🇬🇧United Kingdom

Anua vs The INKEY List

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

Anua and The INKEY List are distinct skincare brands offering moisturizers, toners, serums, and cleansers built around soothing and hydrating ingredients. The Korean brand Anua features hyaluronic acid, heartleaf, and niacinamide to suit dry and oily acne-prone skin, while the British brand focuses on glycerin to best support sensitive and combination skin. Both lines offer targeted solutions for acne-prone skin, dark spots, and mature skin, yet they differ through their unique formulations and regional heritages.

Anua is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2019 and owned by The Founders Inc..

prnewswire.comkedglobal.comtracxn.comv.daum.net

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

Popular Anua vs The INKEY List products

People Say

AnuaThe INKEY List
  • Texture and Consistency Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Skin feels super smooth — Anua PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM”
    • “melts into skin — Anua Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sun Cream”
    • “Gel consistency — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “feels like applying straight up water to the skin — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “complexion feels so plump — Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum”
    • “leaves skin plump — Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner”
    • “Super hydrating — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
    • “intense nourishment — The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum”
  • Soothing and Calming Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Calms my redness instantly — Anua Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner”
    • “calmed my red spots — Anua Heartleaf 77% Clear Pad”
    • “Safe and gentle especially for my dry, sensitive skin — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “calmed my menopausal redness — The INKEY List ECTOIN HYDRO-BARRIER SERUM”
  • Packaging and Value 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”
    • “love the included tweezers — Anua Heartleaf 77% Clear Pad”
  • Brightening and Glow Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Significant reduction in hyperpigmentation from acne scarring. — Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum”
    • “glass-like glow — Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner”
    • “Gives a nice healthy glow — Anua PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM”
    • “Visibly reduces acne scars — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
  • Makeup Compatibility Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “sits beautifully under makeup — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “Melts away makeup and impurities without drying — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “no pilling under makeup — The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
    • “makeup applies so smoothly — Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum”
  • Breakouts and Acne Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “did cause major breakouts — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
    • “New formula breaks me out — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “Caused cystic acne — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
    • “Wrecked my skin barrier — Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil”

Anua vs The INKEY List routines for dry skin

Buy Anua routine · £101.40 · 85% fitBuy The INKEY List routine · £92.69 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Anua vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · £160.15 · 86% fitBuy Anua routine · £176.18 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Anua vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · £130.06 · 88% fitBuy Anua routine · £122.79 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Anua or The INKEY List: which is better?

Anua does better for brightening and glow among the products on this page, while The INKEY List does better for packaging, value, and makeup compatibility. Both brands perform equally well for overall texture, hydration, and soothing. Niacinamide may help reduce skin pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

What is the difference between Anua and The INKEY List?

Anua is a South Korean brand founded in 2019 that fits best for dry skin, oily skin, and oily acne-prone skin, while The INKEY List is a United Kingdom brand founded in 2018 that fits best for sensitive skin, combination skin, and acne-prone skin. Both brands list no fragrance across the products on this page, but Anua does better for brightening and glow, whereas The INKEY List does better for packaging and value as well as makeup compatibility.

Anua or The INKEY List for dry skin?

Both Anua and The INKEY List fit dry skin well, offering high routine fit levels for this skin type based on the products on this page. Anua features key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin across its range, while The INKEY List focuses heavily on glycerin for hydration.

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

Anua or The INKEY List: which cleanser is better?

Both brands offer effective cleansers, but Anua is particularly well-suited for a variety of skin types with options like its Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil and Heartleaf Quercetin Pore Deep Cleansing Foam, while The INKEY List features popular choices such as the Salicylic Acid Cleanser and Oat Cleansing Balm.

Which is more affordable, Anua or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List does better for packaging and value, and reviewers mostly mention its moisturizers and serums as affordable.

Anua or The INKEY List: which has better brightening and glow products?

Anua does better for brightening and glow among the products on this page. Niacinamide helps reduce skin pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Anua or The INKEY List: which offers better packaging and value?

The INKEY List does better for packaging and value among the products on this page.

Anua or The INKEY List: which brand is better for makeup compatibility?

The INKEY List does better for makeup compatibility among the products on this page, as reviewers note that its formulas work well under makeup. Anua is not rated as superior in this category.

Anua or The INKEY List for oily skin?

Both Anua and The INKEY List fit oily skin at a High level. Anua features products for oily skin like the Heartleaf Quercetin Pore Deep Cleansing Foam, while The INKEY List offers options like the Salicylic Acid Cleanser.

Anua or The INKEY List: which moisturizer is better?

Both brands offer strong moisturizer options, with Anua standing out for soothing and barrier support and The INKEY List known for affordable, lightweight hydration. The products on this page for both brands list no fragrance in their ingredients.

Anua or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

The INKEY List fits sensitive skin better with a Superior routine level, while Anua reaches a High routine level. Both brands list no fragrance in their products on this page.

Anua or The INKEY List for acne-prone skin?

Both Anua and The INKEY List fit acne-prone skin well at a High level. Reviewers note that Anua is better for brightening and glow, whereas The INKEY List offers advantages in makeup compatibility and value.

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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