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The INKEY List vs Aēsop

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

The INKEY List and Aēsop are two distinct skincare lines known for thoughtfully formulated moisturizers, serums, toners, eye products, and cleansers built around glycerin, botanical extracts, and scientifically validated ingredients. The British brand founded in 2018 fits combination and sensitive skin best with hydrating glycerin compositions, whereas the second brand suits balanced, combination, and sensitive skin through gentle, effective botanical care. Both brands offer targeted solutions for acne-prone skin, dark spots, and mature skin, differing primarily in their foundational approaches to barrier restoration and overall skin resilience.

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

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

Popular The INKEY List vs Aēsop products

People Say

The INKEY ListAēsop
  • Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “woke up with baby-soft skin — Aēsop Damascan Rose Facial Treatment”
    • “Savior of my winter-fueled dry skin. — Aēsop B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel”
    • “delivers deep hydration that really fills your skin — Aēsop Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Intense Serum”
    • “Super hydrating — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
  • Lightweight and Fast-Absorbing Texture Mostly MentionedOften 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 well into the skin — Aēsop Damascan Rose Facial Treatment”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Free of active acne — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “Skin instantly looks less oily — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “Intensely hydrating yet mattifying effect. — Aēsop B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel”
    • “my small blemishes noticeably diminished — Aēsop Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Intense Serum”
  • Affordability and Value Mostly MentionedNot 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”
  • General Effectiveness and Results Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “calms redness instantly — The INKEY List 10% Azelaic Acid Serum”
    • “bags are gone — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “saved my skin — Aēsop Damascan Rose Facial Treatment”
    • “I used to have severe flaking... but after using this product, it's disappeared. — Aēsop Parsley Seed Facial Cleanser”
  • Gentle and Soothing Formula Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Safe and gentle especially for my dry, sensitive skin — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “calmed my menopausal redness — The INKEY List ECTOIN HYDRO-BARRIER SERUM”
    • “Never tight or stripped — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft after cleansing. — Aēsop Parsley Seed Facial Cleanser”
  • High Price Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “quantity is too small — Aēsop Damascan Rose Facial Treatment”
  • Sticky, Tacky, or Heavy Finish Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Feels tacky on skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
    • “Leaves a greasy film on face after washing — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “Leaves a tackiness that never goes away. — The INKEY List Niacinamide Serum”
    • “Thick, almost honey-like, and needs a moment to melt in. — Aēsop B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel”
  • Packaging Issues Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Pump breaks easily — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “Very difficult to squeeze out at first — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “The downside is the pump. — Aēsop Parsley Seed Facial Cleanser”
    • “pipette means potential contamination — Aēsop Damascan Rose Facial Treatment”
  • Makeup Pilling and Issues Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “pills soo much — The INKEY List ECTOIN HYDRO-BARRIER SERUM”
    • “pills under makeup — The INKEY List 10% Azelaic Acid Serum”
    • “When applied directly to the face, it feels slippery and pills up. — Aēsop B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel”

Questions and answers

The INKEY List or Aēsop: which is better?

The INKEY List tends to be better for shoppers seeking affordability and lightweight textures, while Aēsop is favored for deep hydration and luxurious scents. Both brands perform equally well for acne control and general effectiveness, though the products on this page for The INKEY List offer a wider range of budget-friendly options.

What is the difference between The INKEY List and Aēsop?

The INKEY List offers more affordable and lightweight products with higher fit levels for combination, sensitive, and oily skin types, whereas Aēsop focuses on deep hydration with luxurious scents but comes at a higher price.

The INKEY List or Aēsop: which cleanser is better?

Comparing cleansers, The INKEY List offers the Salicylic Acid Cleanser which has a High fit for acne-prone, oily, combination, and sensitive skin types, whereas Aēsop offers the Parsley Seed Facial Cleanser which has an Average fit for those same skin types.

Which is more affordable, The INKEY List or Aēsop?

The INKEY List is more affordable than Aēsop, as the products on this page offer budget-friendly prices and better overall value for shoppers.

Which causes fewer breakouts, The INKEY List or Aēsop?

When it comes to acne and blemish control, The INKEY List and Aēsop perform equally well according to the review themes on this page.

Between The INKEY List and Aēsop, which brand offers better hydration and moisture according to reviewers?

Between the two, Aēsop does better for hydration and moisture according to reviewers.

Which of the two brands features products with more luxurious and refreshing scents, The INKEY List or Aēsop?

Aesop features products with more luxurious and refreshing scents, as noted by reviewers who frequently mention this benefit, whereas reviewers of The INKEY List sometimes note unpleasant scents.

How do the founding years and current ownership of The INKEY List and Aēsop compare?

The INKEY List was founded in 2018 in the United Kingdom and is owned by Brand Evangelists for Beauty Limited, whereas Aēsop was founded in 1987 and has been owned by L'Oréal Groupe since 2023.

The INKEY List or Aēsop: which moisturizer is better?

The INKEY List generally offers better moisturizers for hydration, lightweight texture, and affordability, whereas Aēsop provides deeper hydration with luxurious scents at a higher price. Lovi rates several moisturizers from The INKEY List, such as the Polyglutamic Acid Serum, as having High to Superior fit levels for dry 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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