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Clarins vs The INKEY List

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

Clarins and The INKEY List are distinct skincare brands offering a range of moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products designed to address various complexion needs. The French brand, founded in 1954 and owned by Famille C, is renowned for luxurious formulas enriched with nourishing shea and hydrating squalane that suit sensitive and dry sensitive skin best. Conversely, the British brand, founded in 2018 and owned by Brand Evangelists for Beauty Limited, builds its offerings around glycerin to best fit sensitive and combination skin. While both cater to sensitive skin, they differ in their heritage, specific treatments, and primary active ingredients, with the former utilizing shea and squalane and the latter relying on glycerin.

Clarins is a French skincare brand founded in 1954 and owned by Famille C (Groupe Clarins).

groupeclarins.comen.wikipedia.orghappi.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 Clarins and The INKEY List products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Clarins vs The INKEY List products

People Say

ClarinsThe INKEY List
  • Hydration and moisture Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin drinks it up — Clarins Double Serum”
    • “keeps skin moist — Clarins Multi-Active Jour”
    • “woke up with baby soft skin — Clarins Multi-Active Nuit”
    • “Super hydrating — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
  • Lightweight and fast-absorbing texture Often MentionedMostly 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 immediately — Clarins Double Serum Eye”
  • Affordable price and value Not 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”
  • Good makeup base and primer Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Clarins Total Eye Lift”
    • “Perfect primer for any foundation, which all glide on smoothly. — Clarins Beauty Flash Balm”
    • “concealer sits better — Clarins Double Serum Eye”
    • “Brilliant makeup base — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
  • Texture smoothing and exfoliation Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Great for sensitive skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
    • “Skin feels softer — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
    • “Glass skin — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
    • “makes skin silky smooth — Clarins Hydrating Toning Lotion”
  • Acne clearing and blemish control Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “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”
  • Fragrance and scent issues Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “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”
    • “smells like perfume — Clarins Multi-Active Jour”
  • Packaging and pump design flaws Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “dispenses too much product — Clarins Total Eye Lift”
    • “dispenses too much — Clarins Double Serum Eye”
    • “Pump breaks easily — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “Very difficult to squeeze out at first — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
  • High price point Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “way too expensive — Clarins Double Serum”
  • Skin irritation and breakouts Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Clarins Double Serum”
    • “caused redness — Clarins Double Serum Eye”
    • “made my face burn — Clarins Cryo-Flash Cream-Mask”
    • “did cause major breakouts — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”

Clarins vs The INKEY List routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Clarins vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Clarins vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Clarins or The INKEY List: which is better?

The INKEY List tends to be better for oily and combination skin with a High Lovi fit level compared to Clarins' Average fit, while every product on The INKEY List page lists no fragrance.

What is the difference between Clarins and The INKEY List?

The INKEY List offers superior fit levels for sensitive skin compared to Clarins, while both brands achieve high fit levels for dry sensitive, mature, and acne-prone skin. The products on this page from Clarins feature key ingredients like shea butter, squalane, oat, hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, and glycerin, whereas The INKEY List focuses its products primarily on glycerin.

Clarins or The INKEY List for dry skin?

Both brands achieve a High routine fit for dry skin with the products on this page. Clarins focuses on hydrating and smoothing moisturizers, while The INKEY List offers affordable hydrating moisturizers and lightweight textures.

Clarins or The INKEY List: which cleanser is better?

The INKEY List is better for cleansing oily, acne-prone, and combination skin, as its Salicylic Acid Cleanser achieves a High Lovi fit level for those types compared to Clarins's Average fit. For dry sensitive skin, Clarins's Hydrating Gentle Foaming Cleanser reaches a High Lovi fit level, whereas The INKEY List cleanser has a Caution fit.

Which is more affordable, Clarins or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List is more affordable than Clarins, as its products on this page are known for affordable prices and value, whereas Clarins has a high price point.

Clarins or The INKEY List: which has fragrance?

Clarins offers products that contain fragrance, while every product on The INKEY List page lists no fragrance.

Clarins or The INKEY List for oily skin?

The INKEY List fits oily skin better than Clarins, as the products on this page offer a High routine fit for oily skin compared to Clarins's Average level.

Clarins or The INKEY List: which moisturizer is better?

Both Clarins and The INKEY List offer moisturizers with a high routine fit for dry skin, though Clarins features luxurious textures while The INKEY List is known for being affordable. Hyaluronic acid, found in the products on this page, helps provide hydration for skin quality and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

Clarins or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

The INKEY List is a better fit for sensitive skin, offering a Superior routine fit compared to Clarins' High fit. Additionally, every product on The INKEY List page lists no fragrance, whereas almost all Clarins products contain fragrance.

Clarins or The INKEY List for acne-prone skin?

Both Clarins and The INKEY List fit acne-prone skin at a High level. The INKEY List features acne clearing and blemish control better, while Clarins has skin irritation and breakouts as a negative review theme.

Clarins or The INKEY List for mature skin?

Both Clarins and The INKEY List fit mature skin at a High level on this page. Clarins is best for hydrating and smoothing mature skin, while The INKEY List offers more affordable options.

Clarins or The INKEY List for skin with dark spots?

Both Clarins and The INKEY List fit skin with dark spots at a High level. Every product on The INKEY List page lists no fragrance, whereas 23 of 24 Clarins products on the page list fragrance.

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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