🇦🇺Australia

The Ordinary vs The INKEY List

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

The Ordinary and The INKEY List are minimalist skincare brands that offer serums, moisturizers, cleansers, toners, and eye products built around key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane. The Canadian brand suits dry skin and dry sensitive skin best, while the British brand fits sensitive skin and acne-prone skin best. Both brands differ in their specific formulations and top-rated products for acne, dark spots, and mature skin, with the latter brand relying primarily on glycerin.

The Ordinary is a Canadian skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 2021.

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

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 The Ordinary and The INKEY List products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular The Ordinary vs The INKEY List products

People Say

The OrdinaryThe INKEY List
  • Affordable price and value Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “lasts forever — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “can't beat the price — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “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”
  • Smooths skin texture Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “skin feels baby butt smooth — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “skin looks fresh and plump — The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum”
  • Hydration and moisture Often MentionedMostly 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”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Clears acne and reduces blemishes Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “pimples disappear within a day — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “scars and hormonal acne faded — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “faded dark spots — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “Free of active acne — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
  • Lightweight and fast-absorbing 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”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • Other product characteristics Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “eliminated armpit odor — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “never had any reaction to it with my sensitive skin — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “leaves skin feeling matte — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “Great for sensitive skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
  • Other product issues Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “very runny serum — The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum”
    • “Leaves a greasy film on face after washing — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “Forms a crust on the hole at the flick top cap. — The INKEY List Niacinamide Serum”
    • “foams up like soap — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
  • Packaging and container issues Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “The 50ml tube runs out way too fast. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “Wish it came in a pump — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
    • “Tube leaks liquified oil when opened — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
  • Sticky or tacky finish Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Feels tacky on skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
    • “Leaves a tackiness that never goes away. — The INKEY List Niacinamide Serum”
    • “feeling sticky — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”

The Ordinary vs The INKEY List routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · A$192.91 · 96% fitBuy The INKEY List routine · A$220.70 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · A$285.78 · 92% fitBuy The INKEY List routine · A$457.62 · 90% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · A$219.69 · 91% fitBuy The INKEY List routine · A$381.72 · 90% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or The INKEY List: which is better?

Both The Ordinary and The INKEY List perform well across skin types on this page, but The Ordinary is superior for dry and mature skin while The INKEY List is superior for acne-prone skin.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and The INKEY List?

Both brands offer affordable skincare, but The Ordinary does better at smoothing skin texture and clearing acne, while The INKEY List is known for hydration and lightweight textures. For routine fit, The Ordinary is Superior for dry and dry sensitive skin, whereas The INKEY List is Superior for acne-prone skin.

The Ordinary or The INKEY List for dry skin?

For dry skin, both brands work well, but The Ordinary offers a Superior routine fit compared to The INKEY List's High fit on this page. Reviewers report that The Ordinary smooths skin texture and clears acne better, while The INKEY List excels in hydration and moisture.

The Ordinary or The INKEY List: which cleanser is better?

The products on this page show that both brands offer effective cleansers, with The Ordinary featuring fragrance-free options like the Glycolipid Cream Cleanser and Squalane Cleanser, while The INKEY List provides popular choices such as the Oat Cleansing Balm and Salicylic Acid Cleanser. Reviewers mention that both brands deliver great value, though shoppers looking for specific hydration benefits or lightweight textures often prefer The INKEY List.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or The INKEY List?

Both The Ordinary and The INKEY List offer equal affordability among the products on this page, as reviewers note that both brands provide great value and budget-friendly options.

Which brand performs better for clearing acne and reducing blemishes?

The Ordinary performs better for clearing acne and reduces blemishes among the products on this page. Reviewers frequently note its acne-clearing serums.

Do products from The Ordinary or The INKEY List contain fragrance?

Every product on the pages for both The Ordinary and The INKEY List lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

The Ordinary or The INKEY List for oily skin?

Both The Ordinary and The INKEY List fit oily skin at a Superior level. The products on this page for both brands feature fragrance-free formulas.

The Ordinary or The INKEY List: which moisturizer is better?

Both The Ordinary and The INKEY List offer good moisturizers, with The INKEY List being particularly noted for delivering hydration and moisture. The Ordinary products on this page have fit levels of Superior for dry skin and dry sensitive skin, while The INKEY List routines fit those skin types at a High level.

The Ordinary or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

Both The Ordinary and The INKEY List are great for sensitive skin, as Lovi rates the routine fit for both brands as Superior. Reviewers note that products on this page from both brands are fragrance-free.

The Ordinary or The INKEY List for acne-prone skin?

Both The Ordinary and The INKEY List fit acne-prone skin well, though The INKEY List has a Superior routine fit compared to The Ordinary's High fit on this page. Reviewers report that The Ordinary does better at clearing acne and reducing blemishes, while The INKEY List offers lightweight and fast-absorbing moisturizers.

The Ordinary or The INKEY List for dry sensitive skin?

For dry sensitive skin, The Ordinary has a superior routine fit compared to The INKEY List, which has a high routine fit. Hyaluronic acid helps improve skin moisture and aids wound healing.

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

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