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Medicube vs The INKEY List

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

Medicube and The INKEY List are distinct skincare lines founded in 2016 and 2018, respectively. Medicube is a Korean brand known for moisturizers, serums, toners, and masks featuring niacinamide, collagen, and hyaluronic acid, making it best for oily acne-prone and oily skin. The INKEY List is a British brand offering moisturizers, serums, toners, eye products, and more built around glycerin, suiting sensitive and combination skin. While both brands offer targeted solutions, they differ in their foundational ingredients and regional origins.

Medicube is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by APR Corp..

medicubereviews.co.ukglossy.co

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

Popular Medicube vs The INKEY List products

People Say

MedicubeThe INKEY List
  • Affordable price point 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”
  • Smoother and improved skin texture Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “gives my skin a smooth, glass-like finish — Medicube Zero Pore Pad”
    • “skin feels smoother — Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum”
    • “skin feels baby soft — Medicube Zero Pore Blackhead Mud Mask”
    • “Skin feels softer — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
  • Lightweight and fast-absorbing Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “Gel consistency — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “feels like applying straight up water to the skin — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
    • “absorbs instantly — The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
  • Soothing and gentle Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “calming the skin — Medicube Red Succinic Acid Peeling Pad”
    • “Did not cause any irritation — Medicube Red Foam Cleanser”
    • “Safe and gentle especially for my dry, sensitive skin — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “Non-irritating formula — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
  • Hydration and plumping Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “woke up with baby soft skin — Medicube Collagen Jelly Cream”
    • “skin feels plump and bouncy — Medicube Collagen Night Wrapping Mask”
    • “fine lines vanished — Medicube PDRN Pink Collagen Gel Mask”
    • “skin feels soft and bouncy — The INKEY List ECTOIN HYDRO-BARRIER SERUM”
  • Clears acne Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Free of active acne — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “cleared hormonal acne — The INKEY List 10% Azelaic Acid Serum”
    • “Cleared up mask acne — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
    • “active breakouts look less inflamed — Medicube Red Succinic Acid Peeling Pad”
  • Drying and stripping Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Skin feels very tight — Medicube Zero Foam Cleanser”
    • “skin felt very tight — Medicube Zero Pore Blackhead Mud Mask”
    • “have dry skin but this doesn't feel hydrating at all — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
    • “Leaves my skin a bit dry — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
  • Sticky residue and finish Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “Feels tacky on skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
    • “feeling sticky — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “sets to a tacky finish — The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum”
    • “feels way too sticky and tacky — Medicube DEEP VITA-C CAPSULE CREAM”
  • Packaging issues Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Package is super leaky — Medicube Deep Vita C Pad”
    • “Residue would harden around the pump — Medicube Red Foam Cleanser”
    • “Pump breaks easily — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”

Medicube vs The INKEY List routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Medicube vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Medicube vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 94% fit

Questions and answers

Medicube or The INKEY List: which is better?

Both Medicube and The INKEY List are great options, as they offer an equal High fit for all skin types. Medicube helps with smoother skin texture and hydration and plumping, while The INKEY List is better for an affordable price point and clearing acne.

What is the difference between Medicube and The INKEY List?

Medicube specializes in targeted skin texture and hydration improvements, whereas The INKEY List focuses on affordable and lightweight formulations. Both brands achieve High routine fit levels across all major skin types.

Medicube or The INKEY List for dry skin?

Both Medicube and The INKEY List fit dry skin at a High level. Medicube products on this page help provide deep hydration and smoother skin texture, while The INKEY List products offer affordable, lightweight, and fast-absorbing moisturizers.

Medicube or The INKEY List: which cleanser is better?

Both brands offer strong options, but Medicube is better for smoother skin texture while The INKEY List is better for clearing acne and affordability.

Which is more affordable, Medicube or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List is more affordable, offering lower price points for both its moisturizers and serums across the products on this page.

Between Medicube and The INKEY List, which brand uses fragrance in its products?

Medicube uses fragrance in some of its products, as 23 of 25 products on the Medicube page list no fragrance while the Collagen Jelly Cream and Deep Vita A Retinol Serum do contain it. In contrast, every product on The INKEY List page lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

How do Medicube and The INKEY List compare in terms of country of origin and founding year?

Medicube was founded in South Korea in 2016, whereas The INKEY List was founded in the United Kingdom in 2018.

Which brand performs better for smoother and improved skin texture according to reviews?

Medicube performs better for smoother and improved skin texture according to reviews.

Medicube or The INKEY List for oily skin?

Both Medicube and The INKEY List achieve a High routine fit for oily skin. The products on this page show that Medicube provides targeted support with options like the Zero Pore Pad, while The INKEY List offers oil-balancing formulas such as the Salicylic Acid Cleanser.

Medicube or The INKEY List: which moisturizer is better?

Both brands offer moisturizers that help deliver deep hydration, with Medicube standing out for hydration and plumping while The INKEY List is known for lightweight and fast-absorbing options. Lovi rates the routine fit for both brands as High across all skin types.

Medicube or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

Both Medicube and The INKEY List achieve a High routine fit for sensitive skin. Reviewers note that both brands provide soothing and gentle options.

Medicube or The INKEY List for acne-prone skin?

Both Medicube and The INKEY List are a High fit for acne-prone skin. The products on this page help clear acne, and Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

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

How does it fit your skin?

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