Side-by-side comparison

The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Serum vs The Inkey List Niacinamide Serum

Both are serums. They share a 70% active-ingredient overlap, so the real decision is about price, texture and the supporting ingredients. Here's the side-by-side.

70%Active overlap
The Inkey List
SerumBudgetMorning or evening
DehydrationDrynessDullness

A multi-weight hyaluronic acid serum with vitamin B5 for layered hydration. A no-frills, affordable HA serum; apply to damp skin and seal with moisturiser to avoid the dryness HA can cause in low humidity.

The Inkey List
SerumBudgetMorning or evening
OilinessCongestionDark Spots

A 10% niacinamide serum with added hyaluronic acid for oil control and blemish support. A clean, affordable single-active option; broadly comparable to other 10% niacinamide serums with a slightly more hydrating base.

The verdict

Which should you choose?

Both sit in the Budget tier, so cost isn't the deciding factor here — choose on texture, finish and the supporting ingredients. The The Inkey List leans toward Dehydration, Dryness, Dullness. The The Inkey List leans toward Congestion, Dark Spots, Oiliness.

The overlap

What they share

At 70% active overlap, these are the ingredients doing comparable work in both formulas:

The formulation

Ingredient stacks, side by side

The Inkey List — top of the list

  • Aqua~50–80%
  • Glycerin~5–25%
  • Sodium Hyaluron…~3–10%
  • Hydrolyzed Hyal…~2–6%
  • Sodium Hyaluron…~1.5–4%
  • Panthenol~1–2%

The Inkey List — top of the list

  • Aqua~50–80%
  • Niacinamide~5–25%
  • Glycerin~3–10%
  • Sodium Hyaluron…~2–6%
  • Pentylene Glycol~1.5–4%

● marks ingredients that appear near the top of both lists. Percentages are positional estimates from INCI order, not disclosed doses.

At a glance

The specs

The Inkey ListThe Inkey List
CategorySerumSerum
Price tierBudgetBudget
Best forDehydration, Dryness, DullnessOiliness, Congestion, Dark Spots
Usage notesMorning or eveningMorning or evening
Active overlap70% — Hyaluronic Acid
Questions

Common questions

Is the The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Serum or the The Inkey List Niacinamide Serum better?
Neither is clearly better — they overlap 70% on active ingredients and sit in the same price tier. The difference comes down to texture, finish and the supporting ingredients, so the right choice depends on your skin type and preferences.
What's the difference between the The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Serum and the The Inkey List Niacinamide Serum?
Both are serums that share Hyaluronic Acid. Where they differ: the The Inkey List targets Dehydration, Dryness; the The Inkey List targets Congestion, Dark Spots.
Are the The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Serum and The Inkey List Niacinamide Serum dupes for each other?
They share 70% active-ingredient overlap based on published INCI lists, so one can stand in for the other on the actives that matter — chiefly Hyaluronic Acid. A dupe matches the hero actives, not the full sensory experience, so expect differences in texture, fragrance and exact concentrations.
Can I use the The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Serum and The Inkey List Niacinamide Serum together?
They both fill the serum slot in a routine, so you'd normally pick one rather than layer both. If you want to use both, treat one as your daytime option and the other for evening, and patch-test when introducing anything new.
Keep comparing

Related comparisons

Want a deeper, personalised read? Drop both products into the live comparison tool for an ingredient-by-ingredient breakdown tuned to your skin profile.

Compare these yourself →