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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 affordable skincare brands offering targeted serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and toners built around ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid. The Canadian brand centers its formulations on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane to suit dry skin and sensitive skin, whereas the British brand relies primarily on glycerin for similar skin types. Both feature specialized products for acne-prone skin, dark spots, and mature skin, yet they differ in their specific ingredient pairings and exact product selections.

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.

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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 · 95% fit

The Ordinary vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or The INKEY List: which is better?

Both brands offer great value and fragrance-free formulas, but The Ordinary achieves a Superior fit level for more skin types on this page compared to The INKEY List. Reviewers also note that the products on this page are better at clearing acne, while The INKEY List excels in hydration and lightweight textures.

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

The Ordinary outperforms The INKEY List for oily, acne-prone, and mature skin as well as skin with dark spots on this page, while both brands offer equal routine fit for dry, combination, sensitive, and dry sensitive skin. Reviewers note that the products on this page by The Ordinary do better at smoothing skin texture and clearing acne, whereas The INKEY List is favored for hydration and lightweight, fast-absorbing texture.

The Ordinary or The INKEY List for dry skin?

Both The Ordinary and The INKEY List are well-suited for dry skin, as Lovi rates the routine fit for this skin type as Superior for both brands. Hyaluronic acid helps improve skin quality and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

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

The products on this page for The Ordinary offer more cleanser options, including the Glycolipid Cream Cleanser and Glucoside Foaming Cleanser with high fit levels across multiple skin types, whereas The INKEY List features specific options like the Salicylic Acid Cleanser and Oat Cleansing Balm.

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

Both The Ordinary and The INKEY List are equal when it comes to affordability and value.

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

The Ordinary does better for smoothing skin texture among the products on this page. Reviewers often mention its texture-smoothing serums as a praised benefit.

Between The Ordinary and The INKEY List, which brand performs better for hydration and moisture?

The INKEY List performs better for hydration and moisture among the products on this page, as reviewers frequently highlight its hydrating and lightweight moisturizers. Topical hyaluronic acid helps improve skin hydration and quality.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Which brand is better for clearing acne and reducing blemishes, The Ordinary or The INKEY List?

The Ordinary does better for clearing acne and reducing blemishes among the products on this page, as reviewers highlight its acne-clearing serums.

The Ordinary or The INKEY List for oily skin?

The Ordinary is a better choice for oily skin, as the products on this page achieve a Superior routine fit compared to The INKEY List's High fit level. Reviewers note that The Ordinary also does better at clearing acne and reducing blemishes.

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

Both The Ordinary and The INKEY List offer products on this page that help deliver strong hydration and moisture. The INKEY List stands out for its hydrating moisturizers, while the products on this page from The Ordinary achieve a Superior routine fit for dry skin.

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 fragrance-free products on this page and is noted for smooth texture, while The INKEY List is known for lightweight hydration.

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

The Ordinary is a better fit for acne-prone skin, as the products on this page achieve a Superior routine fit compared to The INKEY List's High fit level. Reviewers also mention that The Ordinary does better at clearing acne and reducing blemishes.

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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