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Avène vs The INKEY List

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

Avène and The INKEY List are distinct skincare brands designed to address diverse complexions. The French brand, founded in 1990, offers gentle moisturizers, protective sunscreens, targeted serums, and soothing cleansers formulated with glycerin that suit oily acne-prone skin and combination skin best. Conversely, the British brand, established in 2018, features moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products built around glycerin to fit sensitive skin and combination skin best. While both utilize glycerin to improve skin hydration and restore barrier function, their product types, founding origins, and specific target profiles differ.

Avène is a French skincare brand founded in 1990 and owned by Fondation Pierre Fabre.

pierre-fabre.comavene.co.ukaveneusa.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 Avène and The INKEY List products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Avène vs The INKEY List products

People Say

AvèneThe INKEY List
  • Gentleness and Soothing Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Calmed my angry red skin overnight — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “leaves face clean but not dry — Avène Cleanance”
    • “Nothing has ever worked to soothe or heal my skin like these before. — Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm”
    • “Safe and gentle especially for my dry, sensitive skin — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
  • Texture and Absorption Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Saves my skin in winter — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “Thick but absorbs well eventually — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “Gel consistency — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “Great for sensitive skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
  • Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Restores moisture barrier — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “Leaves my skin feeling soft and hydrated. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
    • “Super hydrating — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
    • “intense nourishment — The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum”
  • Value and Affordability 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”
    • “Bottle lasts for months — Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel”
  • Anti-Aging and Skin Repair Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “skin instantly felt firmer — Avène Hyaluron Activ B3 Concentrated Plumping Serum”
    • “Healed my over-exfoliated skin in days — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “skin looks fresh and plump — The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum”
    • “bags are gone — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
  • Acne and Oil Control Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Free of active acne — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “Skin instantly looks less oily — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “My T-zone was excessively oily... observed a subtle reduction in sebum. — The INKEY List Niacinamide Serum”
    • “Keeps me matte for hours — Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel”
  • Residue, Finish, and Texture Complaints Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “leaves a white layer — Avène Hydrance+”
    • “Leaves a greasy film — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “very runny serum — The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum”
    • “Feels tacky on skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
  • Packaging and Quality Control Issues Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Tube squirted water everywhere — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “Tube cracked on the side — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “Cap leaks in bag — Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel”
    • “Tube leaks liquified oil when opened — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
  • Strong Fragrance or Unpleasant Scent Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “The fragrance is very present. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
    • “smell is too strong — Avène Cleanance”
    • “Smells like BBQ/meat — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “Smells like chemicals — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”

Avène vs The INKEY List routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Avène vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Avène vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Avène or The INKEY List: which is better?

Both brands are great choices, but The INKEY List is better for acne and oil control as well as value and affordability, while Avène does better for gentleness and soothing. For dry sensitive skin specifically, Lovi rates The INKEY List at High and Avène at Average.

What is the difference between Avène and The INKEY List?

The INKEY List does better for value and affordability and for acne and oil control, while Avène does better for gentleness and soothing. Lovi gives The INKEY List a Superior routine fit for sensitive skin compared to High for Avène, and a High fit for dry sensitive skin compared to Average for Avène.

Avène or The INKEY List for dry skin?

Both Avène and The INKEY List fit dry skin well, as Lovi rates the dry-skin routine fit as High for both brands.

Avène or The INKEY List: which cleanser is better?

The INKEY List takes the lead for acne and oil control while offering affordable options, though Avène is recognized for gentleness and soothing properties. Reviewers note that the products on this page from both brands feature gentle deep clean cleansers.

Which is more affordable, Avène or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List does better than Avène for value and affordability. Reviewers frequently mention that The INKEY List offers affordable moisturizers and serums, whereas Avène has reviewers sometimes noting its price point.

Between Avène and The INKEY List, which brand has better options for dry sensitive skin?

The INKEY List has better options for dry sensitive skin, as Lovi rates its routine fit as High compared to Average for Avène. The products on this page for The INKEY List also list no fragrance, which helps minimize irritation for sensitive skin types.

Do any products from The INKEY List contain fragrance compared to Avène?

Every product from The INKEY List on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas 7 of the 15 Avène products on this page list fragrance.

Which brand performs better for acne and oil control according to reviewers?

The INKEY List performs better for acne and oil control according to reviewers.

Avène or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

The INKEY List is a better choice for sensitive skin because Lovi rates its routine fit as Superior, whereas Avène has a High fit level.

Avène or The INKEY List: which moisturizer is better?

Both brands offer moisturizers that help hydrate the skin. Lovi rates the routine fit for moisturizers from The INKEY List as High for dry skin, and similarly Avène provides options with a High fit level for dry skin.

Avène or The INKEY List for acne-prone skin?

Both Avène and The INKEY List fit acne-prone skin well, with Avène reaching a High routine fit level and The INKEY List also reaching a High routine fit level on this page.

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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