🇮🇪Ireland

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 popular skincare brands founded in 2013 and 2018, respectively. The Korean brand is beloved for its serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and masks featuring hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide, while the British brand offers moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products built around glycerin. Both brands suit sensitive skin best, with the former also favoring oily skin and the latter combination skin. They differ primarily in their regional origins and specific ingredient blends, yet each offers targeted solutions for acne-prone skin, dark spots, and mature concerns.

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 · 98% 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 · 95% fit

Questions and answers

COSRX or The INKEY List: which is better?

COSRX outperforms The INKEY List for oily and acne-prone skin with a Superior Lovi fit level, whereas both brands achieve an equal High fit level for sensitive, mature, and dry sensitive skin. Reviewers indicate that COSRX does better for acne and pore control, while The INKEY List does better for value for money.

What is the difference between COSRX and The INKEY List?

COSRX achieves a Superior fit level for oily skin and acne-prone skin, whereas The INKEY List reaches a High fit level for those skin types. Reviewers note that COSRX does better for texture improvement and acne control, while The INKEY List does better for value for money.

COSRX or The INKEY List for dry skin?

Both COSRX and The INKEY List fit dry skin well, offering a High routine fit on Lovi. COSRX helps dry skin through deeply hydrating products like its Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence, while The INKEY List features affordable moisturizers that are good for dry skin types.

COSRX or The INKEY List: which cleanser is better?

COSRX offers a range of cleansers with varying Lovi fit levels, such as the Advanced Snail Mucin Gel Cleanser which is rated Superior for sensitive, acne-prone, dry, dry sensitive, and combination skin, and High for oily skin and dark spots. The INKEY List also features cleansers like the Salicylic Acid Cleanser, which has a High Lovi fit for combination, acne-prone, oily, and sensitive skin, but carries a Caution warning for dry and dry sensitive skin.

Which is more affordable, COSRX or The INKEY List?

The products on this page show that The INKEY List does better for value for money.

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

COSRX does better for texture improvement than The INKEY List.

How do the fragrance options compare between COSRX and The INKEY List products?

COSRX features one fragranced product among the products on this page, while every product on The INKEY List page lists no fragrance.

COSRX or The INKEY List for oily skin?

COSRX is the better choice for oily skin, offering a superior routine fit compared to The INKEY List's high fit. COSRX products on this page help control oil and clear acne effectively.

COSRX or The INKEY List: which moisturizer is better?

Both COSRX and The INKEY List offer quality moisturizers, but COSRX is superior for oily and acne-prone skin, while The INKEY List is particularly noted for affordable moisturizers. COSRX fits oily skin at a Superior level and The INKEY List at a High level.

COSRX or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

Both COSRX and The INKEY List offer a Superior Lovi fit level for sensitive skin. COSRX features a wider variety of key ingredients across its products on this page, whereas every product on The INKEY List page lists no fragrance.

COSRX or The INKEY List for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, COSRX fits better with a Superior routine level compared to The INKEY List at High. COSRX also does better for acne and pore control according to 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?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play