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COSRX vs The INKEY List

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

COSRX and The INKEY List are two distinct skincare lines offering targeted serums, moisturizers, cleansers, toners, and more. The Korean brand is known for thoughtfully incorporating hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide to suit acne-prone and oily skin best, while the British brand builds its products around glycerin to fit sensitive and combination skin best. Both lines differ primarily in their ingredient profiles and their ideal skin types, with the former also utilizing snail mucin, propolis, and centella.

COSRX is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2013 and owned by Amorepacific Group since 2024.

koreajoongangdaily.combeautymatter.comprnewswire.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 COSRX and The INKEY List products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular COSRX vs The INKEY List products

People Say

COSRXThe INKEY List
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin drinks it up — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “woke up with soft, supple skin — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “Super hydrating — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
    • “intense nourishment — The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum”
  • Lightweight and fast-absorbing Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly like water — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “sinks in immediately — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide 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”
  • Texture improvement and smoothing Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “gives me that glass skin look — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “skin feels softer immediately — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “Skin feels like glass — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “Skin feels softer — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
  • Gentle and non-stripping formula Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “No stinging or irritation — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “perfect for first-time retinol users — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “doesn't strip my skin — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “Never tight or stripped — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
  • Value for money 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 — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
  • Acne and pore control Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “helped to improve my acne after only 2 weeks — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “cleared up my spots — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “Melted blackheads right off — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “Free of active acne — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
  • Packaging issues and small size Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “only 20mls... significantly less product — COSRX The Hyaluronic Acid 3 Serum”
    • “tube is tiny — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “tube cracked on the side — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “Tube leaks liquified oil when opened — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
  • Drying or insufficient for dry skin Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “left my face tight — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “leaves skin feeling tight — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “have dry skin but this doesn't feel hydrating at all — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
    • “leaves under eye dry — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
  • Unpleasant texture and sticky finish Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “texture is gooey and stringy — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “too slimy and sticky — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “Feels tacky on skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
    • “Leaves a greasy film on face after washing — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”

COSRX vs The INKEY List routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

COSRX vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

COSRX vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

COSRX or The INKEY List: which is better?

COSRX is better for oily and acne-prone skin, where Lovi rates its fit as Superior compared to the High fit of The INKEY List. Both brands offer an equal High fit for dry skin, combination skin, mature skin, skin with dark spots, and dry sensitive skin, and both offer a Superior fit for sensitive skin.

What is the difference between COSRX and The INKEY List?

COSRX is founded in South Korea and features snail mucin and honey extracts with a superior fit for oily and acne-prone skin, while The INKEY List is founded in the United Kingdom and focuses on straightforward, affordable key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin.

COSRX or The INKEY List for dry skin?

Both COSRX and The INKEY List offer a High routine fit for dry skin. The products on this page help provide deep hydration and moisturization for dry skin.

COSRX or The INKEY List: which cleanser is better?

Both COSRX and The INKEY List offer effective cleansers for different skin types, with COSRX achieving a superior fit level for sensitive, acne-prone, and dry skin on the products on this page. COSRX also does better for gentle and non-stripping formulas, whereas The INKEY List provides better value for money.

Which is more affordable, COSRX or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List is more affordable than COSRX, as the products on this page offer better value for money. Both brands provide budget-friendly options, but reviewers note that The INKEY List delivers particularly affordable moisturizers and serums.

COSRX or The INKEY List: which has better options for acne and pore control?

COSRX has better options for acne and pore control, as the products on this page achieve a Superior Lovi fit level for oily acne-prone skin compared to The High fit level of The INKEY List.

How do COSRX and The INKEY List compare regarding fragrance-free products?

COSRX and The INKEY List both offer extensive fragrance-free options among the products on this page. COSRX features 37 out of 38 products with no fragrance, while every product listed for The INKEY List contains no fragrance.

COSRX or The INKEY List: which brand is better for texture improvement and smoothing?

COSRX does better for texture improvement and smoothing than The INKEY List.

COSRX or The INKEY List for oily skin?

COSRX is the better choice for oily skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to High for The INKEY List. Reviewers note that COSRX also does better for acne and pore control.

COSRX or The INKEY List: which moisturizer is better?

Both COSRX and The INKEY List offer moisturizers with a High routine fit for dry skin, though COSRX achieves a Superior fit for oily skin.

COSRX or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

Both COSRX and The INKEY List are well suited for sensitive skin, as Lovi rates both brands as having a Superior fit level for this skin type. COSRX features gentle formulas with key ingredients like centella asiatica and allantoin, while every product on The INKEY List page lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

COSRX or The INKEY List for acne-prone skin?

COSRX achieves a Superior fit level for acne-prone skin on the products on this page, while The INKEY List reaches a High fit level. COSRX also does better for acne and pore control according to the reviewers.

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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