Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser versus The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser .
Last updated on January 25, 2024. Published on January 19, 2021
Overview
What they are
These products are both vegan, cruelty-free, and reef safe face cleansers. They have a total of 4 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain Vitamin E
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 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.
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).
Ingredient Info
The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser 20 ingredients
The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser 25 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 🎉
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
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 🎉
Contains Alcohol
Ingredients in this product that are types of alcohol:
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
Contains EU Allergens
Ingredients in this product that are 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 Ordinary Squalane Cleanser 20 ingredients
The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser 25 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 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 Ordinary Squalane Cleanser 20 ingredients
The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser 25 ingredients
Squalane • Water • Coco-Caprylate/Caprate • Glycerin • Sucrose Stearate • Ethyl Macadamiate • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Sucrose Laurate • Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate • Sucrose Dilaurate • Sucrose Trilaurate • Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6 • Isoceteth-20 • Sodium Polyacrylate • Tocopherol • Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone • Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate • Malic Acid • Ethylhexylglycerin • Chlorphenesin
Propanediol • Glycerin • Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate • Cocamidopropyl Betaine • Peg-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate • Salicylic Acid • Peg-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate • Peg-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides • Betaine • Zinc PCA • Phenoxyethanol • Sodium Chloride • Allantoin • Sodium Hydroxide • Coco-Glucoside • Glyceryl Oleate • Benzyl Alcohol • Coconut Acid • Ethylhexylglycerin • Sodium Benzoate • Citric Acid • Dehydroacetic Acid • Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate • Tocopherol • Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
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.
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 Ordinary Squalane Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 4.
The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 2.
Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about TocopherolThe Ordinary Squalane Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 15.
The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 24.
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate is used to help stabilize a product.
It is a chelating agent, meaning it helps prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This prevents unwanted reactions in products. Metal ions can come into a product via the water ingredient. They are found in trace amounts and are not known to be harmful.
The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 17.
The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 23.
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 Ordinary Squalane Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 19.
The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 19.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser 20 ingredients
The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser 25 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser 20 ingredients
The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser 25 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser 20 ingredients
gently removes make-up and excess oil
gently removes make-up and excess oil
Godsend for my acne
I previously had a different routine and didnt expect much from this brand as its cheap, but oh my god my acne cleared so much from just a month of this set. Amazing.
Godsend for my acne
I previously had a different routine and didnt expect much from this brand as its cheap, but oh my god my acne cleared so much from just a month of this set. Amazing.
Meh
It looks, smells, and feels like you are spreading Elmer’s glue all over your face although it does seem to work as a gentle cleanser. Packaging is good, simplicity of ingredients is nice, as is the price. I've not repurchased it...
Meh
It looks, smells, and feels like you are spreading Elmer’s glue all over your face although it does seem to work as a gentle cleanser. Packaging is good, simplicity of ingredients is nice, as is the price. I've not repurchased it though.
The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser 25 ingredients
Great option to keep skin clear
Very gentle, lightly foaming cleanser, love the short squeezable bottle with flip top cap, perfect for keeping in the shower. Effective but not stripping on the skin like some other SA cleansers I’ve...
Great option to keep skin clear
Very gentle, lightly foaming cleanser, love the short squeezable bottle with flip top cap, perfect for keeping in the shower. Effective but not stripping on the skin like some other SA cleansers I’ve tried. Free from pore clogging ingredients, this has become one of my all time favorite cleansers. For background, I have dry skin that is also prone to dehydration and is sensitive with a fair amount of surface redness on it so I only use this once per week. It’s not often I can use a foaming cleanser without it drying my skin and leaving it tight and itchy but this one is wonderful.
Good cleanser
Been using this a lot. Didn’t really do much to my skin, but it’s very cheap and a good daily cleanser for acne prone skin.
Good cleanser
Been using this a lot. Didn’t really do much to my skin, but it’s very cheap and a good daily cleanser for acne prone skin.
Texture: watery gel like
Smell: none
Pros:
It's a pretty good product for clearing mild acne. Although you have to keep in mind that it shouldn't be used daily, since it can cause sensitivity. Every other day works best for me. The...
Texture: watery gel like
Smell: none
Pros:
It's a pretty good product for clearing mild acne. Although you have to keep in mind that it shouldn't be used daily, since it can cause sensitivity. Every other day works best for me. The results started around the second month of use. It didn't completely clear my face in the four months I've used it, but it made a tremendous difference.
100% recommend, if your acne isn't too severe.
Cons:
It's too watery and doesn't foam enough, so I end up using a bit much and the bottle lasts me much less time than other alternatives.
Solid 4- 4.5
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 15 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser.
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