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Clarins vs The INKEY List

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

Clarins and The INKEY List are distinct skincare brands offering a range of moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products designed to address various complexion needs. The French brand, founded in 1954 and owned by Famille C, is renowned for luxurious formulas enriched with nourishing shea and hydrating squalane that suit sensitive and dry sensitive skin best. Conversely, the British brand, founded in 2018 and owned by Brand Evangelists for Beauty Limited, builds its offerings around glycerin to best fit sensitive and combination skin. While both cater to sensitive skin, they differ in their heritage, specific treatments, and primary active ingredients, with the former utilizing shea and squalane and the latter relying on glycerin.

Clarins is a French skincare brand founded in 1954 and owned by Famille C (Groupe Clarins).

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

Popular Clarins vs The INKEY List products

People Say

ClarinsThe INKEY List
  • Hydration and moisture Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin drinks it up — Clarins Double Serum”
    • “keeps skin moist — Clarins Multi-Active Jour”
    • “woke up with baby soft skin — Clarins Multi-Active Nuit”
    • “Super hydrating — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
  • 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 immediately — Clarins Double Serum Eye”
  • 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”
  • Good makeup base and primer Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Clarins Total Eye Lift”
    • “Perfect primer for any foundation, which all glide on smoothly. — Clarins Beauty Flash Balm”
    • “concealer sits better — Clarins Double Serum Eye”
    • “Brilliant makeup base — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
  • Texture smoothing and exfoliation Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Great for sensitive skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
    • “Skin feels softer — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
    • “Glass skin — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
    • “makes skin silky smooth — Clarins Hydrating Toning Lotion”
  • Acne clearing and blemish control Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “Free of active acne — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “calms redness instantly — The INKEY List 10% Azelaic Acid Serum”
    • “Skin instantly looks less oily — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
  • Fragrance and scent issues 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”
    • “smells like perfume — Clarins Multi-Active Jour”
  • Packaging and pump design flaws Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “dispenses too much product — Clarins Total Eye Lift”
    • “dispenses too much — Clarins Double Serum Eye”
    • “Pump breaks easily — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “Very difficult to squeeze out at first — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
  • High price point Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “way too expensive — Clarins Double Serum”
  • Skin irritation and breakouts Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Clarins Double Serum”
    • “caused redness — Clarins Double Serum Eye”
    • “made my face burn — Clarins Cryo-Flash Cream-Mask”
    • “did cause major breakouts — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”

Clarins vs The INKEY List routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Clarins vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Clarins vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 94% fit

Questions and answers

Clarins or The INKEY List: which is better?

The INKEY List offers better affordability and more effective acne clearing and texture smoothing across the products on this page, while Clarins provides more luxurious hydration and a good makeup base. Lovi routine fit for dry skin is High for The INKEY List and Average for Clarins.

What is the difference between Clarins and The INKEY List?

The INKEY List offers more affordable pricing and better results for acne clearing, whereas Clarins focuses on luxurious hydration and acts well as a makeup base.

Clarins or The INKEY List for dry skin?

The INKEY List may fit dry skin better than Clarins, as its routine fit for dry skin is rated High while Clarins is rated Average. Hyaluronic acid helps improve skin hydration and moisture.

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

Clarins or The INKEY List: which cleanser is better?

The INKEY List stands out as the better choice for cleansers because the products on this page provide higher fit levels for oily and acne-prone skin types compared to Clarins. Reviewers also note that The INKEY List offers more affordable pricing and effective texture smoothing.

Which is more affordable, Clarins or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List is more affordable, as reviewers on the page frequently mention its affordable moisturizers and serums.

Between Clarins and The INKEY List, which brand offers better options for mature skin?

Both Clarins and The INKEY List achieve a High routine fit for mature skin. Clarins brings superior options such as Extra-Firming Day Cream and Super Restorative Night Cream, while every product on The INKEY List page lists no fragrance.

How do the fragrance policies of Clarins and The INKEY List differ across their product lines?

The INKEY List lists no fragrance in every product on this page, whereas only 1 of the 24 Clarins products lists no fragrance.

Which brand performs better for texture smoothing and exfoliation according to reviews?

According to the reviews on the page, The INKEY List performs better than Clarins for texture smoothing and exfoliation.

Clarins or The INKEY List for oily skin?

The INKEY List is a better fit for oily skin, offering High routine fit compared to Clarins' Average routine fit on the products on this page.

Clarins or The INKEY List: which moisturizer is better?

The INKEY List may provide better moisturizer options because the products on this page achieve a High routine fit for dry skin, whereas Clarins averages an Average routine fit for dry skin. Reviewers also note that The INKEY List offers more affordable and lightweight, fast-absorbing moisturizers.

Clarins or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

Both Clarins and The INKEY List fit sensitive skin well, with Lovi fit levels of High for both brands across their routines. Reviewers frequently mention that The INKEY List avoids fragrance issues, whereas Clarins products on this page often list added fragrance.

Clarins or The INKEY List for acne-prone skin?

The INKEY List is a better choice for acne-prone skin, as the products on this page achieve a High Lovi fit level for this skin type compared to Clarins' Average fit level.

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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