The INKEY List Succinic Acid Acne Treatment Versus Kiehl's Breakout Control Targeted Acne Spot Treatment
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Colloidal Sulfur
AntimicrobialGlycerin
Humectant
Succinic Acid
BufferingHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSalicylic Acid
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Squalane
Emollient
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Malachite Extract
Antioxidant
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
CI 75810
Cosmetic ColorantWater, 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
Sulfur
Antiseborrhoeic
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Octyldodecyl Myristate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyacrylamide
Ceteareth-20
CleansingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPEG-100 Stearate
Phenylethyl Resorcinol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Sulfur, Water, Niacinamide, Zea Mays Starch, Glycolic Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Octyldodecyl Myristate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Phenoxyethanol, Polyacrylamide, Ceteareth-20, Sodium Hydroxide, PEG-100 Stearate, Phenylethyl Resorcinol, Tocopheryl Acetate, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Disodium EDTA, Laureth-7, Allantoin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
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 HydroxideWater. 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. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
