The INKEY List Succinic Acid Acne Treatment Versus Dermalogica Clear Start Post-Breakout Fix

See how these products line up with your preferences

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of The INKEY List Succinic Acid Acne Treatment versus Dermalogica Clear Start Post-Breakout Fix .

Published on July 18, 2022

Overview

What they are

These products are both vegan, cruelty-free, and reef safe facial treatments. They have a total of 10 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain BHA

Suited For

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

Free From

They both do not contain any 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.

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The INKEY List Succinic Acid Acne Treatment

Dermalogica Clear Start Post-Breakout Fix

Facial Treatment British Brand United Kingdom

Facial Treatment American Brand United States

Facial Treatment

Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.

Facial Treatment

Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.

Price

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Buy Succinic Acid Acne Treatment

Starts at $9.99

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Buy Clear Start Post-Breakout Fix

Starts at $24.50

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.

The INKEY List Succinic Acid Acne Treatment 22 ingredients

Dermalogica Clear Start Post-Breakout Fix 23 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

The INKEY List Succinic Acid Acne Treatment 22 ingredients

Dermalogica Clear Start Post-Breakout Fix 23 ingredients

Notable Ingredients

BHA

Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating (2)

Good For Oily Skin

Reduces Large Pores

Scar Healing

Acne Fighting

Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying (2)

May Worsen Oily Skin (3)

Acne Trigger (2)

Irritating (2)

Rosacea (2)

Eczema (2)

Notable Ingredients

BHA

Benefits

Hydrating (3)

Good For Oily Skin

Reduces Large Pores

Scar Healing

Acne Fighting

Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying

May Worsen Oily Skin

Acne Trigger

Irritating

Rosacea

Eczema

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Ingredients Compared

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

The INKEY List Succinic Acid Acne Treatment 22 ingredients

Dermalogica Clear Start Post-Breakout Fix 23 ingredients

Water • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Glyceryl Stearate Se • Stearic Acid • Cetearyl Alcohol • Colloidal Sulfur • Glycerin • Succinic Acid • Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer • Salicylic Acid • Phenoxyethanol • Squalane • Benzyl Alcohol • Sodium Hyaluronate • Polysorbate 60 • Ethylhexylglycerin • Sodium Hydroxide • Dehydroacetic Acid • Malachite Extract • Sorbitan Isostearate • Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate • CI 75810

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are

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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.

Water

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 Succinic Acid Acne Treatment contains this as ingredient number 1.

Dermalogica Clear Start Post-Breakout Fix contains this as ingredient number 1.

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

What it does: Masking, Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Mixed

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is an emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.

Within a product, Caprylic Triglyceride can thicken the product and make spreadability easier by dissolving clumping compounds. An added benefit of Caprylic Triglyceride is its antioxidant properties.

Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Caprylic Triglyceride has not been found to be toxic for human use in concentrations under 50%.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this.

Learn more about Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

The INKEY List Succinic Acid Acne Treatment contains this as ingredient number 2.

Dermalogica Clear Start Post-Breakout Fix contains this as ingredient number 5.

Glycerin

What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent

Community Rating: Loved

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 Glycerin

The INKEY List Succinic Acid Acne Treatment contains this as ingredient number 7.

Dermalogica Clear Start Post-Breakout Fix contains this as ingredient number 14.

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

What it does: Emulsion Stabilising

Community Rating: Disliked

This is a synthetic polymer. It helps improve the texture of products by adding thickness and gel-like feel.

It is also an emulsifer, meaning it prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It also helps evenly disperse other ingredients.

The INKEY List Succinic Acid Acne Treatment contains this as ingredient number 9.

Dermalogica Clear Start Post-Breakout Fix contains this as ingredient number 4.

Salicylic Acid

What it does: Masking, Preservative, Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Liked

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

The INKEY List Succinic Acid Acne Treatment contains this as ingredient number 10.

Dermalogica Clear Start Post-Breakout Fix contains this as ingredient number 8.

Squalane

What it does: Emollient, Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Loved

Squalane is an emollient that helps the skin hold onto moisture. It's an oily liquid that occurs naturally in certain types of fish and plant oils.

Because squalane boosts hydration in the skin, it also comes with plenty of benefits: it is an antioxidant and can help fight free radicals and skin damage. Squalane is also found to have a detoxifying effect when applied.

Squalane comes from squalene, which occurs naturally within the sebum of our skin. It is one of the oils our skin produces to keep itself hydrated. Squalane is the hydrogenated version of squalene and has a longer shelf life.

Research shows that squalane is non-irritating (even at 100% concentration).

In general, it's a fantastic ingredient. It does a great job at hydrating the skin, and it's suitable for those with sensitive skin.

The source of squalane may impact malassezia / fungal acne. This is because olive oil derived squalane can contain impurities such as fatty acids and plant waxes. Sugarcane derived squalane is recommended for anyone with malassezia concerns.

Is squalane vegan? This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.

Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.

Read more about squalene with an "e".

Learn more about Squalane

The INKEY List Succinic Acid Acne Treatment contains this as ingredient number 12.

Dermalogica Clear Start Post-Breakout Fix contains this as ingredient number 13.

Polysorbate 60

What it does: Emulsifying

Community Rating: Very Disliked

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 60

The INKEY List Succinic Acid Acne Treatment contains this as ingredient number 15.

Dermalogica Clear Start Post-Breakout Fix contains this as ingredient number 18.

Ethylhexylglycerin

What it does: Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Mixed

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.

The INKEY List Succinic Acid Acne Treatment contains this as ingredient number 16.

Dermalogica Clear Start Post-Breakout Fix contains this as ingredient number 21.

Sodium Hydroxide

What it does: Buffering

Community Rating: Mixed

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 Hydroxide

The INKEY List Succinic Acid Acne Treatment contains this as ingredient number 17.

Dermalogica Clear Start Post-Breakout Fix contains this as ingredient number 20.

Sorbitan Isostearate

What it does: Emulsifying

Community Rating: Very Disliked

Sorbitan Isostearate is an emulsifer and cleaning agent. It is created from isostearic acid and sorbitol.

As an emulsifier, Sorbitan Isostearate prevents oils and water from separating.

Due to its isostearic acid base, it may not be safe for Malassezia or fungal acne.

Learn more about Sorbitan Isostearate

The INKEY List Succinic Acid Acne Treatment contains this as ingredient number 20.