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COSRX vs The INKEY List

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

COSRX and The INKEY List are popular skincare brands that offer thoughtful arrays of moisturizers, serums, toners, and more. The Korean brand is known for utilizing hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide to suit oily acne-prone skin and oily skin best, while the British brand focuses on glycerin to fit dry skin and dry sensitive skin best. Both brands approach routine building differently through their specialized formulations, with the former featuring standout products like the Advanced Snail Mucin Gel Cleanser for acne-prone skin, and the latter featuring items like the PHA Toner.

COSRX is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2013 and owned by Amorepacific Group since 2024.

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

Popular COSRX vs The INKEY List products

People Say

COSRXThe INKEY List
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin drinks it up — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “woke up with soft, supple skin — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “Super hydrating — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
    • “intense nourishment — The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum”
  • Lightweight and fast-absorbing Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly like water — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “sinks in immediately — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide 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”
  • Texture improvement and smoothing Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “gives me that glass skin look — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “skin feels softer immediately — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “Skin feels like glass — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “Skin feels softer — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
  • Gentle and non-stripping formula Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “No stinging or irritation — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “perfect for first-time retinol users — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “doesn't strip my skin — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “Never tight or stripped — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
  • Value for money Rarely 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”
    • “huge bottle — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
  • Acne and pore control Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “helped to improve my acne after only 2 weeks — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “cleared up my spots — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “Melted blackheads right off — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “Free of active acne — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
  • Packaging issues and small size Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “only 20mls... significantly less product — COSRX The Hyaluronic Acid 3 Serum”
    • “tube is tiny — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “tube cracked on the side — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “Tube leaks liquified oil when opened — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
  • Drying or insufficient for dry skin Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “left my face tight — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “leaves skin feeling tight — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “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”
  • Unpleasant texture and sticky finish Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “texture is gooey and stringy — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “too slimy and sticky — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “Feels tacky on skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
    • “Leaves a greasy film on face after washing — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”

COSRX vs The INKEY List routines for dry skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · S$253.28 · 96% fitBuy COSRX routine · S$41.07 · 89% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

COSRX vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · S$520.95 · 94% fitBuy COSRX routine · S$130.21 · 90% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

COSRX vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · S$411.40 · 94% fitBuy COSRX routine · S$130.21 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

COSRX or The INKEY List: which is better?

Both COSRX and The INKEY List perform well, with COSRX offering superior results for oily and acne-prone skin while The INKEY List delivers a Superior routine fit for dry and sensitive skin. Reviewers highlight The INKEY List for value for money and COSRX for texture improvement and acne control.

What is the difference between COSRX and The INKEY List?

COSRX is focused on oily and acne-prone skin with targeted ingredients like snail mucin and propolis, while The INKEY List emphasizes dry and sensitive skin routines with affordable moisturizers. Lovi shows that The INKEY List achieves a Superior routine fit for dry, sensitive, combination, mature, and dark-spot skin types, whereas COSRX holds a Superior fit primarily for oily and acne-prone skin.

COSRX or The INKEY List for dry skin?

The INKEY List fits dry skin better than COSRX, with Lovi rating its routine as Superior compared to High. Both brands offer hydrating moisturizers, but The INKEY List focuses its best routines on dry skin.

COSRX or The INKEY List: which cleanser is better?

Both COSRX and The INKEY List offer effective cleansers, with COSRX products on this page rated as High or Superior for acne-prone skin and oily acne-prone skin. The INKEY List cleanser options also provide strong performance for oily and acne-prone skin types.

Which is more affordable, COSRX or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List does better for value for money than COSRX. Shoppers often mention The INKEY List for affordable moisturizers and affordable serums.

Which brand performs better for acne and pore control?

COSRX performs better for acne and pore control, as review themes on this page show it does better for acne and pore control compared to The INKEY List.

How do the founding years and countries of origin compare between COSRX and The INKEY List?

COSRX was founded in 2013 in South Korea, whereas The INKEY List was founded later in 2018 in the United Kingdom.

Which brand has more products containing fragrance?

COSRX has more products containing fragrance, as 1 of its products on the page lists fragrance while every product on The INKEY List page lists no fragrance.

COSRX or The INKEY List for oily skin?

Both COSRX and The INKEY List fit oily skin at a Superior level through their brand-focused routines. COSRX features a wide range of oil-control and exfoliating serums like the BHA Blackhead Power Liquid, while The INKEY List offers lightweight hydrators and cleansers that help manage excess sebum without stripping the skin.

COSRX or The INKEY List: which moisturizer is better?

When comparing moisturizers, COSRX and The INKEY List both offer options that help deliver deep hydration. The INKEY List features budget-friendly hydrators with key ingredients like glycerin, while COSRX focuses on soothing formulas containing snail mucin and panthenol that may improve skin texture and moisture retention.

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

COSRX or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

Both COSRX and The INKEY List offer products for sensitive skin, but The INKEY List achieves a superior routine fit for sensitive skin compared to COSRX's high fit. COSRX features gentle and non-stripping formulas across the products on this page.

COSRX or The INKEY List for acne-prone skin?

Both COSRX and The INKEY List fit acne-prone skin well, with Lovi rating both brands as having Superior routines for this skin type. Reviewers note that COSRX delivers effective acne control and clearing, while products on this page for The INKEY List provide affordable moisturizers and serums.

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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