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Estée Lauder vs The INKEY List

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

Estée Lauder and The INKEY List are well-regarded skincare brands that offer diverse collections of moisturizers, serums, eye products, and more. The American brand is beloved for its formulations incorporating hyaluronic acid and glycerin, suiting dry sensitive skin and dry skin best, while the British brand builds its products around glycerin and fits sensitive skin and acne-prone skin best. These two options differ primarily in their founding heritage, targeted skin types, and specialized ingredient approaches.

Estée Lauder is an American skincare brand founded in 1946 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc..

en.wikipedia.orgelcompanies.com

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

cosmeticsbusiness.comprnewswire.comtheinkeylist.comtracxn.com

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

Popular Estée Lauder vs The INKEY List products

People Say

Estée LauderThe INKEY List
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin drinks it up immediately — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “The formula is incredibly hydrating and leaves my skin feeling smooth. — Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv”
    • “texture is dreamy — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Gel-Creme”
    • “Super hydrating — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
  • Lightweight feel and texture Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “sits beautifully under makeup — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “Gel consistency — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “feels like applying straight up water to the skin — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
    • “Absorbs quickly into the skin — Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+”
  • Radiant glow and smooth texture Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “gives me that glass skin look — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “skin feels like a baby's bottom — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “silky smooth — Estée Lauder Micro Essence Treatment Lotion”
    • “Skin feels softer — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
  • Affordable price and great value Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “Good for the price — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “One of the best balms for quality and also price — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “unbeatable value — The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
  • Gentle and non-drying cleansing Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “doesn't strip the skin — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée”
    • “Lathers well — Estée Lauder Soft Clean Moisture Rich Foaming Cleanser”
    • “Safe and gentle especially for my dry, sensitive skin — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “Never tight or stripped — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
  • Makeup compatibility and base Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “doesn't pill — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Gel-Creme”
    • “layers flawlessly under foundation — Estée Lauder DayWear Moisturizer”
    • “Brilliant makeup base — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
    • “applies wonderfully under sunscreen and makeup — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
  • High price point and expensive Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “way too expensive for the size — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
  • Bulky and poor packaging Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “lid is hard to open — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée”
    • “Please make a jar or refill that is not as big and heavy. — Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv”
    • “Impossible to get out — Estée Lauder Soft Clean Moisture Rich Foaming Cleanser”
    • “Pump breaks easily — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
  • Scent and fragrance complaints Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Smells like BBQ/meat — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “Smells like chemicals — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
    • “smells plasticky — The INKEY List ECTOIN HYDRO-BARRIER SERUM”
    • “Scent is too overpowering — Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+”
  • Causes breakouts and skin irritation Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Stings my eyes badly — Estée Lauder Take It Away Makeup Remover Lotion”
    • “gave me tiny red bumps — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “did cause major breakouts — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
    • “New formula breaks me out — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”

Estée Lauder vs The INKEY List routines for dry skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · A$220.70 · 84% fitBuy Estée Lauder routine · A$330.00 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Estée Lauder vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · A$457.62 · 90% fitBuy Estée Lauder routine · A$497.39 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Estée Lauder vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · A$381.72 · 90% fitBuy Estée Lauder routine · A$490.31 · 78% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Estée Lauder or The INKEY List: which is better?

The INKEY List tends to be better for value and lighter textures, while Estée Lauder excels in deep hydration and anti-aging routines.

What is the difference between Estée Lauder and The INKEY List?

Estée Lauder is known for deep hydration and a radiant glow, while The INKEY List focuses on affordable serums and a lightweight feel. Reviewers note that Estée Lauder has a high price point, whereas The INKEY List is frequently praised for its great value.

Estée Lauder or The INKEY List for dry skin?

Both brands offer a high routine fit for dry skin among the products on this page, with Estée Lauder featuring deep hydration and The INKEY List providing lightweight, affordable moisturizers.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Estée Lauder or The INKEY List: which cleanser is better?

Both brands offer cleansers that work well, with Estée Lauder delivering strong results for dry sensitive skin and The INKEY List providing options like the Salicylic Acid Cleanser that suit acne-prone skin.

Which is more affordable, Estée Lauder or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List offers greater affordability compared to Estée Lauder, as reviewers frequently highlight the products on this page for their affordable price and great value, whereas high price points are a commonly mentioned drawback for Estée Lauder.

Which brand has more products containing fragrance, Estée Lauder or The INKEY List?

Estée Lauder has more products containing fragrance on the products on this page, whereas every product from The INKEY List lists no fragrance.

Estée Lauder or The INKEY List: which brand is better suited for skin with dark spots?

The INKEY List is better suited for skin with dark spots, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Estée Lauder's High fit on this page. Reviewers report that The INKEY List offers affordable serums with key targeted ingredients like tranexamic acid, whereas Estée Lauder products on this page often come at a high price point.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

What are the founding years and countries of origin for Estée Lauder and The INKEY List?

Estée Lauder was founded in 1946 in the United States, while The INKEY List was founded in 2018 in the United Kingdom.

Estée Lauder or The INKEY List for oily skin?

The INKEY List is a better fit for oily skin, offering a Superior routine fit compared to Estée Lauder's High fit level. Both brands include glycerin across their products, while The INKEY List features lower prices.

Estée Lauder or The INKEY List: which moisturizer is better?

The INKEY List offers more affordable moisturizers that are well-reviewed for a lightweight and fast-absorbing feel, while Estée Lauder excels in deep hydration and moisturization.

Estée Lauder or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

Both Estée Lauder and The INKEY List fit sensitive skin well, with Lovi rating Estée Lauder High and The INKEY List Superior. The INKEY List offers fragrance-free options across the products on this page.

Estée Lauder or The INKEY List for acne-prone skin?

The INKEY List is a superior fit for acne-prone skin compared to Estée Lauder. The products on this page for The INKEY List achieve a Superior routine fit for acne-prone skin.

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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