🇦🇺Australia

The INKEY List vs Medik8

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

The INKEY List and Medik8 are British skincare brands known for offering moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products, though both differ in their primary formulations and target skin types. The INKEY List builds its products around glycerin and suits sensitive and acne-prone skin best, while Medik8 centers its offerings on hyaluronic acid to best fit dry and dry sensitive skin. By balancing distinct key ingredients like glycerin for barrier function and hyaluronic acid for wrinkle effect duration, each brand serves different dermatological needs.

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

cosmeticsbusiness.comprnewswire.comtheinkeylist.comtracxn.com

Medik8 is a British skincare brand founded in 2009 and owned by L'Oréal Groupe since 2025.

loreal.commedik8.comtracxn.com

This page compares some of the most popular The INKEY List and Medik8 products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular The INKEY List vs Medik8 products

People Say

The INKEY ListMedik8
  • Texture and Absorption Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “sits beautifully under makeup — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “Gel consistency — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “absorbed effortlessly — Medik8 Total Moisture Daily Facial Cream”
    • “smoother skin — Medik8 Surface Radiance Cleanse”
  • Results and Effectiveness Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “I wake up glowing. It adds back that youthful bloom that I've lost. — Medik8 Sleep Glycolic”
    • “Reduces fine lines — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “smells like a spa — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “skin looks fresh and plump — The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum”
  • Gentle and Non-Irritating Formula Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “zero irritation or peeling — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “only Vitamin C my sensitive skin can tolerate — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
    • “Best retinol replacement — Medik8 Bakuchiol Peptides”
    • “Great for sensitive skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
  • Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Super hydrating — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
    • “intense nourishment — The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum”
    • “Restores moisture — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “Instantly quenched the skin — Medik8 Hydr8 B5 Intense”
  • Price and Value Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “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”
    • “better value than Skinceuticals — Medik8 Super C Ferulic”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Free of active acne — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “Skin instantly looks less oily — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “Visibly reduces acne scars — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “pigmentation lightened slightly — Medik8 Oxy-R Peptides”
  • Lack of Results or Slow Progress Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Not as effective as retinol — Medik8 Bakuchiol Peptides”
    • “no difference — Medik8 Oxy-R Peptides”
    • “no difference yet — Medik8 Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye 3”
    • “Tube leaks liquified oil when opened — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
  • Packaging Issues Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Glass bottle breaks easily — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “hard to get last bit — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “click mechanism tricky — Medik8 Oxy-R Peptides”
    • “Pump breaks easily — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
  • High Price Point Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “Expensive per bottle — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”

The INKEY List vs Medik8 routines for dry skin

Buy Medik8 routine · A$283.59 · 97% fitBuy The INKEY List routine · A$220.70 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The INKEY List vs Medik8 routines for oily skin

Buy Medik8 routine · A$409.86 · 94% fitBuy The INKEY List routine · A$457.62 · 90% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The INKEY List vs Medik8 routines for combination skin

Buy Medik8 routine · A$444.44 · 93% fitBuy The INKEY List routine · A$381.72 · 90% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

The INKEY List or Medik8: which is better?

Both brands perform well, but The INKEY List is better for affordability and blemish control, while Medik8 is better for results, effectiveness, and gentle formulas. Lovi rates Medik8 as superior for dry skin, mature skin, and dry sensitive skin, and both brands as equal for other skin types.

What is the difference between The INKEY List and Medik8?

The INKEY List stands out for its lower price point and strong acne and blemish control across the products on this page, while Medik8 delivers better results, effectiveness, and a more gentle formula. Reviewers note that Medik8 offers deep hydration and plumping, whereas The INKEY List focuses on affordable moisturizers and serums.

The INKEY List or Medik8 for dry skin?

Both The INKEY List and Medik8 are great options for dry skin, with Medik8 reaching a Superior routine fit and The INKEY List reaching a High fit. Reviewers note that the products on this page from The INKEY List offer hydrating moisturizers at an affordable price, while Medik8 provides deep hydration and plumping with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Drug Delivery, 2017

The INKEY List or Medik8: which cleanser is better?

Both The INKEY List and Medik8 offer great cleansers on this page, with Salicylic Acid Cleanser and Surface Radiance Cleanse standing out for acne-prone skin and skin with dark spots.

Which is more affordable, The INKEY List or Medik8?

The INKEY List is more affordable than Medik8, as the products on this page offer better price and value.

Which brand has better anti-aging results for mature skin, The INKEY List or Medik8?

Medik8 delivers better results and effectiveness for mature skin, with its routine fit rated as Superior compared to High for the products on this page from The INKEY List. The formulations help improve skin texture and provide deep hydration.

Do any products from The INKEY List or Medik8 contain fragrance?

Every product on The INKEY List page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, while 11 of the 12 products on the Medik8 page list no fragrance, with only the Total Moisture Daily Facial Cream including it.

Which brand is better for acne and blemish control, The INKEY List or Medik8?

The INKEY List does better for acne and blemish control compared to Medik8. The products on this page for The INKEY List feature key ingredients like salicylic acid and azelaic acid that help target breakouts.

The INKEY List or Medik8 for oily skin?

Both The INKEY List and Medik8 achieve a Superior routine fit level for oily skin. The products on this page for The INKEY List help deliver affordable serums, while Medik8 helps provide deep hydration and plumping.

The INKEY List or Medik8: which moisturizer is better?

When choosing between moisturizers from the products on this page, The INKEY List offers the advantage of better price and value, whereas Medik8 is noted for deeper hydration and plumping. Both brands feature strong hydrating moisturizers, but your best fit depends on whether you prefer The INKEY List for affordability or Medik8 for a more luxurious texture.

The INKEY List or Medik8 for sensitive skin?

Both The INKEY List and Medik8 achieve a Superior routine fit for sensitive skin. The INKEY List focuses on gentle options with no fragrance listed across the products on this page, while Medik8 offers serums noted as gentle and non-irritating.

The INKEY List or Medik8 for acne-prone skin?

Both The INKEY List and Medik8 offer a Superior routine fit for acne-prone skin on the products on this page. Reviewers note that The INKEY List does better for acne and blemish control, while Medik8 does better for gentle and non-irritating formulas.

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?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play