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SKIN1004 vs The INKEY List

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

SKIN1004 and The INKEY List are distinct skin care brands that offer targeted toners, moisturizers, serums, and sunscreens built around soothing and hydrating ingredients. The Korean brand centers its formulas on centella asiatica, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide to suit combination and dry skin, whereas the British brand relies on glycerin to serve combination and sensitive skin best. While both feature specialized solutions for acne-prone, dark-spot, and mature concerns, the former emphasizes botanical centella blends, and the latter highlights single-ingredient efficacy and barrier restoration.

SKIN1004 is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2012 and owned by Goodai Global Inc. since 2024.

mk.co.krpitchbook.comtracxn.comgoodai-global.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 SKIN1004 and The INKEY List products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular SKIN1004 vs The INKEY List products

People Say

SKIN1004The INKEY List
  • Lightweight texture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “sunk in like a dream — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum”
    • “Texture is on the thinner side... surprisingly lightweight. — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Light Cleansing Oil”
    • “absorbs like water — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Toning Toner”
    • “sits beautifully under makeup — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
  • Hydration and soothing Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “calmed my angry skin — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Toning Toner”
    • “Gives my dehydrated skin a moisture surge — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Watergel Sheet Ampoule Mask”
    • “Eliminated redness on my easily irritated skin — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Watergel Sheet Ampoule Mask”
    • “calmed my menopausal redness — The INKEY List ECTOIN HYDRO-BARRIER SERUM”
  • Value and pricing Rarely 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”
    • “huge bottle — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Toning Toner”
  • Acne-safe and blemish clearing Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Free of active acne — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “calms redness instantly — The INKEY List 10% Azelaic Acid Serum”
    • “Visibly reduces acne scars — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “didn't cause new breakouts — SKIN1004 Hyalu-Cica Moisture Cream”
  • Oily skin benefits Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Skin instantly looks less oily — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “great for oily skin but anyone can use it — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
    • “My T-zone was excessively oily... observed a subtle reduction in sebum. — The INKEY List Niacinamide Serum”
    • “perfect for oily skin — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Poremizing Light Gel Cream”
  • Exfoliation and skin smoothing Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “skin feels super soft — SKIN1004 Zombie Pack”
    • “gentle enough for daily use — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Toning Toner”
    • “Great for sensitive skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
    • “Skin feels softer — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
  • Finish drawbacks Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “milky sweat when running — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum”
    • “looked greasy by midday — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum”
    • “Feels tacky on skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
    • “Leaves a greasy film on face after washing — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
  • Scent and fragrance complaints Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “smells like wet dog — SKIN1004 Zombie Pack”
    • “Has a strong herbal/citrus scent I didn't enjoy. — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Light Cleansing Oil”
    • “Smells like BBQ/meat — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “Smells like chemicals — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
  • Packaging and pump issues Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “takes 4-5 pumps for face — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum”
    • “The pump shoots the oil out too aggressively. — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Light Cleansing Oil”
    • “Pump breaks easily — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”

SKIN1004 vs The INKEY List routines for dry skin

Buy SKIN1004 routine · $96.70 · 87% fitBuy The INKEY List routine · $106.98 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

SKIN1004 vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

Buy SKIN1004 routine · $245.19 · 87% fitBuy The INKEY List routine · $261.57 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 98% fit

SKIN1004 vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · $254.57 · 90% fitBuy SKIN1004 routine · $232.19 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

SKIN1004 or The INKEY List: which is better?

Both SKIN1004 and The INKEY List offer strong routines across most skin types, but they shine in different areas. SKIN1004 excels in lightweight textures, hydration, and soothing care, while The INKEY List performs better for value, pricing, oily skin benefits, and acne-safe care.

What is the difference between SKIN1004 and The INKEY List?

SKIN1004 delivers superior lightweight texture, hydration, and soothing benefits, whereas The INKEY List excels in value and pricing, acne-safe blemish clearing, and oily skin benefits. Both brands offer an equal routine fit for dry, oily, acne-prone, mature, dark spot, dry sensitive, and oily acne-prone skin types.

SKIN1004 or The INKEY List for dry skin?

Both SKIN1004 and The INKEY List achieve a High Lovi fit for dry skin. SKIN1004 features a High fit routine for dry skin with a focus on hydration and soothing, while The INKEY List also offers a High fit routine.

SKIN1004 or The INKEY List: which cleanser is better?

Both SKIN1004 and The INKEY List offer effective cleansers, but SKIN1004 stands out for dry, sensitive, and oily acne-prone skin with its Madagascar Centella Tone Brightening Cleansing Gel Foam earning a Superior Lovi fit level across those types. The INKEY List delivers strong options like its Salicylic Acid Cleanser, which achieves a High Lovi fit level for acne-prone, oily, and sensitive skin.

Which is more affordable, SKIN1004 or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List is more affordable, as value and pricing is an area where it does better than SKIN1004.

Between SKIN1004 and The INKEY List, which brand is better for combination skin?

The INKEY List is better for combination skin because it achieves a Superior routine fit compared to the High fit of SKIN1004.

Which brand performs better for lightweight texture and hydration?

SKIN1004 performs better for lightweight texture, hydration, and soothing compared to The INKEY List.

How do SKIN1004 and The INKEY List compare regarding packaging and pump issues?

SKIN1004 does better than The INKEY List regarding packaging and pump issues on the products on this page.

SKIN1004 or The INKEY List for oily skin?

Both SKIN1004 and The INKEY List achieve a High routine fit level for oily skin. The INKEY List stands out for oily skin benefits, while SKIN1004 delivers a lightweight texture.

SKIN1004 or The INKEY List: which moisturizer is better?

Both SKIN1004 and The INKEY List offer good moisturizers, but SKIN1004 is particularly well-liked for its lightweight texture and soothing properties. Reviewers also highlight The INKEY List for providing affordable moisturizers that are plumping and firming.

SKIN1004 or The INKEY List for acne-prone skin?

Both SKIN1004 and The INKEY List provide a High routine fit for acne-prone skin. Reviewers note that The INKEY List does better for acne-safe and blemish clearing, while SKIN1004 does better for lightweight texture, hydration, and soothing.

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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