🇮🇪Ireland

Some By Mi vs The INKEY List

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

Some By Mi and The INKEY List are distinct skincare lines originating from South Korea and the United Kingdom, respectively. The Korean brand delivers serums, cleansers, toners, and moisturizers featuring niacinamide, centella asiatica, and salicylic acid, while the British brand offers moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products built around glycerin. Both options suit different complexions, with the former favoring dry sensitive and dry skin, and the latter fitting sensitive and combination skin best. They differ primarily in their formulation philosophies, as the Asian line targets blemishes and hyperpigmentation with acids, whereas its counterpart focuses on hydration and barrier repair with glycerin.

Some By Mi is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by JKL Partners since 2021.

kedglobal.compreqin.comtracxn.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 Some By Mi and The INKEY List products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Some By Mi vs The INKEY List products

People Say

Some By MiThe INKEY List
  • Hydration and Moisturizing Often MentionedOften 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”
    • “Lasts 100 hours as claimed — Some By Mi Beta Panthenol Repair Cream”
  • Lightweight and Fast Absorbing Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs quickly — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream”
    • “absorbs quickly — Some By Mi Snail Truecica Miracle Repair Serum”
    • “Gel consistency — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “feels like applying straight up water to the skin — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Reduces pimples — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “cleared my cystic acne — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Acne Clear Foam”
    • “Free of active acne — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “Redness has lessened and the cluster of whiteheads... cleared. — The INKEY List Niacinamide Serum”
  • Gentle Formula Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Zero irritation or redness — Some By Mi Retinol Intense Reactivating Serum”
    • “doesn't strip dry my skin — Some By Mi Super Matcha Pore Clean Clay Mask”
    • “Safe and gentle especially for my dry, sensitive skin — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “Never tight or stripped — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
  • Skin Texture Improvement Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Skin became smoother — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “Surprisingly gentle — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “Skin feels baby soft — Some By Mi Retinol Intense Reactivating Serum”
    • “Great for sensitive skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
  • 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”
  • Scent and Fragrance 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”
    • “overwhelming citrus fragrance — Some By Mi V10 Hyal Air Fit Sunscreen”
  • Dryness and Irritation Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Skin felt tight — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “left my skin tight — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Acne Clear Foam”
    • “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”
  • Sticky or Tacky Finish Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “leaves sticky film — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream”
    • “Not a miracle — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “Leaves sticky residue — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “Feels tacky on skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”

Some By Mi vs The INKEY List routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Some By Mi vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Some By Mi vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Some By Mi or The INKEY List: which is better?

Some By Mi is better for skin texture improvement and targeting dark spots, while The INKEY List excels in hydration, moisturizing, and price value. Both brands offer equally gentle formulas and effective acne-clearing treatments across the products on this page.

What is the difference between Some By Mi and The INKEY List?

Some By Mi delivers a Superior fit for dry sensitive skin and skin with dark spots, whereas The INKEY List provides a High fit for both. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppresses melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Some By Mi or The INKEY List for dry skin?

Some By Mi is the better choice for dry skin, as the products on this page achieve a Superior routine fit compared to the High fit of The INKEY List. Reviewers often note that Some By Mi offers excellent texture moisturizers, and the brand is specially formulated to fit dry skin types.

Some By Mi or The INKEY List: which cleanser is better?

When comparing cleansers, Some By Mi achieves a Superior Lovi fit level for oily acne-prone skin, whereas The INKEY List cleansers offer a High Lovi fit level for that skin type. Reviewers note that Some By Mi cleansers provide deep pore cleansing, while The INKEY List focuses on affordable formulations.

Which is more affordable, Some By Mi or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List is more affordable, as price and value reviewers mostly note its affordability. Some By Mi does not lead in this category.

Which brand performs better for hydration and moisturizing, Some By Mi or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List performs better for hydration and moisturizing based on reviewer feedback. Lovi rates the routine fit for dry skin as Superior for Some By Mi and High for The INKEY List.

Which brand is better for improving skin texture, Some By Mi or The INKEY List?

Some By Mi does better for skin texture, as the products on this page focus on smoothing textures and improving the complexion. Niacinamide helps reduce pigmentation and control skin aging, which supports a smoother appearance.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Which brand performs better for treating skin with dark spots, Some By Mi or The INKEY List?

Some By Mi performs better for treating skin with dark spots, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to High for The INKEY List. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Some By Mi or The INKEY List for oily skin?

Both Some By Mi and The INKEY List fit oily skin at a High level on this page. Some By Mi products on this page feature key ingredients like niacinamide, which helps control skin aging and pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Some By Mi or The INKEY List: which moisturizer is better?

When choosing a moisturizer, Some By Mi achieves a Superior Lovi fit level for dry skin while The INKEY List reaches a High fit level, and shoppers often note that The INKEY List offers more affordable moisturizing options.

Some By Mi or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

Both Some By Mi and The INKEY List achieve a Superior Lovi fit level for sensitive skin, so either brand helps provide a well-suited option. Reviewers note that both brands offer gentle formulas, while Some By Mi specifically focuses on dry sensitive skin as one of its best-fit skin types.

Some By Mi or The INKEY List for acne-prone skin?

Both Some By Mi and The INKEY List fit acne-prone skin at a High level, though Some By Mi is founded in South Korea and The INKEY List in the United Kingdom. Niacinamide helps reduce pigmentation, and both brands offer products addressing blemishes.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

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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