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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Boots Ingredients Alpha Hydroxy Acid Serum versus The INKEY List Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA) Serum .

Last updated on May 03, 2024. Published on March 26, 2022

Overview

What they are

These products are both vegan, cruelty-free, fungal acne (malassezia) safe, and reef safe serums. They have a total of 3 ingredients in common

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for dry skin, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores and scar healing

Free From

They both do not contain any common allergens, fragrances, oils, parabens, silicones or sulfates

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Serum British Brand United Kingdom
Serum British Brand United Kingdom

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Price

Shop

Buy Ingredients Alpha Hydroxy Acid Serum

Shop

Buy Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA) Serum

Starts at $10.00

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

AHA (2)

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin
Skin Texture (2)
Reduces Large Pores (2)
Anti-Aging (2)
Dark Spots (2)
Scar Healing (2)
Brightening (3)

Concerns

Irritating (2)
Rosacea (3)
Eczema (2)

Notable Ingredients

BHA
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing
Reduces Irritation
Reduces Large Pores
Scar Healing (2)
Acne Fighting (2)
Brightening

Concerns

Drying
Irritating
Rosacea
Eczema
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Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

Boots Ingredients Alpha Hydroxy Acid Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

The INKEY List Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA) Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Buffering
Community Rating: Mixed

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

Learn more about Sodium Hydroxide

Boots Ingredients Alpha Hydroxy Acid Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.

The INKEY List Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA) Serum contains this as ingredient number 10.

3
What it does: Emulsion Stabilising, Stabilising
Community Rating: Mixed

Hydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.

Hydroxyethylcellulose helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.

This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.

Learn more about Hydroxyethylcellulose

Boots Ingredients Alpha Hydroxy Acid Serum contains this as ingredient number 9.

The INKEY List Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA) Serum contains this as ingredient number 8.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

35% are loved or liked
18% have mixed ratings
29% are disliked or very disliked
18% have no rating yet
69% are loved or liked
23% have mixed ratings
8% are disliked or very disliked
0% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Boots Ingredients Alpha Hydroxy Acid Serum 17 ingredients

Ingredients Alpha Hydroxy Acid Serum hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

The INKEY List Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA) Serum 13 ingredients

4.2 /5
from 5 ratings
CentellaAddict's avatar

CentellaAddict

8 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

Very good for acne
Saw an immediate overnight change in my inflammation overnight after using for the first time, haven't had any inflammatory...

Very good for acne
Saw an immediate overnight change in my inflammation overnight after using for the first time, haven't had any inflammatory whiteheads since I finished purging (which lasted 2 weeks) and my skin is slightly less oily. However it did nothing really for my sebaceous filaments.

bloss's avatar

bloss

10 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

It’s like the only product that actually seemed to do anything.

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Boots Ingredients Alpha Hydroxy Acid Serum.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to The INKEY List Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA) Serum.

See 50 alternatives
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