NIVEA and MAC are a German skincare brand founded in 1911 and a Canadian skincare brand founded in 1984, respectively. NIVEA is known for its dependable sunscreens, targeted serums, and nourishing moisturizers formulated with hydrating glycerin, while MAC is beloved for its reliable moisturizers and makeup removers crafted from carefully balanced formulas. The German brand suits sensitive skin and skin with dark spots best, whereas the Canadian brand suits balanced skin best. They differ primarily in their formulation focus, with one relying on glycerin for barrier function and the other offering a calm foundation for daily maintenance.
NIVEA is a German skincare brand founded in 1911 and owned by maxingvest GmbH & Co. KGaA since 2004.
This page compares some of the most popular NIVEA and MAC products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.
“Works better than expensive luxury creams — NIVEA Creme”
“Best affordable vegan moisturizer. — NIVEA Soft”
“absolute steal for the price — NIVEA DERMA SKIN CLEAR”
–High price pointNot notedMostly Mentioned
“too expensive — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
–Causes breakoutsSometimes NotedOften Mentioned
“Clogged my pores and caused bad acne — NIVEA Creme”
“I noticed some acne breakouts on my chin after using this crème for a while. — NIVEA Soft”
“Don't expect miracles — MAC Mineralize Timecheck Lotion”
–Strong fragranceSometimes NotedOften Mentioned
“Scent is too overpowering for sensitive noses — NIVEA Creme”
“Has a heavy, baby powder smell. — NIVEA Soft”
“smell is too strong — NIVEA Protect & Moisture Sun Lotion SPF50+”
“scent is overpowering — MAC Hyper Real Serumizer”
Questions and answers
NIVEA or MAC: which is better?
NIVEA offers better value and skin softening and smoothing, whereas MAC does better with makeup bases and primers and effective cleansing. Glycerin helps provide intense deep hydration for the products on this page.
What is the difference between NIVEA and MAC?
NIVEA and MAC offer different skin benefits, where NIVEA provides good value and skin softening while MAC excels as a makeup base and primer with lightweight moisturizers. Glycerin helps deliver deep hydration across the products on this page.
NIVEA or MAC: which moisturizer is better?
When comparing moisturizers, NIVEA offers options with high Lovi fit levels for dry skin like Creme, while MAC features options like Mineralize Timecheck Lotion with high Lovi fit levels for dry and sensitive skin. Glycerin helps provide deep hydration across the products on this page.
Which is more affordable, NIVEA or MAC?
NIVEA is more affordable, as the products on this page offer good value compared to MAC which has a high price point.
Which causes fewer breakouts, NIVEA or MAC?
MAC is unlikely to cause as many breakouts as NIVEA, because NIVEA products on this page sometimes note causing breakouts and acne.
Between NIVEA and MAC, which brand offers better options for dry skin?
Between NIVEA and MAC, both brands offer good options for dry skin with high fit levels on this page. Glycerin helps provide intense deep hydration.
How do the founding years and parent companies of NIVEA and MAC compare?
NIVEA was founded earlier in 1911 in Germany and is owned by maxingvest GmbH & Co. KGaA, whereas MAC was founded in 1984 in Canada and is owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
Which brand has more products that do not contain fragrance?
NIVEA has more products that do not contain fragrance, with 3 of its 9 products listing no fragrance compared to none of the MAC 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.
