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Some By Mi vs The INKEY List

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

Some By Mi and The INKEY List are distinct skincare brands founded in 2016 and 2018, respectively. The Korean brand features serums, cleansers, toners, and moisturizers built around niacinamide, centella asiatica, and salicylic acid to suit dry sensitive skin and skin with dark spots, while the British brand offers moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products built around glycerin to suit sensitive skin and combination skin. They differ primarily in their core formulations and regional origins, with both providing specialized options for acne-prone, dark spot, and mature skin.

Some By Mi is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by JKL Partners 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.

cosmeticsbusiness.comprnewswire.comtheinkeylist.comtracxn.com

This page compares some of the most popular Some By Mi and The INKEY List products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Some By Mi vs The INKEY List products

People Say

Some By MiThe INKEY List
  • Hydration and Moisturizing Often MentionedOften 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”
    • “Lasts 100 hours as claimed — Some By Mi Beta Panthenol Repair Cream”
  • Lightweight and Fast Absorbing Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs quickly — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream”
    • “absorbs quickly — Some By Mi Snail Truecica Miracle Repair Serum”
    • “Gel consistency — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “feels like applying straight up water to the skin — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Reduces pimples — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “cleared my cystic acne — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Acne Clear Foam”
    • “Free of active acne — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “Redness has lessened and the cluster of whiteheads... cleared. — The INKEY List Niacinamide Serum”
  • Gentle Formula Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Zero irritation or redness — Some By Mi Retinol Intense Reactivating Serum”
    • “doesn't strip dry my skin — Some By Mi Super Matcha Pore Clean Clay Mask”
    • “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”
  • Skin Texture Improvement Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Skin became smoother — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “Surprisingly gentle — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “Skin feels baby soft — Some By Mi Retinol Intense Reactivating Serum”
    • “Great for sensitive skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
  • 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”
  • Scent and Fragrance 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”
    • “overwhelming citrus fragrance — Some By Mi V10 Hyal Air Fit Sunscreen”
  • Dryness and Irritation Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Skin felt tight — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “left my skin tight — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Acne Clear Foam”
    • “have dry skin but this doesn't feel hydrating at all — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
    • “leaves under eye dry — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
  • Sticky or Tacky Finish Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “leaves sticky film — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream”
    • “Not a miracle — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “Leaves sticky residue — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “Feels tacky on skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”

Some By Mi vs The INKEY List routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Some By Mi vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Some By Mi vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 94% fit

Questions and answers

Some By Mi or The INKEY List: which is better?

Some By Mi is better for skin with dark spots and dry sensitive skin where Lovi fit levels are Superior, whereas The INKEY List is better for price and value.

What is the difference between Some By Mi and The INKEY List?

Some By Mi achieves a Superior fit level for dry sensitive skin, skin with dark spots, and sensitive skin, whereas The INKEY List achieves a High fit level for those same skin types. Reviewers note that Some By Mi excels at skin texture improvement while The INKEY List provides better hydration and moisturizing at a more affordable price point.

Some By Mi or The INKEY List for dry skin?

Both Some By Mi and The INKEY List offer high routine fit levels for dry skin. The products on this page help provide deep hydration and nourishment for dry skin types.

Some By Mi or The INKEY List: which cleanser is better?

Both brands offer solid cleansing options, with Some By Mi standing out for deep pore cleansing cleansers and The INKEY List being noted for affordable cleansers. Reviewers highlight Some By Mi products on this page as providing deep pore cleansing cleansers, while The INKEY List products on this page are recognized for offering budget-friendly choices.

Which is more affordable, Some By Mi or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List does better for price and value among the products on this page, offering affordable moisturizers and serums.

Between Some By Mi and The INKEY List, which brand is better for improving skin texture?

Some By Mi is better for improving skin texture, as the products on this page outperform The INKEY List in skin texture improvement.

How do the countries of origin and parent companies differ between Some By Mi and The INKEY List?

Some By Mi was founded in South Korea in 2016 and is owned by JKL Partners, whereas The INKEY List was founded in the United Kingdom in 2018 and is owned by Brand Evangelists for Beauty Limited.

Which brand performs better for hydration and moisturizing according to review themes?

The INKEY List performs better for hydration and moisturizing.

Some By Mi or The INKEY List for oily skin?

Both Some By Mi and The INKEY List fit oily skin at a High level on this page. Reviewers report that the products on this page offer equal acne and blemish control for both brands.

Some By Mi or The INKEY List: which moisturizer is better?

Both brands offer moisturizers that are a High fit for dry skin, but The INKEY List is particularly noted by shoppers for its affordable, hydrating, and lightweight formulas. Niacinamide helps improve skin aging and pigmentation while supporting moisture retention.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Some By Mi or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

Some By Mi is a superior fit for sensitive skin, whereas The INKEY List is a high fit. Reviewers note that Some By Mi offers gentle and lightweight serums.

Some By Mi or The INKEY List for acne-prone skin?

Both Some By Mi and The INKEY List fit acne-prone skin well, as their routines achieve a High fit level for this skin type.

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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