Side-by-side comparison

Byoma Brightening 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
Byoma
Brightening Serum
SerumBudgetMorning or evening
Dark SpotsDullnesssensitive

Tranexamic acid + niacinamide + ceramide serum at an unusually low price point for this combination. Genuinely effective for post-inflammatory pigmentation and melasma-prone skin — and gentler than vitamin C for many people.

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The Inkey List
Niacinamide Serum
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.

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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 Byoma leans toward Dullness, sensitive. The The Inkey List leans toward Congestion, Oiliness.

The overlap

What they share

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

Niacinamide
The formulation

Ingredient stacks, side by side

Byoma — top of the list

  • Water~50–80%
  • Propanediol~5–25%
  • Glycerin~3–10%
  • Niacinamide~2–6%
  • Tranexamic Acid~1.5–4%
  • Pentylene Glycol~1–2%
  • Butylene Glycol~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

ByomaThe Inkey List
CategorySerumSerum
Price tierBudgetBudget
Best forDark Spots, Dullness, sensitiveOiliness, Congestion, Dark Spots
Usage notesMorning or eveningMorning or evening
Active overlap70% — Niacinamide
Questions

Common questions

Is the Byoma Brightening 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 Byoma Brightening Serum and the The Inkey List Niacinamide Serum?
Both are serums that share Niacinamide. Where they differ: the Byoma targets Dullness, sensitive; the The Inkey List targets Congestion, Oiliness.
Are the Byoma Brightening 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 Niacinamide. A dupe matches the hero actives, not the full sensory experience, so expect differences in texture, fragrance and exact concentrations.
Can I use the Byoma Brightening 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.
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70% overlap

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