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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 lines, with the South Korean brand founded in 2016 and the British brand established in 2018. The Asian label features serums, cleansers, toners, and moisturizers built around niacinamide, centella asiatica, and salicylic acid, while the European label offers moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products built around glycerin. Both options suit sensitive skin, but the first brand also fits skin with dark spots best, whereas the second brand best matches combination skin. They differ because the first relies on niacinamide to decrease hyperpigmentation and salicylic acid to reduce acne, while the second relies on glycerin to increase hydration and restore barrier function.

Some By Mi is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by JKL Partners since 2021.

kedglobal.compreqin.comtracxn.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 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

Buy Some By Mi routine · SAR 1,130.72 · 84% fitBuy The INKEY List routine · SAR 1,013.85 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Some By Mi vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

Buy Some By Mi routine · SAR 1,138.39 · 87% fitBuy The INKEY List routine · SAR 1,267.37 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Some By Mi vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · SAR 1,056.73 · 90% fitBuy Some By Mi routine · SAR 1,118.78 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% 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, on which Lovi rates the products on this page as Superior. For combination skin, The INKEY List is better, with a Superior Lovi fit. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

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

Some By Mi fits dry sensitive skin and skin with dark spots at a Superior level, while The INKEY List reaches a High fit for both. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppresses melanosome transfer, an ingredient featured across the products on this page.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Some By Mi or The INKEY List for dry skin?

Both brands are a good choice for dry skin, as Lovi rates the routine fit for dry skin as High for Some By Mi and High for The INKEY List.

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

When it comes to cleansers on this page, both Some By Mi and The INKEY List offer strong options, with Some By Mi featuring deep pore cleansing cleansers and The INKEY List providing popular treatments like its Salicylic Acid Cleanser. Some By Mi's cleansers achieve a Superior Lovi fit level for specific needs like skin with dark spots, whereas The INKEY List cleansers fit combination and acne-prone skin at a High level.

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

The INKEY List does better than Some By Mi for price and value.

Which brand performs better for skin texture improvement?

Some By Mi performs better for skin texture improvement, as reviewers often note its skin smoothing textures.

How do the review themes for scent and fragrance compare between Some By Mi and The INKEY List?

The INKEY List does better for scent and fragrance compared to Some By Mi. Reviewers often note that Some By Mi products feature a strong or medicinal scent, whereas The INKEY List reviewers sometimes note an unpleasant smell or scent.

Which brand is better suited for skin with dark spots?

Some By Mi is better suited for skin with dark spots, as Lovi rates its overall fit for this concern as Superior compared to The INKEY List's High fit level. Reviewers on the page also note that Some By Mi does better with complexion brightening.

Some By Mi or The INKEY List for oily skin?

Both brands offer a High routine fit for oily skin, making them equally suitable choices. Reviewers note that products from both lines are lightweight and fast-absorbing.

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

When it comes to moisturizers, The INKEY List is better for affordability and hydration, while Some By Mi offers products that help improve skin texture and address dark spots.

Some By Mi or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

Both brands are a Superior fit for sensitive skin on Lovi. Reviewers note that both offer gentle formulas.

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

Both Some By Mi and The INKEY List fit acne-prone skin well, with a High Lovi fit level across the products on this page for both brands. Reviewers note that both brands offer equal effectiveness for acne and blemish control.

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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