Finding great skincare can be overwhelming—this affordable and beauty editor-approved brand makes it simple
Your guide to the Inkey List’s best products
When it comes to efficacious, hard-working skincare products, we’re spoilt for choice. A quick browse through any beauty website or in-store skincare aisle, and you’ll quickly discover a host of incredible brands on offer, boasting science-backed ingredients and proven results.
In light of this, however, discerning which products are worth parting with your hard-earned cash for can prove difficult, especially considering many of these supercharged skincare formulas tend to sit at the more expensive end of the beauty spectrum—after all, high-powered ingredients don’t come cheap. So, when we come across a brand that delivers hardworking ingredients and innovative formulas at an affordable price point, you better believe we want to shout about it. Enter The Inkey List.
If you haven’t heard of The Inkey List before, it’s time you did. Launched in 2018, it's a brand founded on the idea that “better knowledge powers better decisions.” This applies not only to knowledge of your own skin and its needs but also knowledge about the products you’re putting on it. As a result, The Inkey List prides itself on transparency in terms of its formulas, and so you won’t find products with fancy names or elaborate packaging but rather a ‘does what it says on the tin’ approach to beauty. “There is so much clutter and frustration out there in the jargon-filled beauty world,' Founder, Mark Curry, told us, “We wanted to make it easy for consumers interested in skincare; whether you are a skincare junkie or newbie and wanting to try something new, The Inkey List is for you.”
Yet, that’s not to say their products are simple. The Inkey List creates products at the forefront of beauty research and innovation. Just take the latest launch, the Exosome Hydro-glow Complex, which at just £20 makes exosomes (the wonder ingredient currently going viral for its radiance-boosting ability) accessible and affordable.
While The Exosome Complex is definitely one of its most exciting offerings, it’s not the only incredible The Inkey List product. Here at Marie Claire, we’re big fans of the brand with an ever-growing list of The Inkey List recommendations, including its Vitamin B,C and E Moisturiser, the Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Body Stick (yes, there’s body and hair care too) and its Tranexamic Acid, to name a few. If you want to know the must-have The Inkey List products, you’ve come to the right place. Keep scrolling for the edit…
Shop the best The Inkey List products
1. The Inkey List Exosome Hydro-glow Complex
The newest launch from the brand, this serum exemplifies what The Inkey List is all about. Offering efficacious ingredients at an affordable price point, the Exosome Hydro-Glow complex works hard to brighten the skin and leave you with a radiant complexion. It does this through a combination of plant-derived exosomes, which work to boost collagen, and prickly pear extract to exfoliate. At under £20, this is a seriously great serum for anyone who wants a little added glow.
2. The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm
If you’re looking for an affordable cleansing balm, you’d be hard pressed to beat this one from The Inkey List. Formulated with both oat oil and ground oatmeal, it feels incredibly rich and nourishing, making it a great cleanser for dry skin or for those who like an extra hydrating formula.
Once emulsified, it removes make-up, dirt and grime with ease, leaving skin feeling supple and soft. I like to follow with a lighter gel cleanser to remove all residue as part of a two-step cleansing routine.
3. The Inkey List Bio-active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer
I was introduced to this moisturiser after reading beauty editor Matilda Stanley’s glowing review, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Lightweight and hydrating, it melts into the skin easily, leaving it looking plumped and dewy. If you’re in the market for a fuss-free yet nourishing cream that you can reach for day or night, this is a great option.
4. The Inkey List Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Scalp Treatment
So many of The Inkey List’s products go viral, however, its Salicylic Acid Scalp Treatment may take top spot. Designed to gently exfoliate and remove build-up, it’s ideal for those with flaky problem scalps as well as anyone who wants a deep cleanse to remove dirt and oil at the root.
What I love most about this product, aside from the formula itself, is the nozzle applicator, which allows for precise application and ensures no product is wasted. Simply direct it to where you need, massage in and allow it to get to work before following with your favourite shampoo and conditioner.
5. The Inkey List 15% Vitamin C and EGF Serum
Combining two skin-loving ingredients in one supercharged serum, this is a great, easy-to-use formula that will leave your skin looking plumped and radiant. Formulated with 15% vitamin C to brighten and growth factors to plump and firm, it targets two skincare concerns in one sweep while still feeling lightweight on the skin. Add to that, it’s under £15 and you’re onto a winner.
6. The Inkey List Polyglutamic Acid Dewy Sunscreen SPF30
I have heard so many beauty editors rave about this sunscreen that I knew I had to try it for myself. Hydrating, non-greasy and with no white cast, it feels more like a traditional moisturiser than an SPF. What I love most about this sunscreen, however, is how it makes my skin look—dewy, plump and with a glaze-like shine, it’s so much more than just your average sun protection.
7. The Inkey List PHA Exfoliating and Hydrating Body Water Cream
While The Inkey List’s body care offering is limited (currently just two products, but as beauty editors, we are applying the pressure for more), it’s still seriously good. Much like their skin and haircare range, their body care offering is designed to solve problems as opposed to simply filling a gap in your beauty routine.
Take the Body Water Cream, a hydrating formula that works to nourish skin whilst gently exfoliating, for smoother, more even tone. I love this moisturiser for anyone with keratosis pilaris or who is prone to dry patches, as it maintains moisture levels while also treating and soothing. It was also a winner of the Marie Claire UK Prix D'Excellence De La Beauté Body Award 2025.
8. The Inkey List Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Body Stick
Its second body care product may not be sexy, but it's a must-have product for anyone who suffers from ingrown hairs or dryness. Designed for targeted exfoliation, you can sweep it on any problem areas to unclog pores and gently remove buildable to ensure skin stays smooth.
9. The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Serum
There are so many hyaluronic acid serums on offer these days that it’s sometimes hard to find one that cuts through the noise. The Inkey List’s formula does just that, however, as at just £9, it’s one of the most affordable yet efficacious hyaluronic serums I’ve come across.
Containing multiple weights of hyaluronic acid for maximum skin penetration and peptides to further plump the skin, it will leave your complexion looking hydrated and healthier from first use.
