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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 well-established skincare lines offering moisturizers, serums, eye products, toners, and more. Clarins is a French brand founded in 1954 and owned by Famille C, using shea and squalane to suit sensitive and acne-prone skin best. The INKEY List is a British brand founded in 2018 and owned by Brand Evangelists for Beauty Limited, building its range around glycerin to fit dry and dry sensitive skin best. While both brands share core categories, the French brand focuses on botanical nourishment to reduce redness and increase collagen, whereas the British brand relies on science-led formulations to increase hydration and restore barrier function.

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

Buy The INKEY List routine · S$253.28 · 96% fitBuy Clarins routine · S$247.61 · 75% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Clarins vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · S$520.95 · 94% fitBuy Clarins routine · S$455.72 · 75% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Clarins vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · S$411.40 · 94% fitBuy Clarins routine · S$455.72 · 77% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

Clarins or The INKEY List: which is better?

Both Clarins and The INKEY List perform well across skin types, with Lovi fit levels rated as Superior for The INKEY List and High for Clarins. Clarins offers luxurious textures with hydrating and smoothing moisturizers, whereas The INKEY List provides more affordable options with lightweight, fast-absorbing formulations.

What is the difference between Clarins and The INKEY List?

Clarins offers luxurious, highly-rated anti-aging and hydrating formulations featuring rich textures, whereas The INKEY List provides budget-friendly, targeted serums and cleansers designed for lightweight hydration and acne clearing. Hyaluronic acid helps improve skin quality and signs of skin aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Clarins or The INKEY List for dry skin?

For dry skin, both Clarins and The INKEY List offer products on this page with a Superior routine fit. Topical hyaluronic acid helps improve skin quality and signs of skin aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Clarins or The INKEY List: which cleanser is better?

The INKEY List offers a superior routine fit for acne-prone skin compared to Clarins, with targeted options like the Salicylic Acid Cleanser.

Which is more affordable, Clarins or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List is more affordable, as reviewers on the products on this page mostly mention its affordable serums and moisturizers, whereas Clarins is noted for its high price point.

Which brand has fewer fragrance issues, Clarins or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List has fewer fragrance issues than Clarins, as every product on The INKEY List page lists no fragrance, whereas almost all Clarins products contain fragrance.

Do Clarins products or The INKEY List products perform better as a makeup base?

Clarins does better as a good makeup base and primer compared to The INKEY List.

Which brand offers better texture smoothing and exfoliation products?

The INKEY List offers better texture smoothing and exfoliation products on this page.

Clarins or The INKEY List for oily skin?

Both Clarins and The INKEY List offer a Superior routine fit for oily skin. The products on this page help provide targeted care, while The INKEY List specifically features lightweight and fast-absorbing moisturizers and affordable serums.

Clarins or The INKEY List: which moisturizer is better?

The INKEY List offers superior routine fit for moisturizers on this page, while Clarins also provides hydrating and smoothing moisturizers.

Clarins or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

Both Clarins and The INKEY List provide products with a High routine fit for sensitive skin on this page. The products on this page for The INKEY List feature no fragrance, whereas most Clarins items contain fragrance.

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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