Versus

Mac Cosmetics Studio Fix Mattifine 12hr Shine-Control Primer Versus Mac Cosmetics Hyper Real Skincanvas Balm Moisturizing Cream

Face Primer
General Moisturizer
American Brand United States
American Brand United States

Updated on June 28, 2024

Overview

Cool Features

They both contain hyaluronic acid and Vitamin E

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores and scar healing

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain fragrances

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

About this product

About this product

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products
Studio Fix Mattifine 12hr Shine-Control Primer
Hyper Real Skincanvas Balm Moisturizing Cream

Water

Skin Conditioning

Propanediol

Solvent

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Emollient
0 / 0 Oil IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride

Emollient

Niacinamide

Smoothing
Niacinamide IconGood for Oily Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Cocos Nucifera Oil

Masking
4 / 0 Fragrance IconOil IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate

Emulsifying
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Emollient
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Emollient
0-2 / 0 Oil IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Emulsion Stabilising

Glyceryl Stearate

Emollient
1 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

PEG-100 Stearate

0 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Trehalose

Humectant

Persea Gratissima Oil

Skin Conditioning
0-3 / 0 Oil IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Sodium Hyaluronate

Humectant
0 / 0 Hyaluronic Acid Icon

Squalane

Emollient
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Ethylhexylglycerin

Skin Conditioning

Cholesterol

Emollient
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Sodium Rna

Skin Conditioning

Ceramide Ng

Skin Conditioning
Ceramide IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Acetyl Glucosamine

Skin Conditioning

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Humectant
Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Isononyl Isononanoate

Emollient

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Masking

Caprylyl Glycol

Emollient

Mangifera Indica Seed Butter

Skin Conditioning
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Paeonia Albiflora Flower Extract

Tonic

Crithmum Maritimum Extract

Skin Conditioning

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract

Emollient
Helps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Laminaria Digitata Extract

Skin Protecting

Algae Extract

Emollient
May worsen Oily Skin Icon

Hordeum Distichon Extract

Skin Protecting

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Extract

Skin Conditioning

Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract

Skin Conditioning

Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil

Emollient
Oil IconMay worsen Oily Skin IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil

Emollient
3 / 0 Oil IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Canola Oil

Emollient
Oil IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil

Emollient
Oil IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Caffeine

Skin Conditioning

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Emulsion Stabilising

Sorbitan Isostearate

Emulsifying
1-2 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Potassium Cetyl Phosphate

Emulsifying

Polysorbate 60

Emulsifying
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Hexylene Glycol

Emulsifying
0-2 / 0-1

Sodium Hydroxide

Buffering

Parfum

Masking
Fragrance IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Linalool

Perfuming
Fragrance IconMay cause irritation IconEU Allergen IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Limonene

Perfuming
Fragrance IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Benzyl Salicylate

Perfuming
Fragrance IconMay cause irritation IconEU Allergen Icon

Tocopherol

Antioxidant
0-3 / 0-3 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Tocopheryl Acetate

Antioxidant
0 / 0 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant Icon

Tetrasodium EDTA

May worsen Eczema Icon

Phenoxyethanol

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Potassium Sorbate

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Chlorphenesin

Antimicrobial
Preservative Icon

CI 77891

Cosmetic Colorant

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water
Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

  • It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
  • It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
  • It helps improve product application.
  • It has mild preservative properties.

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Emollient, Skin Conditioning

Isononyl Isononanoate is a synthetic skin-conditioner and texture enhancer. It is created from nonanoic acid, a fatty acid found in cocoa and lavender oil.

As an emollient, Isononyl Isononanoate helps keep your skin soft and smooth. This is because emollients create a barrier on the skin to trap moisture in.

Isononyl Isononanoate helps give products a velvet feel and improves spreadability.

Learn more about Isononyl Isononanoate
Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning

Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.

One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.

Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.

Learn more about Tocopheryl Acetate
Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.

Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.

Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.

These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:

Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning

Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.

You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.

Skin Conditioning

Acetyl Glucosamine is an antioxidant and humectant. It is an amino acid sugar and is naturally found in our skin.

The cool thing about this ingredient? It helps the skin produce hyaluronic acid and boost hydration. It also has antioxidant benefits to protect skin cells.

When paired with niacinamide, Acetyl Glucosamine has been shown to be effective at reducing discoloration.

Learn more about Acetyl Glucosamine
Solvent

Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin. 

It’s often used to:

Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.

Learn more about Propanediol
Masking, Perfuming

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.

Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.

For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.

The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.

For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.

One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.

The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.

Learn more about Parfum
Antioxidant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.

Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.

Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.

You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.

There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.

Learn more about Tocopherol
Preservative

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.

It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.

When to use

13 Routines
85% use in am
15% use in pm
85% use every day

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Mac Cosmetics Studio Fix Mattifine 12hr Shine-Control Primer 41 ingredients

1.5 /5
from 2 ratings
Matte (1) Oily (1)
lisaogg's avatar

Lisa Ogg

10 months ago
Review

This really didn’t help mattify anything. Oily still within a few hours

#oily
MichelleR's avatar

MichelleR

7 months ago
Review

Mattified, but it clogs my pores. Had to discontinue use.

#matte

Mac Cosmetics Hyper Real Skincanvas Balm Moisturizing Cream 58 ingredients

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