Side-by-side comparison

The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Serum vs The Ordinary Amino Acids + B5

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
Hyaluronic Acid Serum
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.

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The Ordinary
Amino Acids + B5
SerumBudgetMorning or evening
DehydrationSensitivityDryness

A hydrating serum of skin-identical amino acids with provitamin B5 for comfort and surface hydration. A gentle, fragrance-free hydrator that supports a healthy-feeling barrier; pairs well under richer creams.

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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 Dullness. The The Ordinary leans toward Sensitivity.

The overlap

What they share

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

Panthenol
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 Ordinary — top of the list

  • Aqua~50–80%
  • Glycerin~5–25%
  • Panthenol~3–10%
  • Arginine~2–6%
  • Serine~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 Ordinary
CategorySerumSerum
Price tierBudgetBudget
Best forDehydration, Dryness, DullnessDehydration, Sensitivity, Dryness
Usage notesMorning or eveningMorning or evening
Active overlap70% — Panthenol
Questions

Common questions

Is the The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Serum or the The Ordinary Amino Acids + B5 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 Ordinary Amino Acids + B5?
Both are serums that share Panthenol. Where they differ: the The Inkey List targets Dullness; the The Ordinary targets Sensitivity.
Are the The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Serum and The Ordinary Amino Acids + B5 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 Panthenol. 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 Ordinary Amino Acids + B5 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.
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70% overlap

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