The INKEY List Acne Clearing Moisturizer Versus CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion for Normal to Dry Skin

The INKEY List Acne Clearing Moisturizer Versus CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion for Normal to Dry Skin

This acne moisturizer is formulated around Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate and Retinol to clear breakouts and refine skin texture.

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Ceramide NP and Ceramide AP to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Octyldodecanol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Arachidyl Alcohol

Pentaerythrityl Distearate

Squalane

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Citronellyl Methylcrotonate

Behenyl Alcohol

Acacia Senegal Gum

Arachidyl Glucoside

Phenoxyethanol

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Panthenol

Xanthan Gum

Benzyl Alcohol

Citric Acid

Retinol

Sodium Hyaluronate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Pentylene Glycol

Sodium Metabisulfite

Pistacia Lentiscus Gum

Dehydroacetic Acid

Lecithin

Glucose

Tocopherol

Glyceryl Caprylate

Water, Glycerin, Octyldodecanol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Arachidyl Alcohol, Pentaerythrityl Distearate, Squalane, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Citronellyl Methylcrotonate, Behenyl Alcohol, Acacia Senegal Gum, Arachidyl Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Panthenol, Xanthan Gum, Benzyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Retinol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Metabisulfite, Pistacia Lentiscus Gum, Dehydroacetic Acid, Lecithin, Glucose, Tocopherol, Glyceryl Caprylate

Cetearyl Alcohol

Cetyl Alcohol

Potassium Phosphate

Ceramide NP

Ceramide AP

Ceramide EOP

Carbomer

Dimethicone

Ceteareth-20

Behentrimonium Methosulfate

Methylparaben

Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate

Cholesterol

Disodium EDTA

Dipotassium Phosphate

Propylparaben

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Phytosphingosine

Polysorbate 20

Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate

Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Potassium Phosphate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Dimethicone, Ceteareth-20, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Methylparaben, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Cholesterol, Disodium EDTA, Dipotassium Phosphate, Propylparaben, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 20, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate

Reviews

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.

Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.

In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.

Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.

This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.

This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.

Glycerin (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.

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. Remember to stay hydrated!

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

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