The Inkey List Salicylic Acid Cleanser – Review

This post will be reviewing The Inkey List Salicylic Acid Cleanser.

I’ve used a few products from The Inkey List and I’ve learnt not to have high expectations. They aren’t the most ethical brand with their shady practices so I decided to lower my expectations and just take their products at face value. Unfortunately, their products can be found in drugstores and as such will always be readily available. So far, I’ve used five of The Inkey List products including;

• The Inkey List Succinic Acid
• The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid
• The Inkey List Beta Hydroxy Acid
• The Inkey List Niacinamide
• The Inkey List Tumeric Moisturizer

A while ago, I ran out of my staple Cerave SA Smoothing Cleanser and I decided to give The Inkey List Salicylic Acid Cleanser a try. If you’re new to this blog, I have dry dehydrated skin that is prone to acne. So, I always have a couple of Salicylic Acid products in my stash which I rotate depending on how my skin feels.

I’ve been using this product for about a month now and I’m ready to share my thoughts.

First Impressions of The Inkey List Salicylic Acid Cleanser

According to The Inkey List,

This non-drying, lightly foaming cleanser removes makeup and dirt while penetrating deep into the pores helping to reduce blackheads and breakouts.

As well as effectively cleaning the skin, this 2% Salicylic Acid cleanser has an added zinc compound. Together, they help with oil-control, reducing blackheads and breakouts and promoting an even more even looking complexion.

Ingredient List & Fragrance

This product is formulated with the following core ingredients;

• 2% Salicylic Acid
• Zinc PCA
• Vitamin E
• Glycerin
• Allantoin

The only reason I got this product to try was because of the 2% Salicylic Acid. It is probably the only cleanser on the market with that percentage of Salicylic Acid. It also combines Zinc PCA for oil control, Glycerin for hydration and Allantoin for soothing against any irritation.

Frankly, you cannot fault this formula as it is as balanced as it can be. As always, the product is alcohol, essential oil, fragrance and cruelty-free

Texture & Consistency

This has a gel texture with a lightweight consistency. It’s not too thick that it can’t come out of the packaging. It is also not too watery either that you exhaust half of the bottle in two weeks. It is just right. As the brand mentioned, it lathers lightly compared to your typically foaming cleansers. Sometimes, you might even need to use a little bit more to get the lather you desire. otherwise, it’s just fine.

Packaging, Price & Avaliabilty

Surprisingly, I don’t have an issue with the bottle even though I thought it came in a bigger bottle. I didn’t expect the 150ml bottle to be that small. But after using the product for about a month now, a little product actually goes a long way. Compared to other packaging bottles from The Inkey List, this one with the flip lid is so much better and convenient.

For 150ml, it retails for about $10 which is not bad at all. Plus, the brand has made a lot of effort to make their products accessible so you can find them in major drugstores and online.

Review of The Inkey List Salicylic Acid Cleanser

Like I mentioned earlier, I have dry acne-prone skin and I’m currently using a Retinal product which means my skin is currently going through a purging phase.

Expectations

I expected this product to not dry out my skin in the process of cleansing. I also expected it to get rid of my breakouts after a few uses. If you didn’t know, the gold standard for Salicylic Acid is the Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Exfoliant. So, I wanted to see how this product would match up to it. I don’t really deal with enlarged pores and oiliness so I had zero expectations in that regard.

Performance

According to The Inkey List, you can use this product twice a day but I really don’t enjoy using Salicylic Acid products that often. It feels too much for my skin so I always alternate it with a hydrating cleanser. Plus, it can actually damage your skin barrier if used too often.

So, I use this product once a day every other day. Based on my experience with other Salicylic Acid products including the gold standard, my breakouts don’t immediately disappear. It feels like I have to use this cleanser several times for me to see visible results. Otherwise, my breakouts just drag for days and end up becoming scars when they eventually disappear.

This is why when my acne gets out of hand, I don’t rely on one product. I try to use two products; a cleanser and a leave-on product.

In other words, the product works but it is not instant except you use it twice a day. Otherwise, just give it a few days. It is also worth mentioning that I don’t use this cleanser when I’m not breaking out. I don’t have oily skin so it’s really pointless for me.

As for the non-drying claims, it is certainly not the most hydrating product but it won’t strip your skin either. It will leave your skin cleansed and just slightly hydrated. I feel like The Inkey List just tweaked the formula a bit otherwise we would have ended up with a drying product.

In Conclusion,

The Inkey List Salicylic Acid Cleanser definitely works but it is not exactly my favourite product. It’s just so hard to support the brand.

Will I be repurchasing? Maybe. Maybe not.

But if you have oily acne-prone skin, I think you’ll benefit more from this product better than I did.

Also, don’t forget that you can also use this product for body acne.