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Estée Lauder vs The INKEY List

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

Estée Lauder and The INKEY List are well-regarded skincare brands that offer comprehensive ranges of moisturizers, serums, eye products, cleansers, toners, and more. The American brand is beloved for formulations built around hydrating hyaluronic acid and glycerin, which suit acne-prone skin and mature skin best. Meanwhile, the British brand builds its products around glycerin, making them a fitting choice for sensitive skin and combination skin. While both rely on skin-nourishing ingredients, they differ significantly in their founding eras, target skin types, and specialized product offerings.

Estée Lauder is an American skincare brand founded in 1946 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc..

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

Popular Estée Lauder vs The INKEY List products

People Say

Estée LauderThe INKEY List
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin drinks it up immediately — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “The formula is incredibly hydrating and leaves my skin feeling smooth. — Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv”
    • “texture is dreamy — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Gel-Creme”
    • “Super hydrating — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
  • Lightweight feel and 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”
    • “Absorbs quickly into the skin — Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+”
  • Radiant glow and smooth texture Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “gives me that glass skin look — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “skin feels like a baby's bottom — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “silky smooth — Estée Lauder Micro Essence Treatment Lotion”
    • “Skin feels softer — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
  • Affordable price and great 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”
  • Gentle and non-drying cleansing Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “doesn't strip the skin — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée”
    • “Lathers well — Estée Lauder Soft Clean Moisture Rich Foaming Cleanser”
    • “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”
  • Makeup compatibility and base Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “doesn't pill — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Gel-Creme”
    • “layers flawlessly under foundation — Estée Lauder DayWear Moisturizer”
    • “Brilliant makeup base — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
    • “applies wonderfully under sunscreen and makeup — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
  • High price point and expensive Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “way too expensive for the size — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
  • Bulky and poor packaging Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “lid is hard to open — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée”
    • “Please make a jar or refill that is not as big and heavy. — Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv”
    • “Impossible to get out — Estée Lauder Soft Clean Moisture Rich Foaming Cleanser”
    • “Pump breaks easily — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
  • Scent and fragrance complaints 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”
    • “Scent is too overpowering — Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+”
  • Causes breakouts and skin irritation Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Stings my eyes badly — Estée Lauder Take It Away Makeup Remover Lotion”
    • “gave me tiny red bumps — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “did cause major breakouts — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
    • “New formula breaks me out — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”

Estée Lauder vs The INKEY List routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Estée Lauder vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Estée Lauder vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 94% fit

Questions and answers

Estée Lauder or The INKEY List: which is better?

The INKEY List is better for price and value, while Estée Lauder excels in deep hydration and moisturization based on the products on this page.

What is the difference between Estée Lauder and The INKEY List?

The INKEY List offers a more affordable price point and a lightweight feel, whereas Estée Lauder delivers deeper hydration and a radiant glow. The products on this page for The INKEY List achieve a High routine fit for oily skin, combination skin, skin with dark spots, and dry sensitive skin, where Estée Lauder reaches an Average fit.

Estée Lauder or The INKEY List for dry skin?

Both Estée Lauder and The INKEY List achieve a High routine fit level for dry skin on this page. Reviewers report that Estée Lauder provides deep hydration, while The INKEY List offers affordable, lightweight moisturizers.

Estée Lauder or The INKEY List: which cleanser is better?

When it comes to cleansers on this page, Estée Lauder and The INKEY List perform at an equal level for gentle and non-drying cleansing. Reviewers often mention Estée Lauder's cleansers provide a gentle and non-drying clean, while The INKEY List offers affordable options like the Salicylic Acid Cleanser.

Which is more affordable, Estée Lauder or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List is more affordable than Estée Lauder, as reviewers frequently note its affordable price and great value for moisturizers and serums. In contrast, Estée Lauder's high price point is mostly mentioned as a drawback by reviewers.

Estée Lauder or The INKEY List: which offers better deep hydration and moisturization?

Reviewers note that Estée Lauder does better for deep hydration and moisturization on this page. Both brands feature hyaluronic acid and glycerin across their products.

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

Estée Lauder or The INKEY List: which brand has fewer issues with strong fragrance or scent complaints?

The INKEY List has fewer issues with strong fragrance because every product on the page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas Estée Lauder includes fragrance in some of its products like the DayWear Moisturizer and Soft Clean Moisture Rich Foaming Cleanser.

Estée Lauder or The INKEY List: which is better suited for mature skin and skin with dark spots?

The INKEY List is better suited for mature skin and skin with dark spots, achieving a High routine fit for both compared to Estée Lauder's High fit for mature skin and Average fit for dark spots. The INKEY List features specific products like its PHA Toner and Tranexamic Acid Serum that address these concerns.

Estée Lauder or The INKEY List for oily skin?

The INKEY List is a better fit for oily skin, offering a High routine fit compared to Estée Lauder's Average level.

Estée Lauder or The INKEY List: which moisturizer is better?

The INKEY List offers budget-friendly moisturizers known for a lightweight, fast-absorbing feel and a plumping effect, whereas Estée Lauder provides deeply hydrating moisturizers that help deliver a radiant glow at a higher price point. For dry skin, the products on this page provide an equal High routine fit for both brands.

Estée Lauder or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

Both Estée Lauder and The INKEY List fit sensitive skin with a High Lovi level. The products on this page help provide gentle hydration and are well-tolerated by sensitive skin types.

Estée Lauder or The INKEY List for acne-prone skin?

Both brands achieve a High routine fit for acne-prone skin on the products on this page. Estée Lauder features key ingredients like hyaluronic acid across its range, while The INKEY List focuses on budget-friendly serums.

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

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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