If you’re hanging around the skincare community, you’ve probably heard of a brand called The Inkey List. I started using their products back in 2019 and I’ve really started to love them! A low price point matched with good formulas made with proven ingredients, and marketing without the fluff is EXACTLY what I want from my skincare. Here’s my not-sponsored review on the brand as a whole and the products I’ve used from it so far (originally written May 2020, updated November 2022).
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Brand Overview
The Inkey List was founded in 2018 by Colette Laxton and Mark Curry, and their mission is to help spread skincare knowledge around the world (which is something I can absolutely get behind!) They understand that not every product is going to be good for everyone, so they want to help their customers figure out what’s best for their skin personally and give them the opportunity to find what works for them. The products are kept at a low price point while still keeping quality high, which lets you pick and choose products to test without making a large financial commitment.
The packaging on their products is extremely minimal, yet informative. On the simple black and white packaging, you’ll see the name of the product, what it is (serum, moisturizer, cleanser, etc), what the main ingredient does, who it’s good for, and the percentage of main ingredient within the formula, along with other important information. They’ve added these little dots across their newer packaging that shows which step of your routine that product would be: Clean, Hydrate, Treat, Moisturize, or SPF. One thing I absolutely LOVE about their packaging is that they don’t blast a list of what’s not included in the ingredients list across the front of the packaging. I understand that some people would prefer not to use products with different ingredients for various reasons, and that information should be listed somewhere for sure, but I don’t think brands should use that as the main selling point. I’d much rather see what IS in the product and know what it’ll do for me rather than see a big list of what ISN’T included.
Products
I placed my first Inkey order from Sephora on May 2, 2019, and bought their Vitamin C, Q10, and retinol serums.
–Vitamin C Serum: Known for brightening the skin and being a great antioxidant to protect your skin, The Inkey List Vitamin C serum comes in at 30% which is pretty strong! It’s a white creamy texture that’s slightly gritty due to the high concentration of L-ascorbic acid. If I apply it on its own, it stings my skin and feels a little uncomfortable, so I like to mix some of this with another serum before applying. That mixture makes the texture lighter and stops any tingling, so it’s a nicer feel going on my skin.
✔ I would repurchase, but I’m interested in trying other versions of Vitamin C serums that may be less irritating on my skin. They’ve since released a 15% vitamin C serum and I like that one way better!
–Q10 Serum: Q10 is another antioxidant that’s good for protecting your skin from outside stressors, which I think everyone could use a little bit of. This serum has squalane mixed in, which is an incredibly hydrating ingredient! It’s a lightweight formula that rubs into my skin quickly. I liked using this morning or night, but got the most use out of it when I mixed it with the Vitamin C in the morning.
X Overall it felt nice on my skin, but I don’t think I’d repurchase since there are other serums that I liked better.
–Retinol Serum: One of the only ingredients approved to be called “anti-aging”. Retinol, or Vitamin A, encourages cell turnover which helps with uneven skin tone, fine lines and wrinkles, and overall dullness. This formula has a type of retinol (granactive retinoid) that is stabilized and less irritating than other retinols. It’s the first retinol product I’ve used, and I think it’s a great beginner option. (For a deeper dive on retinols, check out Caroline Hirons’ blog.)
✔ I’ve already repurchased this, but I’m interested in trying other formulas also.
[RELATED: Hydrating Skincare from the Inkey List]
My next Inkey purchase came on Feb 7, 2020 and I added their niacinamide and hyaluronic acid serums to my routine.
–Niacinamide Serum: This has become one of my favorite ingredients to look for in skincare products! Niacinamide, or Vitamin B3, is great for smoothing out skin texture, balancing out oiliness (which is nice for combination skin like mine that’s oily in some areas and normal/dry in others), and assisting in fading dark spots & uneven skin tone. Niacinamide been shown to be effective at a 2-4% concentration, and the Inkey List serum has a 10% concentration, so this might not be for you if you’re sensitive to it. The formula also has 1% hyaluronic acid mixed in to help hydrate at the same time, and it’s a lightweight formula that blends into my skin very quickly. I haven’t had any issues using this serum, and I’m very glad to have it in my routine.
✔ This is a definite repurchase for me
–Hyaluronic Acid (HA) Serum: HA is one of the most hydrating ingredients you can find in skincare. It’s been found to hold up to 1000x its weight in water, which is incredible for dehydrated and dry skin! (If you don’t know the difference between the two, I explained it in a past blog post). This serum has 2% multi-molecular HA, which means there’s different molecular sizes of HA that can get down to different layers of your skin instead of just the top layer. That helps make your skin feel more plump and can help minimize the look of fine lines. This is another lightweight serum that rubs in quickly, but feels slightly tacky once it’s on my face, so I always apply a moisturizer or facial oil on top.
✔ I would repurchase this, but I’m interested in trying other formulas too
[RELATED: Inexpensive Dark Spot Solutions from The Inkey List]
I placed my most recent order on April 21, 2020 and bought the Brighten-i eye cream, tranexamic acid treatment, peptide moisturizer, and a refill of my retinol. *I’ve only been using these products for about a month, so this is more of a first impression review of these and I’m not sure if I’d repurchase any of them yet.
–Brighten-i Eye Cream: It surprised me how much I like this eye cream! I normally lean towards gel textures for my undereyes since some creams are too heavy for me, but this is such a lightweight cream it melts in and doesn’t cause me any issues, not even underneath concealer. The tube comes with a metal applicator, which is very cooling on the skin and can help take down puffiness, but makes it hard to control how much product you’re applying. I like to squeeze out the amount I want on my finger, tap it on, and then blend it in with the applicator without squeezing on more product. This formula has 2% of an ingredient called Brightenyl, which claims to brighten skin tone by blocking the overproduction of melanin, as well as protect the skin 4x better than Vitamin C. There’s also 1% mica to help give an immediate glow to your undereye area. I do have some darkness under my eyes so I’m excited to keep using this and see if it helps at all, but I know my darkness is genetic so I don’t expect much change to come from an eye cream if I’m being honest.
–Tranexamic Acid: I went back and forth on purchasing this for so long, and finally decided to go for it. The research I’ve done says that tranexamic acid is supposed to be good for a more even skin tone because it helps block the overproduction of melanin, which is what causes dark spots after acne or from sun damage. (Can you tell that my main skin goal is even skin tone?) I don’t have any concerns about this whitening my skin and taking away my melanin because of the low percentage that’s in the formula. This serum has 2% tranexamic acid, as well as 2% vitamin C, so on paper it looks like it’ll be great for what I want. The formula has a kind of strong earthy scent, and is a thick gel texture that’s a little heavy on the skin. The brand suggests that this treatment is used at night as your final step, and not to layer oils or moisturizers on top. My combination skin absolutely doesn’t need anything else layered on top or it would be too much for me, so that’s how I’ve been using it.
–Peptide Moisturizer: I bought this moisturizer honestly hoping it’d be a dupe for the Drunk Elephant Protini moisturizer, which is my current favorite moisturizer but it’s so damn expensive! Although I don’t think it’s dupe after trying it, I do like this moisturizer. Different types of peptides are good for different benefits, like plumping the skin or evening out skin tone. According to this post from Chemist Confessions, the peptides in Protini are better for more anti-aging benefits like plumper skin and smoothing fine lines & wrinkles, while the peptides in this formula are better for more even skin tone and texture, which is what I’m looking for. This formula is slightly thicker than Protini, which is more of a gel-cream, but it isn’t heavy on my skin. I do prefer using it at night vs during the day, but it hasn’t given me any issues when I used it during the day, I can just feel it on my skin more than some of my other moisturizers.
Overall
I think The Inkey List is a great brand for: people who don’t want to spend a lot on skincare, people looking to add new ingredients to their routine but want to try a basic formulation first, and skincare newbies who want to start small and build up their collection. Some of these product formulas rival those of more expensive lines, and they deliver similar efficiency without the extra cost! I don’t think every product is for everyone, and I’m glad the brand agrees and isn’t afraid to say that. I also appreciate their marketing not including lots of excess claims that can’t be substantiated. I’ve really enjoyed the products I’ve tried so far, and will definitely continue to purchase more from them in the future.
