The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser

The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser

Review

Does The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser work?

The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser is a type of skincare product designed to be rinsed off, peeled off, or otherwise removed from the skin. Research confirming the moisturizing, anti-wrinkle, and soothing effects of such products is very limited. Therefore, we do not provide efficacy ratings for these types of skincare products.

However, you can explore the roles of specific ingredients in the Ingredients Explained section below.

Ingredients

Est. % Ingredient Origin Functions
45
22
11
6
4
2
1.9
1.5
1
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
Est. %
Propanediol
Function:
Origin:
Glycerin
Function:
Origin:
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Function:
Origin:
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Function:
Origin:
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Function:
Origin:
Salicylic Acid
Function:
Origin:
PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
Function:
Origin:
PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
Function:
Origin:
Betaine
Function:
Origin:
Zinc PCA
Function:
Origin:
Phenoxyethanol
Function:
Origin:
Sodium Chloride
Function:
Origin:
Allantoin
Function:
Origin:
Sodium Hydroxide
Function:
Origin:
Coco-Glucoside
Function:
Origin:
Glyceryl Oleate
Function:
Origin:
Benzyl Alcohol
Function:
Origin:
Coconut Acid
Function:
Origin:
Ethylhexylglycerin
Function:
Origin:
Sodium Benzoate
Function:
Origin:
Citric Acid
Function:
Origin:
Dehydroacetic Acid
Function:
Origin:
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Function:
Origin:
Tocopherol
Function:
Origin:
Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
Function:
Origin:

Ingredients explained

Propanediol
Est. %45
Function
Origin
PropanediolAn excellent solvent capable of mixing water with normally water-insoluble ingredients. It also functions as a humectant due to its water-loving alcohol groups. Propanediol can control the viscosity of a product by reducing its thickness.
Glycerin
Est. %22
Function
Origin
Glycerin

The most popular moisturizing ingredient in the world. It is a powerful humectant – cheap yet very effective.

Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Est. %11
Function
Origin
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl TaurateA coconut-derived or synthetic surfactant that creates a gentle, creamy foam. It is popular in baby shampoos, body washes, and many other rinse-off products as a complement to other surfactants.
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Est. %6
Function
Origin
Cocamidopropyl BetaineA mildly cleansing ingredient derived from coconut. It also produces the foam that tells us our soap is actually working to remove dirt and oils.
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Est. %4
Function
Origin
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose DioleateA synthetic thickener often used in cleansing formulations. It can create very thick cleansing products while maintaining foaming ability.
Salicylic Acid
Est. %2
Function
Origin
Salicylic AcidThis effective peeling and anti-inflammatory BHA is used as an anti-acne agent and works by breaking down the junctions between dead skin cells. This results in the peeling of dead skin and the unclogging of pores.
PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
Est. %1.9
Function
Origin
PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
Est. %1.5
Function
Origin
PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric GlyceridesA synthetic ingredient that softens the appearance of skin and combines water with oil.
Betaine
Est. %1
Function
Origin
BetaineAn ingredient derived from the sucrose in sugar beets. It has a negative chemical charge and a positive chemical charge on the same molecule. This allows betaine to be hygroscopic or humectant and thus provide moisturization by drawing water to the skin.
Zinc PCA
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
Zinc PCAA two-part ingredient: Zinc helps to control sebum and bacteria in acne-prone skin, while skin-identical PCA is a moisturizing humectant. Zinc PCA may even boost collagen production and so is researched as a potential anti-wrinkle ingredient.
Phenoxyethanol
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
PhenoxyethanolThe most frequently used preservative in skincare. It is a clear, oil-like liquid synthetic substance that protects products from harmful bacteria and yeast, whilst still leaving skin microflora unharmed. It is confirmed by research to be harmless.
Sodium Chloride
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
Sodium Chloride

You’re definitely familiar with sodium chloride, even if you don’t think you are. It’s table salt! Salt works well with some cleansing ingredients (surfactants) to thicken them into gels. It also acts as a stabilizer for water-in-oil emulsions.

Allantoin
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
AllantoinA fluffy, white powder that acts as a humectant due to its water-loving chemistry and as an exfoliant that helps to remove dead skin cells. It has also been shown to be very soothing to irritated and inflamed skin.
Sodium Hydroxide
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
Sodium Hydroxide

An ingredient that is able to bring the pH of a product up, thereby making it less harsh on the skin.

Coco-Glucoside
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
Coco-GlucosideA mild cleansing and foaming agent. It can be used on its own as a gentle cleanser in a skin cleansing product or can be combined with more powerful cleansing agents, called anionic surfactants, to make them milder on the skin.
Glyceryl Oleate
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
Glyceryl OleateA nonionic surfactant that can be used as an emulsifier, emulsion stabilizer, and thickener in both skin cleansers and leave-on skincare products.
Benzyl Alcohol
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
Benzyl Alcohol

A multifunctional ingredient that is supplied as a clear, colorless liquid. Its main function is as a flavoring agent and fragrance. It also acts as a broad-spectrum preservative, solvent, and viscosity-controlling agent that thins the product.

Coconut Acid
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
Coconut AcidAn emollient and cleansing mixture of fatty acids obtained from coconut oil that contains lauric, myristic, and palmitic acids.
Ethylhexylglycerin
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
EthylhexylglycerinA preservative booster derived from glycerin. It is commonly paired with other preservatives to improve their efficacy. Ethylhexylglycerin is also a humectant due to its chemical base of glycerin.
Sodium Benzoate
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
Sodium BenzoateA preservative that usually works in combination with other preservatives. It has to be at low pH (<5.5) to be effective.
Citric Acid
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
Citric AcidA gently exfoliating AHA that helps to remove the top layer of dead skin cells. In comparison to other AHAs, citric acid has been shown to be one of the least effective. It is also very commonly used as a stabilizing and pH-controlling agent.
Dehydroacetic Acid
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
Dehydroacetic AcidA globally approved preservative ingredient. It is a powerful fungicide and a moderate bactericide, which makes it a broad-spectrum preservative. Because it is mildly effective against bacteria, it is often paired with stronger bactericides.
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
Trisodium Ethylenediamine DisuccinateA chelating agent that disables harmful heavy metal ions present in skincare.
Tocopherol
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
Tocopherol

Simply another name for vitamin E. Tocopherol is a fantastic ingredient and especially beneficial for dry and inflamed skin. It has occlusive moisturizing, emollient, antioxidant, and photoprotective properties.

Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate