Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of The INKEY List Alpha Hydroxy Acid versus Educated Mess Golden Hour Gold-Stabilized Vitamin C Serum .
Published on March 24, 2024
Overview
What they are
These products are both vegan, cruelty-free, and fungal acne (malassezia) safe serums. They have a total of 11 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain hyaluronic acid and Vitamin C
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, scar healing, dark spots and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, 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.
Price
Ingredient Info
The INKEY List Alpha Hydroxy Acid 18 ingredients
Educated Mess Golden Hour Gold-Stabilized Vitamin C Serum 32 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Malassezia Safe
This product is free of malassezia feeding ingredients 🎉
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 🎉
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Malassezia Safe
This product is free of malassezia feeding ingredients 🎉
Not Reef Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not reef safe:
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 INKEY List Alpha Hydroxy Acid 18 ingredients
Educated Mess Golden Hour Gold-Stabilized Vitamin C Serum 32 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
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Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
This product contains 5 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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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 INKEY List Alpha Hydroxy Acid 18 ingredients
Educated Mess Golden Hour Gold-Stabilized Vitamin C Serum 32 ingredients
Water • Propanediol • Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract • Glycerin • Saccharum Officinarum Extract • Ascorbyl Glucoside • Sodium Hydroxide • Sodium Hyaluronate 1% • Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract • Citrus Limon Fruit Extract • Xanthan Gum • Acer Saccharum Extract • Sodium Benzoate • Allantoin • Sodium Levulinate • Potassium Sorbate • Sodium Anisate • Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Water • Glycerin • Ascorbic Acid • Gold • Glutathione • Sodium Hyaluronate • Hedychium Coronarium Root Extract • Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract • Citrus Limon Fruit Extract • Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract • Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit/Leaf Extract • Saccharum Officinarum Extract • Acer Saccharum Extract • Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract • Lactic Acid • Glycolic Acid • Malic Acid • Tartaric Acid • Citric Acid • Sorbitol • Panthenol • Allantoin • Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose • Xanthan Gum • Sodium Hydroxide • Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer • Propanediol • Glyceryl Caprylate • Hydroxyacetophenone • 1,2-Hexanediol • Titanium Dioxide • Mica
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.
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 INKEY List Alpha Hydroxy Acid contains this as ingredient number 1.
Educated Mess Golden Hour Gold-Stabilized Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
Propanediol helps absorb ingredients into your skin, boosting their benefits. It can act as an emollient, making your skin softer. Propanediol can help products last longer by boosting the properties of preservatives within the formulation.
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 PropanediolThe INKEY List Alpha Hydroxy Acid contains this as ingredient number 2.
Educated Mess Golden Hour Gold-Stabilized Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 27.
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 INKEY List Alpha Hydroxy Acid contains this as ingredient number 4.
Educated Mess Golden Hour Gold-Stabilized Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.
This ingredient is also called sugarcane extract. It is a moisturizing humectant and has skin soothing properties.
Similar to hyaluronic acid, sugarcane can attract moisture to your skin.
Glycolic acid is a derivative of sugarcane. While glycolic acid is an AHA with exfoliating properties, sugarcane is not an AHA.
A study from 2021 found the compounds in sugarcane extract to have antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory activity. The study also suggests these compounds can inhibit skin ageing enzymes and promote collagen synthesis.
Learn more about Saccharum Officinarum ExtractThe INKEY List Alpha Hydroxy Acid contains this as ingredient number 5.
Educated Mess Golden Hour Gold-Stabilized Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 12.
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 HydroxideThe INKEY List Alpha Hydroxy Acid contains this as ingredient number 7.
Educated Mess Golden Hour Gold-Stabilized Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 25.
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 HyaluronateThe INKEY List Alpha Hydroxy Acid contains this as ingredient number 8.
Educated Mess Golden Hour Gold-Stabilized Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract is more commonly known as the bitter orange. Native to Southeast Asia, this extract is commonly found in both cosmetics and foods.
The bitter orange possesses antibacterial and antioxidant properties.
It can also be mildly exfoliating due to the citric acid, an AHA.
Citrus fruits are rich in flavonoids, alkaloids, and vitamin C.
Learn more about Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit ExtractThe INKEY List Alpha Hydroxy Acid contains this as ingredient number 9.
Educated Mess Golden Hour Gold-Stabilized Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 8.
Citrus Limon Fruit Extract comes from lemons. While lemon extract is exfoliating and antimicrobial, it can also cause skin sensitivity.
Lemons contains antioxidants, which may help with anti-aging. They are also rich in citric acid, an AHA.
And of course, lemons are rich in Vitamin C. Vitamin C helps with skin-brightening and increasing collagen production.
The acidity of lemons may work as an astringent for acne.
However, lemons can also cause skin sensitivity due to its limonene content. It can also increase photosensitivity, or sensitivity to the sun.
This ingredient is also used to add a lemon scent to products.
Learn more about Citrus Limon Fruit ExtractThe INKEY List Alpha Hydroxy Acid contains this as ingredient number 10.
Educated Mess Golden Hour Gold-Stabilized Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 9.
Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan GumThe INKEY List Alpha Hydroxy Acid contains this as ingredient number 11.
Educated Mess Golden Hour Gold-Stabilized Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 24.
We don't have a description for Acer Saccharum Extract.
The INKEY List Alpha Hydroxy Acid contains this as ingredient number 12.
Educated Mess Golden Hour Gold-Stabilized Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 13.
Allantoin plays a role in soothing and moisturizing the skin. Because of this, it is often added to products with strong active ingredients.
Some studies have shown this ingredient can promote wound healing with higher concentrations.
Allantoin is derived from the comfrey plant but produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Learn more about AllantoinThe INKEY List Alpha Hydroxy Acid contains this as ingredient number 14.
Educated Mess Golden Hour Gold-Stabilized Vitamin C Serum contains this as ingredient number 22.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
The INKEY List Alpha Hydroxy Acid 18 ingredients
Educated Mess Golden Hour Gold-Stabilized Vitamin C Serum 32 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
The INKEY List Alpha Hydroxy Acid 18 ingredients
Educated Mess Golden Hour Gold-Stabilized Vitamin C Serum 32 ingredients
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