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celimax vs The INKEY List

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

celimax and The INKEY List are distinct skincare brands offering targeted daily essentials, with the former originating in Korea in 2019 and the latter founded in Britain in 2018. The Korean brand is known for thoughtful serums, moisturizers, toners, and makeup removers featuring carefully selected ingredients, while the British brand focuses on glycerin-based moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products. Both options suit sensitive skin, though the former best serves acne-prone skin and the latter fits combination skin. They differ primarily in their formulation approaches and regional origins, with the former utilizing gentle yet effective compositions and the latter building its products around hydration and barrier restoration.

celimax is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2019 and owned by ABSORBLAB Co., Ltd..

celimax.comcelimax.us

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

Popular celimax vs The INKEY List products

People Say

celimaxThe INKEY List
  • Lightweight and Fast-Absorbing Texture Often MentionedMostly 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”
    • “absorbs incredibly fast — celimax Pore+Dark Spot Brightening Serum”
  • Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Skin stays soft throughout the day — celimax Dual Barrier Creamy Toner”
    • “gives a very beautiful glow to your skin — celimax Noni Ampoule”
    • “Super hydrating — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
    • “intense nourishment — The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum”
  • Soothing, Calming, and Barrier Repair Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “calms my face redness upon application — celimax Noni Ampoule”
    • “Helped restore skin after chemical peels — celimax Dual Barrier Skin Wearable Cream”
    • “cleans deeply without stripping — celimax Noni Acne Bubble Cleanser”
    • “Safe and gentle especially for my dry, sensitive skin — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
  • Affordable 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”
  • Acne Clearing and Oil Control Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Free of active acne — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “Skin instantly looks less oily — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “great for oily skin but anyone can use it — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
    • “effectively controls oil, leaving a matte finish without making the skin feel greasy — celimax Oil Control Light Sunscreen”
  • Texture Improvement and Exfoliation Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “glass-like smoothness — celimax RETINAL SHOT”
    • “skin feels noticeably smoother — celimax Heartleaf BHA Peeling Pad”
    • “skin feels noticeably smoother — celimax Ji.Woo.Gae Cica BHA Blemish Toner Pad”
    • “Great for sensitive skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
  • Packaging and Dispenser Issues Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “tiny — celimax RETINAL SHOT”
    • “pump shoots out — celimax Derma Nature Fresh Blackhead Jojoba Cleansing Oil”
    • “Pump breaks easily — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “Very difficult to squeeze out at first — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
  • Texture Problems and Inconsistencies Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “leaves a white cast this is not suitable for deeper skin tone — celimax Oil Control Light Sunscreen”
    • “Felt a bit suffocating in summer — celimax Dual Barrier Skin Wearable Cream”
    • “Pills if I apply foundation over it — celimax Dual Barrier Skin Wearable Cream”
    • “Tube leaks liquified oil when opened — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
  • Sticky, Tacky, or Heavy Residue Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “slight yellow tint — celimax RETINAL SHOT”
    • “tacky finish — celimax Pore+Dark Spot Brightening Pad”
    • “slightly tacky finish — celimax Heartleaf BHA Peeling Pad”
    • “Feels tacky on skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
  • Lack of Results or Ineffectiveness Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “didn't notice pore reduction — celimax Pore+Dark Spot Brightening Serum”
    • “results take time — celimax Pore+Dark Spot Brightening Serum”
    • “didn't do anything for circles — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “did absolutely nothing — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”

celimax vs The INKEY List routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

celimax vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

celimax vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 94% fit

Questions and answers

celimax or The INKEY List: which is better?

Both brands are great choices, but they suit different needs. The INKEY List is better for lightweight textures, acne clearing, and affordability, while celimax excels at soothing and texture improvement.

What is the difference between celimax and The INKEY List?

celimax is better for soothing, calming, and barrier repair as well as texture improvement and exfoliation, whereas The INKEY List is better for lightweight and fast-absorbing textures, affordable prices and value, and acne clearing and oil control. The routine fit for dry skin is Average for celimax and High for The INKEY List, while dry sensitive skin is Average for celimax and High for The INKEY List.

celimax or The INKEY List for dry skin?

For dry skin, The INKEY List is a High fit, whereas celimax is an Average fit. The INKEY List offers superior hydration products like its Polyglutamic Acid Serum and Oat Cleansing Balm, which help nourish dry skin effectively.

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

celimax or The INKEY List: which cleanser is better?

Both celimax and The INKEY List offer effective cleansers, but The INKEY List excels in acne clearing and oil control while celimax is better for soothing and calming the skin. Reviewers note that both brands' products on this page list no fragrance.

Which is more affordable, celimax or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List is more affordable, as the products on this page offer better affordable price and value.

Which brand has better texture improvement and exfoliation, celimax or The INKEY List?

celimax has better texture improvement and exfoliation compared to The INKEY List. Reviewers often note smoother skin texture from its products on this page.

Which brand has fewer packaging and dispenser issues, celimax or The INKEY List?

Both celimax and The INKEY List perform equally regarding packaging and dispenser issues, as each brand frequently receives negative feedback from reviewers about its packaging.

celimax or The INKEY List for oily skin?

Both celimax and The INKEY List fit oily skin well, with Lovi routine fit levels rated High for both brands on this page. The products on this page help provide good options for balancing and managing oily skin types.

celimax or The INKEY List: which moisturizer is better?

Both celimax and The INKEY List offer good moisturizers, with celimax specializing in soothing, calming, and barrier repair, while The INKEY List focuses on lightweight textures, affordability, and hydration.

celimax or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

Both celimax and The INKEY List fit sensitive skin well, with a High routine fit for both brands. Shoppers looking for soothing and barrier repair may prefer celimax, while those seeking lightweight and fast-absorbing moisturizers or affordable prices may favor The INKEY List.

celimax or The INKEY List for acne-prone skin?

Both celimax and The INKEY List fit acne-prone skin well, as their routines achieve a High Lovi fit level for this skin type. The INKEY List does better for acne clearing and oil control, while celimax does better for soothing, calming, and barrier repair.

celimax or The INKEY List for dry sensitive skin?

The INKEY List fits dry sensitive skin better, as the products on this page have a High routine fit compared to celimax at Average. Both brands list no fragrance in their products on this page.

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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