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The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm Versus Geek & Gorgeous Mighty Melt

The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm Versus Geek & Gorgeous Mighty Melt This oil-based makeup remover is made to dissolve makeup, sunscreen, and daily buildup. What's inside Key Ingredients Benefits No benefits Concerns Ingredients Side-by-side Prunus Amygdalus D

By Peptide Skincare & Beauty Editorial TeamPublished

The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm Versus Geek & Gorgeous Mighty Melt

This oil-based makeup remover is made to dissolve makeup, sunscreen, and daily buildup.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

No benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil

Cetearyl Alcohol

PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides

Avena Sativa Kernel Oil

Candelilla Cera

Silica

Sorbitan Stearate

Tribehenin

PEG-60 Almond Glycerides

Avena Sativa Kernel Flour

Water

Benzyl Alcohol

Phenoxyethanol

Lecithin

1,2-Hexanediol

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Tocopherol

Biosaccharide Gum-4

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Avena Sativa Kernel Oil, Candelilla Cera, Silica, Sorbitan Stearate, Tribehenin, PEG-60 Almond Glycerides, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Water, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Lecithin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Oleyl Erucate

Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters

PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate

Synthetic Wax

Ethylhexylglycerin

Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Oleyl Erucate, Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Synthetic Wax, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin

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.

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).

It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.

On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).

You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.

Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.

Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.

Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.

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The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

01

Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Explained

  1. 01These ingredients are found in both products.
  2. 02Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
  3. 03Alpha-Arbutin is a brightening active used to fade dark spots, melasma, and post-acne marks. Structurally, it is a hydroquinone with a sugar molecule attached (but is much gentler than raw hydroquinone).
  4. 04It has a pretty elegant way of working; it slots into tyrosinase, or the key enzyme that your skin uses to make melanin), and competitively blocks it so your skin produces less pigment over time.
  5. 05There are two forms of arbutin and alpha is the better one to reach for: it works at lower amounts, absorbs into skin more easily, and has a strong safety record.
  6. 06The science backs this up too: lab and animal studies confirm it lowers melanin by blocking tyosinase and the more you use (up to a point), the more it works.
  7. 07Human studies look good too.
  8. 08A 2024 trial found a cream with 5% alpha-arbutin and 2% kojic acid worked about as well as a prescription melasma cream but with fewer side effects. Another study showed 2% alpha-arbutin paired with 10% Trihydroxybenzoic Acid Glucoside and sunscreen…
  9. 09Concentration-wise, most serums land in the 1-2% range.
  10. 10The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety concluded that alpha-arbutin is safe in face creams up to 2% and body lotions up to 0.5%.
  11. 11Overall, this is a well-studied and low-irritation brightener that's a great pick for anyone dealing with uneven skin tone. It also pairs well with vitamin C, niacinamide, and sunscreen.
  12. 12Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
  13. 13Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
  14. 14Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
  15. 15Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
  16. 16Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
  17. 17Your 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.
  18. 18Aquaporin-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.
  19. 19This 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.
  20. 20Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Source · skinsort.com ⟶
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Product index

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03

Comparison edit

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