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Some By Mi vs The INKEY List

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

Some By Mi and The INKEY List are distinct skincare brands that offer serums, cleansers, toners, and moisturizers designed to address various skin concerns. The Korean brand features niacinamide, centella asiatica, and salicylic acid to suit dark spots and dry sensitive skin, whereas the British brand relies on glycerin to care for sensitive skin and acne-prone skin. While both companies target similar concerns with different formulations, they diverge in their foundational ingredients and regional origins.

Some By Mi is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by JKL Partners since 2021.

kedglobal.compreqin.comtracxn.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 Some By Mi and The INKEY List products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Some By Mi vs The INKEY List products

People Say

Some By MiThe INKEY List
  • Hydration and Moisturizing Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Super hydrating — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
    • “intense nourishment — The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum”
    • “Skin feels instantly hydrated, nourished and looks more glowing — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “Lasts 100 hours as claimed — Some By Mi Beta Panthenol Repair Cream”
  • Lightweight and Fast Absorbing Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs quickly — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream”
    • “absorbs quickly — Some By Mi Snail Truecica Miracle Repair Serum”
    • “Gel consistency — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “feels like applying straight up water to the skin — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Reduces pimples — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “cleared my cystic acne — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Acne Clear Foam”
    • “Free of active acne — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “Redness has lessened and the cluster of whiteheads... cleared. — The INKEY List Niacinamide Serum”
  • Gentle Formula Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Zero irritation or redness — Some By Mi Retinol Intense Reactivating Serum”
    • “doesn't strip dry my skin — Some By Mi Super Matcha Pore Clean Clay Mask”
    • “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”
  • Skin Texture Improvement Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Skin became smoother — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “Surprisingly gentle — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “Skin feels baby soft — Some By Mi Retinol Intense Reactivating Serum”
    • “Great for sensitive skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
  • Price and 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”
  • Scent and Fragrance 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”
    • “overwhelming citrus fragrance — Some By Mi V10 Hyal Air Fit Sunscreen”
  • Dryness and Irritation Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Skin felt tight — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “left my skin tight — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Acne Clear Foam”
    • “have dry skin but this doesn't feel hydrating at all — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
    • “leaves under eye dry — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
  • Sticky or Tacky Finish Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “leaves sticky film — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream”
    • “Not a miracle — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “Leaves sticky residue — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “Feels tacky on skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”

Some By Mi vs The INKEY List routines for dry skin

Buy Some By Mi routine · A$222.98 · 93% fitBuy The INKEY List routine · A$220.70 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Some By Mi vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · A$457.62 · 90% fitBuy Some By Mi routine · A$301.59 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Some By Mi vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · A$381.72 · 90% fitBuy Some By Mi routine · A$224.16 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Some By Mi or The INKEY List: which is better?

Some By Mi is better for dry sensitive skin, while The INKEY List is better for oily and acne-prone skin. Both brands offer good options for hydration and dark spots.

What is the difference between Some By Mi and The INKEY List?

Some By Mi excels more in skin texture improvement, whereas The INKEY List performs better in hydration and moisturizing as well as price and value. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppresses melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Some By Mi or The INKEY List for dry skin?

For dry skin, Some By Mi offers a Superior routine fit compared to The INKEY List's High fit, making Some By Mi the better choice for this skin type.

Some By Mi or The INKEY List: which cleanser is better?

When it comes to cleansers, both Some By Mi and The INKEY List offer strong options, with Some By Mi featuring deep pore cleansing cleansers and The INKEY List providing budget-friendly choices. Lovi rates Some By Mi cleansers like the Snail Truecica Miracle Repair Low pH Gel Cleanser as having a Superior fit for skin with dark spots and mature skin, while The INKEY List offers popular options like the Salicylic Acid Cleanser.

Which is more affordable, Some By Mi or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List does better for price and value among the products on this page.

Between Some By Mi and The INKEY List, which brand is better for managing skin with dark spots?

Both brands are well suited for managing skin with dark spots, as Lovi rates both Some By Mi and The INKEY List as having a Superior fit level for this skin concern. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer, making it a key ingredient found across the products.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

How do Some By Mi and The INKEY List compare when it comes to scent and fragrance?

When it comes to scent and fragrance, The INKEY List does better than Some By Mi on this page.

Which brand performs better for improving skin texture, Some By Mi or The INKEY List?

Some By Mi performs better for skin texture improvement. Reviewers mostly mention its skin smoothing textures as a key benefit across the products on this page.

Some By Mi or The INKEY List for oily skin?

The INKEY List is a better fit for oily skin, offering a Superior routine compared to the High fit from Some By Mi. Both brands help manage blemishes, but reviewers note that The INKEY List provides more affordable moisturizers.

Some By Mi or The INKEY List: which moisturizer is better?

When it comes to moisturizers, The INKEY List excels in hydration, value, and lightweight feel, while Some By Mi offers moisturizers that help brighten the complexion and smooth skin texture with ingredients like niacinamide. Lovi rates The INKEY List moisturizers with a High routine fit for dry skin, and Some By Mi's Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream with a Superior fit for dry skin.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Some By Mi or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

Both Some By Mi and The INKEY List show a Superior Lovi fit for sensitive skin.

Some By Mi or The INKEY List for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, both brands work well, with Lovi fit levels reaching High for Some By Mi and Superior for The INKEY List. Reviewers mention that both brands offer effective options for acne and blemish control.

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

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