The INKEY List vs Galderma
The INKEY List and Galderma are distinct skincare brands designed to address diverse dermatological needs. The British brand offers moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products built around glycerin, suiting combination and sensitive skin best, whereas the Swiss brand specializes exclusively in serums that fit oily and acne-prone skin best. Each label provides targeted solutions for specific concerns, such as high-rated options for acne, dark spots, and mature skin. Ultimately, the two differ in their core formulations, product ranges, and ideal skin types.
The INKEY List is a British skincare brand founded in 2018 and owned by Brand Evangelists for Beauty Limited.
cosmeticsbusiness.comprnewswire.comtheinkeylist.comtracxn.com
Galderma is a Swiss skincare brand founded in 1981 and owned by Galderma Group AG.
This page compares some of the most popular The INKEY List and Galderma products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.
Popular The INKEY List vs Galderma products
People Say
Acne Clearance and Breakout Prevention Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
- “cleared up my skin — Galderma Benzac AC Mild Strength 2.5% Acne Gel”
- “cystic acne gone — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
- “stops new pimples — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
- “Free of active acne — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
Gentle Formula and Soothing Mostly 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”
- “didn't burn my face — Galderma Benzac AC Mild Strength 2.5% Acne Gel”
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”
Lightweight and Fast-Absorbing Texture Mostly MentionedNot noted
- “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”
Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedNot noted
- “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”
Smoothing and Fading Scars Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
- “scars are fading — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
- “skin feels smooth — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
- “Skin feels softer — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
Dryness and Peeling Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
- “Leaves my skin a bit dry — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
- “feels very drying — The INKEY List 10% Azelaic Acid Serum”
- “Can feel tacky on the skin — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
- “skin flaking off — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
Skin Irritation and Burning Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
- “tingles upon application — The INKEY List 10% Azelaic Acid Serum”
- “face on fire — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
Breakouts and Purging Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
- “did cause major breakouts — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
- “New formula breaks me out — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
- “Caused cystic acne — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
- “got worse first — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
Bleaching Fabrics Not notedMostly Mentioned
- “bleached my towel — Galderma Benzac AC 5”
Packaging Issues Often MentionedNot noted
- “Pump breaks easily — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
The INKEY List vs Galderma routines for dry skin
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Cleanser
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
$19.99
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Hydrating Toner
Pyunkang Yul Calming Deep Moisture Toner
Morning
$16.99
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Moisturizer
SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Probio-Cica Enrich Cream
Morning · Evening · Once a week
$22.00
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SPF
d'Alba Piedmont Waterfull Mild Sunscreen
Morning
$15.99
-
Pre-Cleanser
MISSHA Ultra Hyalon Cleansing Cream
Evening · Once a week
$21.70
-
Serum or Treatment
Epiduo Gel
Evening · Once a week
$34.97
-
Nourishing Mask
MEDIHEAL Vita Essential Mask
Once a week
$22.00
-
Cleanser
Salicylic Acid Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
$15.00
-
Hydrating Toner
Pyunkang Yul Calming Deep Moisture Toner
Morning
$16.99
- Moisturizer Collagen Peptide Serum Morning · Evening · Once a week
-
SPF
d'Alba Piedmont Waterfull Mild Sunscreen
Morning
$15.99
-
Pre-Cleanser
Oat Cleansing Balm
Evening · Once a week
$17.00
-
Serum or Treatment
10% Azelaic Acid Serum
Evening · Once a week
$20.00
-
Nourishing Mask
MEDIHEAL Vita Essential Mask
Once a week
$22.00
Buy Galderma routine · $153.64 · 90% fit
Buy The INKEY List routine · $106.98 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit
The INKEY List vs Galderma routines for oily skin
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Cleanser
CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
$15.97
-
Hydrating Toner
Some By Mi Snail Truecica Miracle Repair Toner
Morning · Once a week
$15.60
-
Moisturizer
COSRX Oil-Free Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion (with Birch Sap)
Morning · Evening · Once a week
$18.99
-
SPF
CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30
Morning
$14.97
-
Pre-Cleanser
Shu Uemura Ultime8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
$50.00
-
Cleansing Toner
Pixi Glow Tonic
Evening
$28.42
-
Serum or Treatment
Epiduo Gel
Evening · Once a week
$34.97
-
Enzyme Powder
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Once a week
$69.00
-
Cleansing Mask
Revision Skincare Black Mask
Once a week
$79.00
-
Cleanser
Salicylic Acid Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
$15.00
-
Hydrating Toner
Some By Mi Snail Truecica Miracle Repair Toner
Morning · Once a week
$15.60
-
Moisturizer
Hyaluronic Acid Serum
Morning · Evening · Once a week
$13.00
-
SPF
CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30
Morning
$14.97
-
Pre-Cleanser
Oat Cleansing Balm
Evening · Once a week
$17.00
-
Cleansing Toner
PHA Toner
Evening
$18.00
-
Serum or Treatment
10% Azelaic Acid Serum
Evening · Once a week
$20.00
-
Enzyme Powder
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Once a week
$69.00
-
Cleansing Mask
Revision Skincare Black Mask
Once a week
$79.00
Buy Galderma routine · $326.92 · 96% fit
Buy The INKEY List routine · $261.57 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 98% fit
The INKEY List vs Galderma routines for combination skin
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Cleanser
Fresh Soy Face Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
$28.08
-
Hydrating Toner
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner
Morning · Once a week
$25.60
-
Moisturizer
COSRX Oil-Free Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion (with Birch Sap)
Morning · Evening · Once a week
$18.99
-
SPF
CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30
Morning
$14.97
-
Pre-Cleanser
Shu Uemura Ultime8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
$50.00
-
Cleansing Toner
Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0
Evening
$18.90
-
Serum or Treatment
Epiduo Gel
Evening · Once a week
$34.97
-
Enzyme Powder
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Once a week
$69.00
-
Cleansing Mask
HERBIVORE Botanicals Blue Tansy BHA and Enzyme Pore Refining Mask
Once a week
$58.00
-
Cleanser
Salicylic Acid Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
$15.00
-
Hydrating Toner
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner
Morning · Once a week
$25.60
-
Moisturizer
Polyglutamic Acid Serum
Morning · Evening · Once a week
$17.00
-
SPF
CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30
Morning
$14.97
-
Pre-Cleanser
Oat Cleansing Balm
Evening · Once a week
$17.00
-
Cleansing Toner
Glycolic Acid Toner
Evening
$18.00
-
Serum or Treatment
10% Azelaic Acid Serum
Evening · Once a week
$20.00
-
Enzyme Powder
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Once a week
$69.00
-
Cleansing Mask
HERBIVORE Botanicals Blue Tansy BHA and Enzyme Pore Refining Mask
Once a week
$58.00
Buy Galderma routine · $318.51 · 94% fit
Buy The INKEY List routine · $254.57 · 90% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit
Questions and answers
The INKEY List or Galderma: which is better?
The INKEY List and Galderma both offer strong options, with The INKEY List being better for hydration and gentle formulas, while Galderma is superior for acne clearance.
What is the difference between The INKEY List and Galderma?
The INKEY List offers affordable hydration and gentle formulas with a High fit for sensitive skin, whereas Galderma specializes in effective acne-clearing serums with a Superior fit for oily acne-prone skin.
The INKEY List or Galderma for dry skin?
For dry skin, the products on this page show that The INKEY List has a High routine fit, while Galderma has a Superior routine fit. Reviewers note that Galderma excels at acne clearance, whereas The INKEY List provides better hydration and a more gentle formula.
Which is more affordable, The INKEY List or Galderma?
The INKEY List is more affordable, offering budget-friendly prices on the products on this page.
Between The INKEY List and Galderma, which brand does better with gentle formulas and soothing?
The INKEY List does better with gentle formulas and soothing, offering products on this page that focus on hydration and gentle care. Reviewers often mention its gentle formula and soothing benefits compared to Galderma.
How do the founding years and countries of origin compare between The INKEY List and Galderma?
The INKEY List was founded in 2018 in the United Kingdom, whereas Galderma was founded earlier in 1981 in Switzerland.
Which brand is better for smoothing and fading scars, The INKEY List or Galderma?
Galderma is better for smoothing and fading scars compared to The INKEY List.
The INKEY List or Galderma for oily skin?
For oily skin, Galderma offers products on this page with a Superior routine fit, while The INKEY List has a High fit. Reviewers note that Galderma provides effective acne-clearing serums, whereas the products on this page from The INKEY List are known for being lightweight and fast-absorbing.
The INKEY List or Galderma for sensitive skin?
For sensitive skin, Lovi finds The INKEY List has a Superior fit, while Galderma has a High fit. Reviewers highlight The INKEY List for providing a gentle formula and soothing.
The INKEY List or Galderma for acne-prone skin?
Galderma is a better fit for acne-prone skin, as the products on this page achieve a Superior routine fit compared to The INKEY List's High fit level. Reviewers note that Galderma provides effective acne-clearing serums, though users may experience severe dryness, peeling, and irritation.
Research behind their key ingredients
The Effect of Aloe Vera Clinical Trials on Prevention and Healing of Skin Wound: A Systematic Review
Molecular basis of retinol anti-ageing properties in naturally aged human skin in vivo
Effects of ascorbic acid on gingival melanin pigmentation in vitro and in vivo
The moisturizing effects of glycolipid biosurfactants, mannosylerythritol lipids, on human skin
A comparative study of gluconolactone versus benzoyl peroxide in the treatment of acne
Chemical peels for acne vulgaris: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials
Topical Almond Oil for Prevention of Pressure Injuries: A Single-Blinded Comparison Study
The anti wrinkle efficacy of synthetic hexapeptide (Argireline) in Chinese Subjects
Darutoside promotes skin wound healing via regulating macrophage polarization
Treatment with Ascorbyl Glucoside-Arginine Complex Ameliorates Solar Lentigos
Targeting Circadian Rhythm for the Regulation of Skin Collagen Metabolism
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.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
-

Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
-

Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
-

Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
-

Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
-

Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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