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The INKEY List vs FANCL

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

The INKEY List and FANCL are distinct skincare brands offering targeted daily solutions for maintaining balanced skin. The British brand is known for moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products built around glycerin, suiting sensitive and combination skin best. Meanwhile, the Japanese brand is loved for thoughtful makeup removers and gentle exfoliants crafted from pure, effective formulas that suit sensitive, dry, and normal skin types. While both brands provide mild care without harsh irritations, they differ in their core ingredient focus and regional heritage.

The INKEY List is a British skincare brand founded in 2018 and owned by Brand Evangelists for Beauty Limited.

cosmeticsbusiness.comprnewswire.comtheinkeylist.comtracxn.com

FANCL is a Japanese skincare brand founded in 1980 and owned by Kirin Holdings Company, Limited since 2024.

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This page compares some of the most popular The INKEY List and FANCL products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular The INKEY List vs FANCL products

Questions and answers

The INKEY List or FANCL: which is better?

The INKEY List and FANCL both offer fragrance-free products, but The INKEY List has a much wider selection of serums, moisturizers, and toners on this page that fit sensitive, combination, and oily acne-prone skin best. Reviewers highlight that The INKEY List delivers affordable and hydrating moisturizers, though packaging issues and occasional breakouts are sometimes noted.

What is the difference between The INKEY List and FANCL?

The INKEY List offers a large selection of serums, moisturizers, and toners well-suited for sensitive and combination skin, whereas FANCL focuses on just two cleanser and exfoliant products.

Which is more affordable, The INKEY List or FANCL?

The INKEY List offers affordable options, as reviewers note affordable moisturizers and affordable serums for the products on this page.

Which causes fewer breakouts, The INKEY List or FANCL?

The products on this page for The INKEY List and FANCL do not have comparative breakout data, though The INKEY List reviewers sometimes note purging and breakouts.

Which brand was founded earlier and in which country, The INKEY List or FANCL?

FANCL was founded earlier in 1980 in Japan, while The INKEY List was founded in 2018 in the United Kingdom.

Do either The INKEY List or FANCL include fragrance in their product ingredients?

Every product on the The INKEY List page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, and every product on the FANCL page also lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

How does the Lovi fit level of the Oat Cleansing Balm compare for dry skin versus acne-prone skin?

For dry skin, Lovi rates the Oat Cleansing Balm a Superior fit, whereas for acne-prone skin, Lovi rates it a Low fit.

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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