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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 popular skincare brands that offer serums, moisturizers, cleansers, toners, masks, and eye products. The first brand is a Korean company founded in 2013 that features hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide to suit acne-prone and oily acne-prone skin best, while the second brand is a British company founded in 2018 that centers on glycerin to suit sensitive and combination skin best. Both brands provide targeted formulations for specific concerns, yet differ in their distinct ingredient profiles and geographic origins.

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

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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 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 · 98% fit

COSRX vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% 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 superior for acne-prone, oily, and oily acne-prone skin, while both brands offer equal routine fit for dry, combination, sensitive, mature, and dark-spot-prone skin. COSRX tends to do better for texture improvement, gentle formulas, and acne control, whereas The INKEY List provides better value for money.

What is the difference between COSRX and The INKEY List?

COSRX is founded in South Korea and fits acne-prone skin, oily acne-prone skin, and oily skin best, whereas The INKEY List is founded in the United Kingdom and fits sensitive skin, combination skin, and oily skin best. COSRX achieves a Superior fit level for oily skin, acne-prone skin, and oily acne-prone skin, while The INKEY List achieves a High fit level for those skin types.

COSRX or The INKEY List for dry skin?

Both COSRX and The INKEY List fit dry skin at a High level. Lovi rates both brands equally for this skin type, and the products on this page help provide deep hydration and moisturization.

COSRX or The INKEY List: which cleanser is better?

Both COSRX and The INKEY List offer cleansers with strong performance, but COSRX is better for acne-prone, oily acne-prone, and sensitive skin types where its cleansers like the Advanced Snail Mucin Gel Cleanser achieve a Superior Lovi fit level. The INKEY List provides solid options like the Salicylic Acid Cleanser, which also matches COSRX with a High fit for acne-prone, combination, and oily skin, but COSRX generally covers a wider range of high and superior ratings across specific skin concerns on this page.

Which is more affordable, COSRX or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List offers better value for money than COSRX across the products on this page. Reviewers note that The INKEY List provides affordable moisturizers and serums.

COSRX or The INKEY List: which brand is better for acne and pore control?

COSRX is better for acne and pore control, as it does better in acne and pore control review themes. For oily acne-prone skin, Lovi fit for COSRX is Superior and for The INKEY List is High.

Which brand has a better fragrance profile across its products, COSRX or The INKEY List?

COSRX has 37 of 38 products on this page listing no fragrance while The INKEY List has every product on this page listing no fragrance.

COSRX or The INKEY List: which brand performs better for oily acne-prone skin?

COSRX performs better for oily acne-prone skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to the High fit of The INKEY List. The products on this page help with acne control and clearing.

COSRX or The INKEY List for oily skin?

COSRX has a Superior routine fit for oily skin, whereas The INKEY List has a High fit. Reviewers note that COSRX does better for acne and pore control, as well as texture improvement and smoothing.

COSRX or The INKEY List: which moisturizer is better?

Both brands offer strong options, but COSRX is a better fit for oily and acne-prone skin, while The INKEY List provides more affordable choices across skin types. COSRX fits oily skin at a Superior level, whereas The INKEY List fits it at a High level.

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 at a Superior fit level for this skin type. COSRX features a broad range of fragrance-free products backed by key soothing ingredients like centella asiatica and snail mucin, while The INKEY List offers budget-friendly, fragrance-free formulas.

COSRX or The INKEY List for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, COSRX is superior to The INKEY List. Lovi rates COSRX as having Superior routine fit for acne-prone skin, while The INKEY List has a 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

How does it fit your skin?

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