers a much wider selection of moisturizers on this page than MAC, with specific options like Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate achieving a Superior fit for dry skin. Reviewers note that both brands provide lightweight and non-greasy moisturizers, but Kiehl's is frequently cited for deep hydration.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or MAC?

Both Kiehl's and MAC share a high price point as a common drawback noted by reviewers for the products on this page, meaning neither brand is more affordable than the other.

Which causes fewer breakouts, Kiehl's or MAC?

Reviewers note that both Kiehl's and MAC can cause breakouts.

Which brand has more products that list no fragrance, Kiehl's or MAC?

Kiehl's has more products that list no fragrance, with 26 of its 28 products on this page containing no fragrance, compared to 0 of the 3 MAC products.

When comparing the two brands, which one performs better for brightening and radiance?

Kiehl's performs better than MAC for brightening and radiance based on the products on this page.

Which brand offers a cleansing oil among its products listed on the page?

Both Kiehl's and MAC offer a cleansing oil among the products on this page. Kiehl's features the Midnight Recovery Botanical Cleansing Oil, while MAC includes the Hyper Real Fresh Canvas Cleansing Oil.

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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