The INKEY List vs. The Ordinary: Full Comparison & Verdict 2024

• About The Ordinary

The Ordinary falls under the umbrella of brands from Deciem, which operates more than ten beauty brands including The Chemistry Brand and NIOD. The Ordinary benefit from the research and developments already made by DECIEM which is part of the reason they're able to keep prices so low.

The Ordinary is an evolving collection of treatments offering familiar, effective clinical technologies positioned to raise pricing and communication integrity in skincare. The brand was created to celebrate integrity in its most humble and true form. Its offering is pioneering, not in the familiar technologies it uses, but in its honesty and integrity. The Ordinary is born to disallow commodity to be disguised as ingenuity. The Ordinary is "Clinical formulations with integrity".

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• About The INKEY List

The INKEY List is a U.K.-based brand launched in 2018 that made its way to Sephora shelves worldwide back in 2019. Brand co-founder and chemist Mark Curry along with co-founder Colette Laxton were devoted to creating a brand that introduces effective ingredients into your skin-care routine without asking you to spend more than $15.

Like The Ordinary, The INKEY List is an ingredient-forward label with the objective of simplifying skin care, cutting out the extra frills of packaging, additives, or fragrance to give consumers the pared-down product at cost. The INKEY List is here for your hair and skin care needs. From cleansers to scalp treatments, this cosmetic company offers hassle-free solutions to help people look their best. 

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• Packaging

Both brands make use of simplistic packaging as part of their branding. It keeps things simple and focussed on the ingredients within.

The Ordinary is super focused on glass dropper bottles. It fits with their clinical look and feel. However, there are some downsides to the bottles. By opting for a product that you have to unscrew the lid, the product is exposed to the air each time you use it. 

The INKEY List is focused on black and white bottles. It makes it easy to see what each product is and keeps things focussed on the ingredient. The bottles are thick, opaque plastic, so the product won't be affected by light either.

By and large, both brands have functional packaging, with one or two missteps. The INKEY List's branding with the black and white and the amount of information on their unit cartons, however they're a touch more expensive than The Ordinary. The glass with a dropper used by The Ordinary feels more premium and can be recycled, whereas the plastic used by The INKEY List can sometimes feel a bit cheap and isn't always the best in terms of getting product out!

• Affordability

The Ordinary and The INKEY List are both known as affordable skincare brands, but how budget-friendly are they really?

The Ordinary products range from $4 to $29.

The INKEY List products range from $4 to $15.

Prices between the brands are fairly comparable too. The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid is $6.80, The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid is $7.99.

In terms of affordability, The Ordinary tends to be a bit cheaper, however, some of The INKEY List products are better quality, so the price is justifiable. However, for many products, they work just as well as each other and issues are mostly personal preferences about texture and consistency. So, if you'd rather spend as little as possible, picking whichever product is cheaper should be fine!

• Products and Positioning

The Ordinary are focused on simple serum boosters. You have booster options for some of the most important actives;

Niacinamide

Vitamin C

Retinoids

And then you have one moisturiser option (The Ordinary Natural Moisturising Factors) and one cleanser option (The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser).

However, The INKEY List are different. They have options for all those skincare products you're used to;

Masks

Spot treatments

Cleansers

Moisturisers

And yes they have serums and face oils too. It makes The INKEY List a little easier to navigate vs. The Ordinary. You know what these products do. You can see a moisturiser and know when to use it. 

• Ingredients

Except for the areas of overlap, they each offer me different things, in a lot of cases; the Ordinary has a mandelic acid, pycnogenol and more Vitamin C options, whereas The INKEY List has collagen, PHAs and bakuchiol, and these are products unique to each.

• Reviews

The Ordinary is more transparent with their ingredients and formulations, and The INKEY List has some great product formulations as well. You could choose The Ordinary for tried and tested actives, and The INKEY List for new and exciting actives.

Ultimately, both brands complement each other. The Inkey List has four cleansers, while The Ordinary only has one. The Ordinary has six retinoids and eight vitamin C products, while The Inkey List has one retinoid and two vitamin C-focused products. You can mix and match their products based on your skin's needs.

• Hyaluronic Acid

| The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum

($7.99/30ml, up to 4% cashback at Sephora)

Hyaluronic Acid (HA) — also known as hyaluronan is a clear, slimy substance that is naturally found in our skin. As a humectant It hold up to 1000x its own weight in water. Its main function is to retain water and helps keep skin hydrated, soft and plump. Formulated with multiple molecular weight Hyaluronic Acid to hydrate different layers of the skin plus a Matrixyl 3000™ peptide, helping it to look more plumped and the appearance of fine lines reduced.

| The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5

($6.80/30ml, up to 4% cashback at Sephora)

Powered by the brand's patented Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex, this product is enriched with three forms of the molecule, varying in size to penetrate different levels of the skin and ensure multi-depth hydration. Plus added vitamin B5 ensures the top layers enjoy an intense hydrating effect.

Review: Instead of vitamin B5 (like The Ordinary), The INKEY List's Hyaluronic hero is paired with Matrixyl 3000 in turn creating dewier, plumper complexion long term.

However, the biggest difference between these products is the tackiness. The Ordinary's Hyaluronic Acid leaves a sticky feeling on the face, and it takes quite a while to sink into the skin. The INKEY List's Hyaluronic Acid hydrates without being sticky or tacky.

• Retinol

| The INKEY List Retinol Serum

($11.99/30ml, up to 9% cashback at Feelunique US)

The INKEY List's answer to retinol is sublime in its simplicity, uniting 1% stable Retistar retinol (the equivalent of 0.05% retinol) and 0.5% granactive retinoid (slightly stronger than retinol) with squalane for hydration and soothing. The slow-release formula minimises irritation while providing effective active delivery, working hard to minimise fine lines and wrinkles, even out skin tone tackle blemishes and improve skin clarity, leaving your complexion looking brighter, smoother and miles more youthful.

| The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% in Squalane

($7.20, up to 7% cashback at LOOKFANTASTIC US)

Enriched with a 0.5% concentration of the anti-aging powerhouse Retinol, which is a derivative of Vitamin A, the lightweight serum has a plumping and firming effect on the complexion, as well as protecting the skin from harmful environmental aggressors. Another key antioxidant ingredient Squalane prevents UV damage and the formation of age spots while counteracting harmful bacteria, leaving you with flawless skin.

Review: The INKEY List claims to have 1% retinol but actually, 0.5% retinol and 0.5% hydroxypinacolone tetinoate, which is an ester of retinoic acid (an extremely powerful anti-aging and repairing product). The Ordinary is better because of how many options of retinol at different concentrations they have for a variety of skin types. Retinol can cause a lot of sensitivity if you're not careful with the concentration.

• Niacinamide

| The INKEY List Niacinamide Serum

($6.99/30ml, up to 4% cashback at Sephora)

This potent Niacinamide serum from The INKEY List targets breakouts, minimises pores and decongests confused complexions by regulating sebum production. Uniting 10% Niacinamide, a naturally occurring B3 vitamin that helps to reduce excess oil, blemishes and redness as well as 1% Hyaluronic Acid for added hydration and effective delivery, this hardworking formula is a must-add to your collection.

| The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

($5.90, up to 8% cashback at Skinstore)

Using advanced science and high concentrations of vitamins and minerals, the lightweight serum infuses skin with an intense dose of Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) that has been proven to minimise the look of blemishes and discolouration. A high 10% concentration of this vitamin is supported in the formula by zinc salt of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid to balance visible aspects of sebum activity.

Review: The Ordinary's cult-combination of brightening niacinamide and oil-regulating zinc is Sephora's number one seller from the brand, but if you're looking for something new, The INKEY List's formula has the same hero—niacinamide—but is paired with hydrating MVP hyaluronic acid instead. The Ordinary's formula gives many amazing niacinamide benefits on another level but The INKEY List's formula is more well-rounded if you want something that hydrates and moisturises at the same time as treating the skin.

• Caffeine

| The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream

($9.99/15ml, up to 3% cashback at Kohl's)

Re-energise your skin with The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Serum.  Caffeine possesses anti-inflammatory properties to help de-puff the skin and reduce the appearance of dark circles. Also enhanced with renowned Matrixyl 3000 peptide with Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract, the formula helps to boost collagen production and so minimise fine lines and wrinkles around your eyes. 

| The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG

($6.70/30ml, up to 7% cashback at LOOKFANTASTIC US)

This light-textured formula contains an extremely high 5% concentration of caffeine, supplemented with highly-purified Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside (EGCG) from green tea leaves. Independent studies have shown that topical use of each of caffeine and EGCG can help reduce looks of puffiness and of dark circles in the eye contour. Additional studies have shown that caffeine can also reduce the appearance of cellulite.

Review: While slightly different products, both are caffeine-based treatments for eyes. The Ordinary solution is a lightweight gel, while The INKEY List is a little creamier but still feels like it has more of a serum-like texture, so neither of these are heavy-duty eye creams. But the slightly thicker texture of the cream is easier to apply than the more fluid serum. Howerve, another difference is the price, The Ordinary costs $6.70 for 30ml, while The INKEY List costs $9.99 for 15ml. The INKEY List is clearly a lot more expensive.

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