Versus

Skintific 2% Salicylic Acid Anti Acne Serum Versus The INKEY List Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA) Serum

Serum
Serum
Chinese Brand China
British Brand United Kingdom

Updated on October 17, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe serums. They have a total of 6 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain BHA and hyaluronic acid

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing and dark spots

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, fragrances, parabens, silicones or sulfates

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

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

What's inside (and what isn't)

What's inside (and what isn't)

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products
2% Salicylic Acid Anti Acne Serum

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water
Masking, Preservative, Skin Conditioning

Salicylic Acid (also known as beta hydroxy acid or BHA) is one of the most well-known ingredients for treating skin that struggles with blackheads and acne. It helps to exfoliate both the skin's surface and pores, and also acts as an anti-inflammatory agent.

This multitasking property makes it a great ingredient for cleaning out pores, controlling oil production, and reducing inflammation.

Unlike AHAs which are water soluble, Salicylic Acid is oil soluble. This means that it's able to exfoliate the inside of pores and reduce blackheads.

Concentrations of 0.5-2% are recognized by the U.S. FDA as an over-the-counter topical acne product.

It can cause irritation and/or dryness if one's skin already has a compromised moisture barrier, so it's best to focus on repairing that before introducing a Salicylic Acid into your routine.

In general, Salicylic Acid is a great ingredient for oily acne-prone skin.

While salicylic acid does not increase sun-sensitivity, we still recommend wearing SPF.

If you are looking for the ingredient called BHA or Butylated Hydroxyanisole, click here.

Learn more about Salicylic Acid
Skin Conditioning

Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.

You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.

Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.

Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.

Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.

These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:

Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate
Solvent

Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin. 

It’s often used to:

Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.

Learn more about Propanediol
Preservative

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.

It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.

When to use

150 Routines
31% use in am
69% use in pm
80% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
255 Routines
32% use in am
68% use in pm
69% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Skintific 2% Salicylic Acid Anti Acne Serum 44 ingredients

4.3 /5
from 3 ratings
Absorbs Well (1) Great Value (1) Works Well (1)
laukberanang's avatar

laukberanang

2 years ago
Review

LOVE!
I'll tell you. I've got zit that day, so I applied this serum. The next day, it left with just the bump. The white yellowish zit? Where? I dunno. Its GONE! Run bestie. Go buy it bestie.

*Do not pop your zit okay. Just apply this before you go to sleep.

Ericj89's avatar

Ericj89

1 year ago
Review

Texture: Lightweight serum. Slightly moisturizing.
Scent: No scent
Performance: Gentle BHA for acne and blackhead.
Pros: Contain ceramide for skin barrier.
Cons: Contain PEG
WRP/WNRP: Maybe WNRP (trying other products with multi-function and lighter texture)

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

4.3 /5
from 6 ratings
Absorbs Well (1) Light (1) Works Well (1)
featherstone's avatar

flora

5 months ago
Review

Game changer. This stuff is amazing for fungal acne, other BHA acids were too harsh for my sensitive skin and didn’t improve any of my concerns, but this stuff is strong and non irritating. Didn't give me any new breakouts just surfaced all of my pre-existing acne. Turned all my FA into white heads in a matter of weeks. This with the ordinary 5% lactic acid serum is completely reviving the texture Show more

#light
#absorbs well
#works well
CentellaAddict's avatar

CentellaAddict

1 year ago
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 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.