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The INKEY List vs Elemis

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

The INKEY List and Elemis are British skincare brands offering targeted preparations like moisturizers, serums, and toners built around glycerin. The INKEY List focuses on glycerin to suit combination and sensitive skin, while the brand Elemis also weaves in shea butter to nourish dry and mature skin. Both brands differ in their founding dates, ownership, and specific solutions for acne-prone skin, dark spots, and aging.

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

cosmeticsbusiness.comprnewswire.comtheinkeylist.comtracxn.com

Elemis is a British skincare brand founded in 1989 and owned by L'Occitane Group since 2019.

elemis.comau.elemis.comen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular The INKEY List vs Elemis products

People Say

The INKEY ListElemis
  • Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Super hydrating — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
    • “intense nourishment — The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum”
    • “The cream really hydrates and my face looks amazing. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream”
    • “Quenches thirsty skin... immediate improvement. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
  • 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 almost immediately, and my skin feels well hydrated all day. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
  • Gentle and Soothing Formula Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Great for sensitive skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
    • “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”
    • “no stinging or redness — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
  • Affordable Price 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”
  • Skin Smoothing and Texture Improvement Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “baby soft — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
    • “skin feels baby soft — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “skin feels baby-soft — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
    • “Skin feels softer — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedNot noted
    • “Free of active acne — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “calms redness instantly — The INKEY List 10% Azelaic Acid Serum”
    • “Skin instantly looks less oily — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
  • High Price Point Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “Complete waste of money for me. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
  • Fragrance and Scent Issues Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “The smell is very strong... could not handle for long. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
  • Packaging Issues Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “jar looks half empty — Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial”
    • “tube feels half empty — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “pump broke quickly — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
    • “Pump breaks easily — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”

The INKEY List vs Elemis routines for dry skin

Buy Elemis routine · $557.99 · 88% fitBuy The INKEY List routine · $106.98 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

The INKEY List vs Elemis routines for oily skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · $261.57 · 87% fitBuy Elemis routine · $535.50 · 77% fitSee multi-brand routine · 98% fit

The INKEY List vs Elemis routines for combination skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · $254.57 · 90% fitBuy Elemis routine · $524.50 · 79% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

The INKEY List or Elemis: which is better?

The INKEY List stands out as better for affordability and gentle, fragrance-free formulations across the products on this page, whereas Elemis offers luxurious textures with a higher price point. Both brands deliver an equal routine fit for dry, oily, and mature skin types.

What is the difference between The INKEY List and Elemis?

The INKEY List offers more affordable pricing and better lightweight textures, while Elemis provides more luxurious formulations focused on skin smoothing and mature skin. The products on this page for The INKEY List generally avoid added fragrance, whereas most Elemis products include fragrance.

The INKEY List or Elemis for dry skin?

Both The INKEY List and Elemis have a High routine fit for dry skin. The products on this page show that The INKEY List offers fragrance-free options like the Oat Cleansing Balm with a Superior fit for dry skin, while Elemis features luxurious moisturizers like the Pro-Collagen Marine Cream with a High fit.

The INKEY List or Elemis: which cleanser is better?

Both The INKEY List and Elemis offer effective cleansers, but reviewers note that The INKEY List provides better acne and blemish control while Elemis excels in skin smoothing and texture improvement.

Which is more affordable, The INKEY List or Elemis?

The INKEY List is more affordable than Elemis, as reviewers frequently mention its affordable moisturizers and serums while noting high price points as a drawback for Elemis.

Between The INKEY List and Elemis, which brand has better anti-aging benefits for mature skin?

Elemis stands out for skin smoothing and texture improvement, while both brands offer products with High Lovi fit levels for mature skin. Elemis features a higher concentration of anti-aging focused products like the Pro-Collagen Marine Cream, whereas the products on this page for The INKEY List focus more on affordability and lightweight textures.

How do the fragrance options and scent issues compare between The INKEY List and Elemis products?

Every product on The INKEY List page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas 4 of 22 Elemis products on this page list no fragrance. Reviewers sometimes note fragrance and scent issues for The INKEY List products.

Which brand performs better for skin texture improvement and smoothing, The INKEY List or Elemis?

Elemis performs better for skin smoothing and texture improvement among the products on this page. Reviewers frequently note that Elemis delivers a smoother skin texture.

The INKEY List or Elemis for oily skin?

Both The INKEY List and Elemis achieve an equal High routine fit level for oily skin. The INKEY List features products on this page with no fragrance listed in their ingredients, whereas Elemis offers luxurious textures.

The INKEY List or Elemis: which moisturizer is better?

The INKEY List features hydrating moisturizers that are mostly mentioned as affordable, while Elemis offers moisturizing products that reviewers often note for their luxurious texture and radiant glow. Both brands provide moisturizers that have a high routine fit for dry skin, but reviewers find that The INKEY List delivers better results for lightweight and fast-absorbing textures.

The INKEY List or Elemis for sensitive skin?

The INKEY List is a better fit for sensitive skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Elemis's High level. Additionally, the products on this page for The INKEY List list no fragrance in their ingredients.

The INKEY List or Elemis for acne-prone skin?

The INKEY List is a better fit for acne-prone skin because the products on this page do better for acne and blemish control. Lovi rates the routine fit for acne-prone skin as High for both brands.

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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