Versus

The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm Versus The INKEY List Succinic Acid Acne Treatment - Europe

Face Cleanser
Facial Treatment
British Brand United Kingdom
British Brand United Kingdom

Updated on June 19, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both vegan, cruelty-free, and reef safe . They have a total of 4 ingredients in common

Suited For

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

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 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

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Emollient, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising

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
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
Perfuming, Preservative, Solvent

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
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

1,120 Routines
18% use in am
82% use in pm
93% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
332 Routines
42% use in am
58% use in pm
73% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm 19 ingredients

3.0 /5
from 29 ratings
Great Value (9) Works Well (8) Heavy (6)
Lapaki's avatar

Lapaki

1 year ago
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 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 Show more

#great value
#heavy
ang200's avatar

💋

9 months ago
Review

Don't buy this if u have acne prone skin. I used it for so long without realizing it was breaking me out and now i have so many black and whiteheads .

#drying
#broke me out
#strong scent
#doesn't work

The INKEY List Succinic Acid Acne Treatment 22 ingredients

4.1 /5
from 7 ratings
Absorbs Well (1) Doesn't Work (1) Great Value (1)
Oop's avatar

Maddie

17 days ago
Review

I used this back in 2022 and it worked really good and healed my acne really quickly when I needed it to. However, for some reason over time it just stopped working for me and didn’t have the same effect as it did before which really disappointed me because I loved it so much. It was still a really good product though.

I bought this from Look Fantastic

#great value
#absorbs well
#doesn't work
#works well
Daisyfrd's avatar

Daisyfrd

2 years ago
Review

The only product that has made a significant difference within 24 hours, decreases redness and texture quickly