🇬🇧United Kingdom

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 skincare brands featuring targeted serums, toners, and moisturizers built around soothing and clarifying ingredients. The Korean brand relies on niacinamide, centella asiatica, and salicylic acid, whereas the British brand centers its formulations on glycerin. Both suit sensitive skin, though the former particularly accommodates dry sensitive skin, and the latter fits combination skin as well. They differ in their core philosophies, offering distinct solutions for acne-prone skin, dark spots, and mature skin through their respective ingredient approaches.

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 Some By Mi routine · £90.42 · 91% fitBuy The INKEY List routine · £92.69 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Some By Mi vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

Buy Some By Mi routine · £120.03 · 87% fitBuy The INKEY List routine · £160.15 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Some By Mi vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

Buy Some By Mi routine · £126.95 · 88% fitBuy The INKEY List routine · £130.06 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

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

Some By Mi is better for dry skin, dry sensitive skin, and skin with dark spots, where Lovi rates its routines as Superior, whereas both brands offer equal routine fit levels for oily, combination, sensitive, acne-prone, mature, and oily acne-prone skin. Reviewers note that Some By Mi is better for skin texture improvement, while The INKEY List leads in hydration and moisturizing, price and value, and has fewer complaints about scent.

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

Some By Mi delivers a Superior routine fit for dry skin, dry sensitive skin, and skin with dark spots, while The INKEY List achieves a High fit for those skin types. Reviewers note that The INKEY List provides better hydration and moisturizing, whereas Some By Mi excels in skin texture improvement. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppresses melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Some By Mi or The INKEY List for dry skin?

For dry skin, Some By Mi achieves a Superior Lovi fit level while The INKEY List achieves a High Lovi fit level.

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

When it comes to cleansers, both Some By Mi and The INKEY List offer solid options depending on your specific skin needs. Some By Mi provides cleansers with key ingredients like salicylic acid that help target deep pores and clear acne, while The INKEY List features popular choices such as the Salicylic Acid Cleanser and Oat Cleansing Balm for effective daily washing.

Which is more affordable, Some By Mi or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List is more affordable, as price and value is an area where the brand does better.

Between Some By Mi and The INKEY List, which brand is better for hydration and moisturizing?

Between Some By Mi and The INKEY List, The INKEY List does better for hydration and moisturizing. Reviewers mostly mention that The INKEY List offers hydrating moisturizers.

Which brand has better skin texture improvement results: Some By Mi or The INKEY List?

Some By Mi does better than The INKEY List for skin texture improvement. Reviewers mostly mention that Some By Mi offers effective acne-clearing treatments and skin smoothing textures.

Which brand offers better results for skin with dark spots?

Some By Mi offers better results for skin with dark spots, as Lovi rates its overall routine fit as Superior compared to High for The INKEY List. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Some By Mi or The INKEY List for oily skin?

Both Some By Mi and The INKEY List fit oily skin well, with Lovi rating both brands at a High fit level for this skin type.

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

When it comes to moisturizers, The INKEY List is better for price and value, while Some By Mi offers superior routines for dry and sensitive skin types.

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 offer equally gentle formulas for everyday skincare routines.

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 a High routine fit for each brand. Reviewers note that both brands provide effective options for acne and blemish control.

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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