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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Cleanser versus The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm .

Published on February 24, 2022

Overview

What they are

These products are both vegan, cruelty-free, and reef safe face cleansers. They have a total of 5 ingredients in common

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for dry skin and brightening skin

Free From

They both do not contain any parabens, silicones or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain harsh alcohols, common allergens and fragrances

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

Face Cleanser British Brand United Kingdom
Face Cleanser British Brand United Kingdom

Face Cleanser

Face cleansers are used to remove makeup, dead skin cells, pollutants, oil, dirt, and/or clean out pores on the skin. Face cleansers may specialize in having one function (exa. just removing makeup) or may have multiple functions (exa. Removing makeup and cleaning pores).

Face Cleanser

Face cleansers are used to remove makeup, dead skin cells, pollutants, oil, dirt, and/or clean out pores on the skin. Face cleansers may specialize in having one function (exa. just removing makeup) or may have multiple functions (exa. Removing makeup and cleaning pores).

Price

Shop

Buy Hyaluronic Acid Cleanser

Starts at $24.45
Shop

Buy Oat Cleansing Balm

Starts at $13.00

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

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Redness Reducing
Reduces Irritation
Brightening

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin (3)
Acne Trigger
Irritating
Rosacea
Eczema

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Exfoliators (2)

Benefits

Hydrating
Redness Reducing
Skin Texture
Anti-Aging (2)
Dark Spots
Scar Healing (2)
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin (2)
Acne Trigger
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (2)
Eczema (2)
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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

The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 1.

The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm contains this as ingredient number 11.

2
What it does: Emollient, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Cetearyl alcohol is a mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is mainly used as an emulsifier. Emulsifiers help prevent the separation of oils and products. Due to its composition, it can also be used to thicken a product or help create foam.

Cetearyl alcohol is an emollient. Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.

Studies show Cetearyl alcohol is non-toxic and non-irritating. The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

This ingredient is usually derived from plant oils such as palm, vegetable, or coconut oils. There is debate on whether this ingredient will cause acne.

Due to the fatty acid base, this ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis safe.

Learn more about Cetearyl Alcohol

The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 5.

The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm contains this as ingredient number 2.

3
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and 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.

The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 7.

The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm contains this as ingredient number 13.

4
What it does: Perfuming, Preservative, Solvent
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Benzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.

Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.

Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.

Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.

Other types of astringent alcohols include:

According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.

Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.

Learn more about Benzyl Alcohol

The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 8.

The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm contains this as ingredient number 12.

5
What it does: Emollient, Emulsifying, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Disliked

Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of mixture of fatty acids. These fatty acids usually are a mixture of phosphoric acid's choline ester connected to stearic, oleic, and palmitic acids. Most lecithins are created from plant ingredients scuh as sunflower.

Lecithin is an emollient. Emollients help soften the skin and creates a barrier to keep moisture in.

As an emulsifier, it also helps prevent water and oil ingredients from separating. Lecithin can help ingredients be better absorbed by the skin. The phospholipids in Lecithin can produce liposomes. Liposomes help other ingredients get through the skin barrier.

Learn more about Lecithin

The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 19.

The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm contains this as ingredient number 14.

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

37% are loved or liked
16% have mixed ratings
47% are disliked or very disliked
0% have no rating yet
21% are loved or liked
5% have mixed ratings
63% are disliked or very disliked
11% 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

The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Cleanser 19 ingredients

3.8 /5
from 5 ratings
Great Value (1)
SamanthaTan_417's avatar

SamanthaTan_417

11 months ago · Normal Skin
Review

It works fine for me and lasts ages
It's a pretty good cleanser for the price. It's nothing to write home about, but I have no complaints....

It works fine for me and lasts ages
It's a pretty good cleanser for the price. It's nothing to write home about, but I have no complaints.

Needs to be paired with some sort of cleansing balm in a double cleanse if you have make-up on.

mikkoflam's avatar

mikkoflam

3 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

Its just a basic boring cleanser. I don't reach for it

The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm 19 ingredients

3.3 /5
from 23 ratings
Great Value (7) Works Well (7) Hydrating (4) No Scent (3) Heavy (3) Sticky (2)
Lapaki's avatar

Lapaki

5 months ago · Dry Skin
Review

Well, it is gentle, but I didn't like the experience. Usually, my cleansing balms and oils emulsify as soon as I start adding water on my face, and...

Well, it is gentle, but I didn't like the experience. Usually, my cleansing balms and oils emulsify as soon as I start adding water on my face, and wash off nicely. However, this one somehow doesn't... Even after double cleansing. Perhaps a stronger second cleanser would help, but my skin only tolerates milky washes/cleansers. I would have given it three stars, but the strong, off-putting smell just adds to the 'meh' effect.

Lurielle's avatar

Lurielle

5 months ago · Oily Skin
Review

It's the only oil-based cleanser without clogg-poring ingredients that I could find and at a good price point. Of course it leaves an oily residue...

It's the only oil-based cleanser without clogg-poring ingredients that I could find and at a good price point. Of course it leaves an oily residue behind, bul all balms do. Nothing a water-based cleanser can't solve afterwards, we should do the double-cleansing anyways.
It would be better to change the package into a pump system, it would be less messy and more practical.

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