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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, while the British brand offers moisturizers, serums, toners, and eye products built around glycerin. Both brands suit dry skin best, though the former also targets dark spots and acne-prone or mature skin with specific toners and cleansers, whereas the latter caters to dry sensitive skin as well as acne-prone, dark spot, and mature skin concerns through specialized toners, serums, and moisturizers. They differ primarily in their ingredient focus and geographical origins, with the former utilizing niacinamide and salicylic acid to address hyperpigmentation, aging signs, and acne, and the latter relying on glycerin to enhance skin 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 The INKEY List routine · S$253.28 · 96% fitBuy Some By Mi routine · S$102.62 · 91% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Some By Mi vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · S$520.95 · 94% fitBuy Some By Mi routine · S$135.66 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Some By Mi vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · S$411.40 · 94% fitBuy Some By Mi routine · S$135.66 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

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

Both Some By Mi and The INKEY List perform strongly, but The INKEY List offers better pricing and hydration, while Some By Mi excels at improving skin texture.

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

Both brands offer fragrance-free products, but The INKEY List is better for price and value as well as hydration and moisturizing, while Some By Mi excels at skin texture improvement based on the products on this page.

Some By Mi or The INKEY List for dry skin?

Both Some By Mi and The INKEY List fit dry skin at a Superior level based on the products on this page. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and controls skin aging.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

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

Both brands offer effective cleansers, but Some By Mi is rated Superior by Lovi for deep pore cleansing and acne-prone skin on the products on this page.

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.

Which brand performs better for hydration and moisturizing, Some By Mi or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List performs better for hydration and moisturizing based on the review themes on this page.

How do Some By Mi and The INKEY List compare regarding scent and fragrance in their products?

Both Some By Mi and The INKEY List list no fragrance across the products on this page. However, The INKEY List does better for scent and fragrance according to review themes, as reviewers sometimes note a strong or medicinal scent for Some By Mi.

Which brand is better for improving skin texture, Some By Mi or The INKEY List?

Some By Mi does better for skin texture according to the products on this page.

Some By Mi or The INKEY List for oily skin?

For oily skin, The INKEY List is a Superior fit, while Some By Mi achieves a High fit on the products on this page.

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

When it comes to moisturizers, The INKEY List is generally better because it offers a wider range of highly rated, affordable options that focus on deep hydration, whereas Some By Mi tends to focus more on blemish control and brightening. Niacinamide helps control pigmentation and supports skin aging in some of their respective formulas.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Some By Mi or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

Both Some By Mi and The INKEY List fit sensitive skin at a Superior level based on the products on this page. Reviewers note that both brands maintain a gentle formula.

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 The INKEY List achieving a superior routine fit level while Some By Mi reaches a high routine fit level. Reviewers often mention that the products on this page provide effective acne-clearing treatments.

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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