Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of The Glow Fairy Retinol Glow Wand versus The INKEY List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum .
Last updated on July 18, 2023. Published on April 04, 2023
Overview
Cool Features
They both contain hyaluronic acid, retinoid and Vitamin E
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any common allergens or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain oils and silicones
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.
Facial Treatment
Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.
Serum
Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.
Price
Ingredient Info
The Glow Fairy Retinol Glow Wand 53 ingredients
The INKEY List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum 31 ingredients
Contains Alcohol
Ingredients in this product that are types of alcohol:
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Contains Parabens
Ingredients in this product that are types of parabens:
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Not Reef Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not reef safe:
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Vegan
This product is vegan 🎉
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
The Glow Fairy Retinol Glow Wand 53 ingredients
The INKEY List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum 31 ingredients
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Concerns
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Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
The Glow Fairy Retinol Glow Wand 53 ingredients
The INKEY List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum 31 ingredients
Beeswax • Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil • Olea Europaea Fruit Oil • Cetearyl Alcohol • Paraffinum Liquidum • Butylene Glycol • Glycerin • Glycereth-26 • Allantoin • Retinol • Butyrospermum Parkii Oil • Dimethicone • Hydrolyzed Collagen • Polysorbate 60 • Sodium Hyaluronate • Stearic Acid • Glyceryl Stearate Se • Sorbitan Stearate • Water • Glyceryl Stearate • Natto Gum • Polyquaternium-51 • Triethanolamine • Xanthan Gum • Peg-100 Stearate • Cetearyl Olivate • Sorbitan Olivate • Alcohol • Centella Asiatica Extract • Imidazolidinyl Urea • Methylparaben • Propylparaben • Ficus Carica Fruit Extract • Ginkgo Biloba Nut Extract • Morus Alba Fruit Extract • Punica Granatum Fruit Extract • Caprylic Acid • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Lecithin • Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract • Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract • Parfum • Benzophenone-9 • Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract • Disodium EDTA • Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract • Carbomer • Polysorbate 80 • Tocopheryl Acetate • Ubiquinone • Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract • Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract • CI 19140
Water • Glycerin • Butylene Glycol • Propanediol • Dicaprylyl Carbonate • Dimethicone • Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer • Caprylyl Glycol • Phospholipids • Caprylic/Capric Glycerides • Squalane • Dimethyl Isosorbide • Glycine Soja Extract • Carbomer • Sodium Ascorbate • Tocopherol • Polysorbate 60 • Tocopheryl Acetate • Glycolipids • Sodium Hydroxide • Disodium EDTA • Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate • Retinol • Glycine Soja Sterols • Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate • Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil • Hyaluronic Acid • Polysorbate 20 • Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 • Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 • Phenoxyethanol
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
- It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
- It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
- It helps improve product application.
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient. It is unlikely to irritate skin, and works well with pretty much all other ingredients.
The Glow Fairy Retinol Glow Wand contains this as ingredient number 6.
The INKEY List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinThe Glow Fairy Retinol Glow Wand contains this as ingredient number 7.
The INKEY List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.
Retinol is a gold-standard ingredient for anti-aging. It is a form of Vitamin A and belongs to the class of retinoids that also includes tretinoin.
Why is retinol famous?
It has the most scientific studies backing up its skin benefits out of all the non-prescription ingredients.
Retinol is proven to:
This is why retinol is effective at removing wrinkles, fading dark spots, treating acne, and reducing the appearance of pores.
Studies show retinol is less effective when exposed to UV. Be sure to look for appropriate packaging to keep your retinol potent (similar to Vitamin C).
Using retinol or any retinoids will increase sun-sensitivity in the first few months. Though studies show retinoids increase your skin's natural SPF with continuous use, it is best to always wear sunscreen and sun-protection.
We recommend speaking with a medical professional about using this ingredient during pregnancy.
Retinol may cause irritation in some people, so be sure to patch test. Experts recommend 'ramping up' retinol use: start using this ingredient once a week and work up to using it daily.
Read about Tretinoin
Learn more about RetinolThe Glow Fairy Retinol Glow Wand contains this as ingredient number 10.
The INKEY List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 23.
Dimethicone is a silicone used for making products smooth and silky. It also has the added benefit of sealing in hydration. The amount of dimethicone found in beauty products is considered safe and non-comedogenic, meaning it won't clog pores.
Dimethicone has been found increase absorption in skin, boosting the benefits of other ingredients. While there is concern for the safety of dimethicone, the levels used in skincare are safe for use.
The Glow Fairy Retinol Glow Wand contains this as ingredient number 12.
The INKEY List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.
Polysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.
Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.
In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.
Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.
Learn more about Polysorbate 60The Glow Fairy Retinol Glow Wand contains this as ingredient number 14.
The INKEY List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 17.
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 WaterThe Glow Fairy Retinol Glow Wand contains this as ingredient number 19.
The INKEY List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.
It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.
Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAThe Glow Fairy Retinol Glow Wand contains this as ingredient number 45.
The INKEY List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 21.
Carbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create gel consistency within products.
Carbomer is commonly found in many types of cosmetics products. It is found to be safe in concentrations up to 15%. However, a high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Most products contain 1% of less of carbomer.
The Glow Fairy Retinol Glow Wand contains this as ingredient number 47.
The INKEY List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 14.
Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateThe Glow Fairy Retinol Glow Wand contains this as ingredient number 49.
The INKEY List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 18.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
The Glow Fairy Retinol Glow Wand 53 ingredients
The INKEY List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum 31 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
The Glow Fairy Retinol Glow Wand 53 ingredients
The INKEY List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum 31 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
The Glow Fairy Retinol Glow Wand 53 ingredients
The INKEY List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum 31 ingredients
YousifShamoon
not doing anything?
i've been using this for 2-3 weeks and i see no difference. i know you're supposed to wait 6 weeks and see but i'm using this...
not doing anything?
i've been using this for 2-3 weeks and i see no difference. i know you're supposed to wait 6 weeks and see but i'm using this every single night and i'm not even purging in the slightest. i had a breakout before i started using this and the breakout is still there which also shows that the product is doing nothing. i will finish the product to see if anything happens but my assumption is that it's too weak and my skin can take more, since my skin was used to benzyl peroxide twice a day since i was using effaclar duo+ for 3-4 months.
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