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The Ordinary vs The INKEY List

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

The Ordinary and The INKEY List are well-regarded skincare brands that offer serums, moisturizers, cleansers, toners, and eye products built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane. The Canadian brand features formulations that fit dry skin and sensitive skin best, while the British brand suits sensitive skin and combination skin. Both brands differ in their specific product lines and ingredient concentrations, yet each provides targeted solutions for acne-prone skin, dark spots, and mature concerns.

The Ordinary is a Canadian skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 2021.

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

Popular The Ordinary vs The INKEY List products

People Say

The OrdinaryThe INKEY List
  • Affordable price and value Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “lasts forever — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “can't beat the price — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “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”
  • Smooths skin texture Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “skin feels baby butt smooth — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “skin looks fresh and plump — The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum”
  • Hydration and moisture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Clears acne and reduces blemishes Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “pimples disappear within a day — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “scars and hormonal acne faded — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “faded dark spots — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “Free of active acne — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
  • Lightweight and fast-absorbing texture Sometimes NotedMostly 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”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • Other product characteristics Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “eliminated armpit odor — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “never had any reaction to it with my sensitive skin — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “leaves skin feeling matte — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “Great for sensitive skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
  • Other product issues Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “very runny serum — The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum”
    • “Leaves a greasy film on face after washing — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “Forms a crust on the hole at the flick top cap. — The INKEY List Niacinamide Serum”
    • “foams up like soap — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
  • Packaging and container issues Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “The 50ml tube runs out way too fast. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “Wish it came in a pump — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
    • “Tube leaks liquified oil when opened — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
  • Sticky or tacky finish Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Feels tacky on skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
    • “Leaves a tackiness that never goes away. — The INKEY List Niacinamide Serum”
    • “feeling sticky — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”

The Ordinary vs The INKEY List routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

The Ordinary vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or The INKEY List: which is better?

The Ordinary outperforms The INKEY List for dry skin routines on the products on this page, offering a Superior routine fit compared to a High fit for The INKEY List.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and The INKEY List?

The Ordinary provides superior routine fits for almost all skin types including dry and oily skin compared to The INKEY List, and reviewers find that it does better at clearing acne and smoothing skin texture. Meanwhile, The INKEY List offers lighter and faster-absorbing moisturizers along with better hydration and moisture. Hyaluronic acid helps improve skin moisture and wound healing.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

The Ordinary or The INKEY List for dry skin?

For dry skin, both brands work well, but The Ordinary offers a superior routine fit compared to The INKEY List's high fit on the products on this page. Hyaluronic acid helps improve skin moisture and hydration.

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

The Ordinary or The INKEY List: which cleanser is better?

The products on this page for The Ordinary offer cleansers with strong fit levels like the Glucoside Foaming Cleanser fitting oily and dry skin at High levels, while The INKEY List features popular options like the Salicylic Acid Cleanser and Oat Cleansing Balm which also reach High or Superior fit levels for various skin types.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or The INKEY List?

Both The Ordinary and The INKEY List perform equally well for affordable price and value across the products on this page.

Which brand is better for smoothing skin texture, The Ordinary or The INKEY List?

The Ordinary does better for smoothing skin texture among the products on this page. Sodium hyaluronate helps improve skin quality and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

How do the founding details and ownership differ between The Ordinary and The INKEY List?

The Ordinary was founded in 2016 in Canada and has been owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 2021. In contrast, The INKEY List was founded in 2018 in the United Kingdom and is owned by Brand Evangelists for Beauty Limited.

Which brand performs better regarding hydration and moisture according to reviews?

According to reviews, The INKEY List performs better regarding hydration and moisture.

The Ordinary or The INKEY List for oily skin?

The Ordinary fits oily skin with a Superior routine level, whereas The INKEY List has a High routine level. Sodium hyaluronate helps improve skin hydration, and niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppresses melanosome transfer.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Drug Delivery, 2017

The Ordinary or The INKEY List: which moisturizer is better?

The products on this page show that The Ordinary offers superior routine fit for dry skin compared to The INKEY List. Reviewers mention that The INKEY List delivers better hydration and moisture through its moisturizers, while The Ordinary has better other product characteristics.

The Ordinary or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

Both The Ordinary and The INKEY List achieve a Superior routine fit for sensitive skin. The Ordinary offers products on this page featuring soothing ingredients like panthenol, which helps support the skin barrier.

American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002

The Ordinary or The INKEY List for acne-prone skin?

The Ordinary is the better choice for acne-prone skin because the products on this page achieve a Superior routine fit compared to The INKEY List's High fit.

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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