The INKEY List Acne Clearing Moisturizer Versus The INKEY List Omega Water Cream

The INKEY List Acne Clearing Moisturizer Versus The INKEY List Omega Water Cream

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 Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and balance excess oil.

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

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Niacinamide

Propanediol

Betaine

Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Magnesium Sulfate

Glycosphingolipids

Glycolipids

Sodium Benzoate

Disteardimonium Hectorite

Oleic Acid

Potassium Sorbate

Polyglycerin-3

Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Betaine, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Magnesium Sulfate, Glycosphingolipids, Glycolipids, Sodium Benzoate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Oleic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Polyglycerin-3

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.

Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.

Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.

However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.

Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.

In skincare formulas, citric acid can:

While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.

Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.

Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.

However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.

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!

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