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The INKEY List vs SK-II

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

The INKEY List and SK-II are two distinct skincare lines known for distinct formulations and heritages. The INKEY List features moisturizers, serums, toners, eye products, and more built around glycerin, while the Japanese brand offers luxurious moisturizers, potent serums, soothing masks, refreshing toners, and signature pitera formulations. Both lines suit dry skin and dry sensitive skin best. The brands differ primarily in their ingredients and specific targeted solutions, with the British line utilizing glycerin to increase skin hydration and restore barrier function, and pitera improving pore area, roughness, and redness to promote a balanced complexion.

The INKEY List is a British skincare brand founded in 2018 and owned by Brand Evangelists for Beauty Limited.

cosmeticsbusiness.comprnewswire.comtheinkeylist.comtracxn.com

SK-II is a Japanese skincare brand founded in 1980 and owned by The Procter & Gamble Company since 1991.

en.wikipedia.orgdiscoversk-ii.wixsite.comglossy.co

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

Popular The INKEY List vs SK-II products

People Say

The INKEY ListSK-II
  • Texture and Absorption Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “sits beautifully under makeup — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “Gel consistency — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “drinks right into the skin — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “pores became miraculously invisible — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
  • Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Super hydrating — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
    • “intense nourishment — The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum”
    • “flooded my skin with moisture — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “skin feels deeply hydrated, plump, and smoother — SK-II Skinpower Advanced Cream”
  • Glow, Radiance, and Skin Tone Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin feels soft as butter — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “gives a glass skin look — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “leaves me with a red carpet glow — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
  • Price and Value Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “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”
  • General Effectiveness and Results Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “skin looks fresh and plump — The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum”
    • “Great for sensitive skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
    • “Safe and gentle especially for my dry, sensitive skin — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “reducing the appearance of fine lines — SK-II Skinpower Advanced Cream”
  • Makeup Compatibility and Removal Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Melts away makeup and impurities without drying — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “no pilling under makeup — The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
    • “Removes leftover dirt — SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion”
    • “Dissolves waterproof mascara, melts stubborn makeup, removes sunscreen easily. — SK-II Facial Treatment Cleansing Oil”
  • High Price Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “way too expensive — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • Lack of Results or Performance Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “didn't do anything for circles — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “did absolutely nothing — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “did absolutely nothing — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “No visible difference — SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion”
  • Scent and Fragrance Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Smells like BBQ/meat — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “Smells like chemicals — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
    • “smells like dirty feet — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “smells slightly like saliva — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
  • Packaging Issues Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “cotton is too thick and heavy — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “Pump breaks easily — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”

The INKEY List vs SK-II routines for dry skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · S$253.28 · 96% fitBuy SK-II routine · S$606.78 · 93% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

The INKEY List vs SK-II routines for oily skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · S$520.95 · 94% fitBuy SK-II routine · S$820.58 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The INKEY List vs SK-II routines for combination skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · S$411.40 · 94% fitBuy SK-II routine · S$716.48 · 89% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

The INKEY List or SK-II: which is better?

The INKEY List does better for general effectiveness and price and value, while SK-II does better for glow, radiance, and skin tone. For routine fit across most skin types, The INKEY List is rated Superior, whereas SK-II is rated High.

What is the difference between The INKEY List and SK-II?

The INKEY List offers greater affordability and general effectiveness across the products on this page, while SK-II achieves better results for glow, radiance, and skin tone. For routine fit, The INKEY List reaches a Superior level for dry skin, oily skin, combination skin, sensitive skin, acne-prone skin, mature skin, skin with dark spots, dry sensitive skin, and oily acne-prone skin, whereas SK-II reaches a Superior level for dry skin and dry sensitive skin, and a High level for the remaining skin types.

The INKEY List or SK-II for dry skin?

Both The INKEY List and SK-II achieve a Superior routine fit for dry skin. Reviewers indicate that the two brands provide equal hydration and moisture.

The INKEY List or SK-II: which moisturizer is better?

The INKEY List is better for price and value among the products on this page, while SK-II does better for glow, radiance, and skin tone.

Which is more affordable, The INKEY List or SK-II?

The INKEY List is more affordable, as reviewers on the page frequently mention its affordable moisturizers and serums while noting high price as a negative point for SK-II.

Which brand performs better for glow, radiance, and skin tone, The INKEY List or SK-II?

SK-II performs better for glow, radiance, and skin tone compared to The INKEY List. Review themes show that SK-II is the brand that does better in this category across the products on this page.

When comparing the packaging issues of both brands, which one has worse reviews for packaging?

When comparing the packaging issues of both brands, SK-II does worse for packaging.

What are the key ingredients across the products for each brand, Glycerin or Pitera?

The key ingredients across the products on this page are Glycerin for The INKEY List and Pitera for SK-II.

The INKEY List or SK-II for oily skin?

For oily skin, The INKEY List is a better choice as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to High for SK-II. Reviewers also note that The INKEY List offers better price and value along with higher general effectiveness and results.

The INKEY List or SK-II for sensitive skin?

Both brands offer solid options for sensitive skin, but Lovi rates The INKEY List as Superior and SK-II as High. Reviewers note that The INKEY List products on this page list no fragrance in their ingredients.

The INKEY List or SK-II for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, both brands offer products on the page with favorable ratings, but The INKEY List achieves a Superior routine fit compared to SK-II's High fit.

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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