For this week’s skincare Friday I figured we could dig into a product by The Inkey List. This brand is one that I was very excited to try after hearing lots about them. They are one those ‘it’ brands that have built their branding around affordabile yet effective skincare. This product intrigued me as it seems to be aimed at people with dehydrated skin and that’s exactly my skin type. So I thought this could be a good one for me. I have nearly used up my bottle, so about time to give you my thoughts.
Skincare review: The Inkey List Polyglutamic Acid
Before we get into the review, I should point out that I am not a dermatologist. I am just a makeup enthusiast who knows that good skin starts with skincare, not with the makeup you use. That’s why I like to try things out, but with my dry/ dehydrated skin that can be quite reactive and sensitive, I struggle trying many of the hyped up products. My skincare trials are therefore slow going and since I have never been able to figure out exactly what my skin reacts to when it does, it remains a process of trial and error.
What does this product have to offer?
When I first spotted this, I wasn’t sure. With current skincare trends, finding good skincare nearly warrants a chemistry degree to understand what a product might be, let alone what it can do for you. So I went by the claims. This promises to be a great product for dehydrated skin. It should lock in moisture and hold 4 times the moisture of hyaluronic acid. Therefore, it is should smoothy, hydrate and make your skin more supple. I bought mind from Cult Beauty at €16.30, but by now the brand has become more widely available.
What does this product do?
Luckily with The Inkey List, you get lots of information on the box. It spells it all out for you: this product can be use in a day time or night time skincare routine, works like a serum and is best used as a step for treating the skin. The packaging claims this can even be used as a primer (last step before makeup) but I personally used this as part of my night time skincare routine. For my dry skin, just this and no moisturizer isn’t enough to keep my skin hydrated. As a primer I wouldn’t recommend this as I feel it is quite sticky yet watery at the same time.
What are the ingredients like?
When it comes to skincare the proof is in the ingredient list. So let’s have a look.
Aqua (Water), Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Bis-PEG-12 Dimethicone, Glycerin, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Polysilicone-11, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Propanediol, Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Benzoate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Polysorbate 80, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Decyl Glucoside, Dimethylacrylamide/Acrylic Acid/Polystyrene Ethyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Sorbitan Oleate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Polyglutamic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract
This product boasts about containing 3% Polyglutamic Acid. It is there, but all the way at the bottom of the ingredient list. The rest of the product mainly consists of ingredients you can find in many other skincare items: water, silicones and glycerin. Other ingredients seem to be mainly a bunch of abracadabra that I don’t really understand, but as long as it works I don’t really mind.
What does this product swatch like?
The expeirence of using this product was pleasant but I used it up super quickly. The amount recommended for use (pea sized amount) is not the amount I can use to cover my entire face. There are two reasons: the pump and the texture. I love how this product comes in a completely sealed pump. That makes for great hygiene, but it does mean I can’t really control how much product is dispensed with every use. The pump pumps out much more than just a pea sized amount, so there is that. However, my main reason for using it up very quickly is because the texture is quite thick and gel like. Even if I were able to only get a pea sized amount, I need much more to cover the surface of my face’s skin. I use 2 – 3 pumps with every use as I feel that’s the amount I need to get the hydrating benefits this product claims to have.
My final thoughts
In general I liked The Inkey List Polyglutamic Acid. I don’t really feel it adds the hydrating I am looking for though and that may be because I have only used it for a few weeks. I am already running out of this and I’ve only started to use this at the end of February. Maybe I am using too much, but I feel that this is the amount I need to get the effects the product claims it should do. And for such a quick use up cycle, I feel this is a bit too expensive for me to repurchase it all the time. Especially because I have tried other serum like products that work much better for me, are cheapere and more cost effective. So while this works, I feel it doesn’t warrant a repurchase.
Would I recommend The Inkey List Polyglutamic Acid?
If you want some moisture in your skincare routine I think you may like this. If you are sensitive to scents: don’t go for this one. Not because it has added fragrance, but because this smells very strange. It reminds me a lot of burning sugar when making caramel. It definitely took some get used to at first and was surprised by it when I first smelled it. However, I do like my skincare to be more cost effective: if I have to repurchase a product this often to keep it in my skincare routine, I feel it is not worth it in the end.