The Inkey List advanced retinal serum
The Inkey List the inkey list advanced retinal serum lists 28 ingredients on its label, 28 decoded. See what each one does, its irritancy and comedogenic tendency, and its status in national inventories.
Ingredients overview
Label order. Colour is our internal rating: green routine, yellow restricted or worth a look, red prohibited or high-risk, grey not yet decoded.
Ingredients are listed in label order; the order reflects the label only, not exact concentrations.
- Aqua
- Glycerin
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
- Dicaprylyl Carbonate
- Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate
- Isohexadecane
- Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
- Cetearyl Alcohol
- Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
- Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
- Phenoxyethanol
- Dipropylene Glycol
- Pentylene Glycol
- Glyceryl Caprylate
- Diisopropyl Sebacate
- Glyceryl Stearate
- 4-T-Butylcyclohexanol
- Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate
- Retinal
- Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate
- Tocophersolan
- Tocopheryl Acetate
- Caprylhydroxamic Acid
- Ethylhexylglycerin
- Bacillus Ferment
- Lactic Acid
- Sodium Benzoate
- Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol
Highlights
Free of alcoholFree of parabensFree of siliconesFree of sulfatesFree of essential oilsFree of formaldehyde releasersContains mineral oilContains animal-derivedContains fragranceContains PEG
Formulation view Aqueous base with light ester solvents; core active is retinal. Enriched with mango butter, cucumber extract, and hyaluronic acids. Preserved by phenoxyethanol. Factory view: potent serum; retinal stability is temperature-sensitive; requires light protection packaging.
Key ingredients
- SOLVENT
- Aqua
- DENATURANT
- Glycerin
- FRAGRANCE
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
- SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT
- Dicaprylyl CarbonatePolyglyceryl-6 StearateIsohexadecaneCetearyl Alcohol
- EMULSION STABILISING
- Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Other ingredients
Mangifera Indica Seed ButterCucumis Sativus Fruit ExtractPhenoxyethanolDipropylene GlycolPentylene GlycolGlyceryl CaprylateDiisopropyl SebacateGlyceryl Stearate4-T-ButylcyclohexanolPolyglyceryl-6 BehenateRetinalSorbeth-30 TetraoleateTocophersolanTocopheryl AcetateCaprylhydroxamic AcidEthylhexylglycerinBacillus FermentLactic AcidSodium BenzoateDimethylmethoxy Chromanol
Skim through
| Ingredient | What it does | Irr. · Com. | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aqua | SOLVENT | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Glycerin | DENATURANT, HAIR CONDITIONING, HUMECTANT, ORAL CARE, SKIN PROTECTING, SOLVENT, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING, PERFUMING, FRAGRANCE, SKIN CONDITIONING - HUMECTANT | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride | FRAGRANCE, SOLVENT, PERFUMING, SKIN CONDITIONING - OCCLUSIVE | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Dicaprylyl Carbonate | SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate | SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Isohexadecane | SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SOLVENT | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate | EMULSION STABILISING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Cetearyl Alcohol | SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, EMULSION STABILISING, SURFACTANT - FOAM BOOSTING, OPACIFYING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Mangifera Indica Seed Butter | SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · 1 | Green |
| Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract | SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Phenoxyethanol | ANTIMICROBIAL, PRESERVATIVE · 限制 V/29 | 1 · 0 | Yellow |
| Dipropylene Glycol | FRAGRANCE, SOLVENT, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING, PERFUMING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Pentylene Glycol | SKIN CONDITIONING, SOLVENT | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Glyceryl Caprylate | DEODORANT, SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Diisopropyl Sebacate | SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, PLASTICISER, SKIN CONDITIONING, SOLVENT | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Glyceryl Stearate | SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| 4-T-Butylcyclohexanol | FRAGRANCE, PERFUMING | 0 · – | Green |
| Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate | EMULSION STABILISING | 0 · 1 | Green |
| Retinal | SKIN CONDITIONING | 2 · 0 | Green |
| Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate | SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Tocophersolan | ANTIOXIDANT | — | Green |
| Tocopheryl Acetate | ANTIOXIDANT, SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Caprylhydroxamic Acid | CHELATING | 0 · – | Green |
| Ethylhexylglycerin | DEODORANT, SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Bacillus Ferment | SKIN CONDITIONING | — | Green |
| Lactic Acid | BUFFERING, HUMECTANT, SKIN CONDITIONING | 1 · 0 | Green |
| Sodium Benzoate | ANTICORROSIVE, FRAGRANCE, PRESERVATIVE · 限制 V/1 | 0 · – | Yellow |
| Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol | ANTIOXIDANT | 0 · 0 | Green |
Ingredients explained
- Aqua
- Solvent, main base; microbial control is critical
- Glycerin
- Workhorse humectant at 3–10%; tacky at high levels, pair with occlusives
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
- Light occlusive and solvent at 1–10%; non-greasy feel, suitable for oily and combination skin
- Dicaprylyl Carbonate
- Light emollient solvent at 5–15%; mineral oil-free, refreshing feel, low sensitization.
- Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate
- Gentle emulsifier suitable for sensitive skin; oil-soluble, often paired with others; non-comedogenic
- Isohexadecane
- Lightweight mineral-oil-derived emollient and solvent; low viscosity, non-comedogenic, improves texture
- Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
- Sodium polyacryloyldimethyl taurate for emulsion stabilization and thickening; ionic polymer, check ion compatibility.
- Cetearyl Alcohol
- Fatty alcohol emulsifier at 1-5%; non-ionic surfactant
- Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
- Plant butter rich in fatty acids; provides lipid occlusion and emollience. Use with emulsifiers.
- Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
- Botanical extract for conditioning; note extraction impact on active retention
- Phenoxyethanol
- Broad-spectrum preservative at ≤1%; may irritate sensitive eye areas, often paired with ethylhexylglycerin
- Dipropylene Glycol
- Solvent for essential oils; better humectancy than PEG
- Pentylene Glycol
- Polyol humectant at 1-3%; low irritancy, suitable for sensitive skin
- Glyceryl Caprylate
- Mild emulsifier/deodorant at 0.5-2%; polyol ester, high humectancy, low irritancy, check cationic surfactant compatibility.
- Diisopropyl Sebacate
- Low-viscosity, high-flash-point ester; excellent spreadability, non-greasy feel
- Glyceryl Stearate
- Emulsifier at 1-3%; may require acid to prevent saponification
- 4-T-Butylcyclohexanol
- Fixative and scent masker; not a primary skin conditioning agent.
- Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate
- Non-ionic emulsifier for stabilizing O/W systems; gentle.
- Retinal
- Potent vitamin A aldehyde for cell turnover; low effective range 0.01-0.05%, unstable, avoid for pregnant users.
- Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate
- Non-ionic polyol ester emulsifier; gentle, used in O/W systems to improve emulsion stability of oils
- Tocophersolan
- ANTIOXIDANT
- Tocopheryl Acetate
- Vitamin E derivative antioxidant at 0.1–1%; more stable than tocopherol, store protected from light
- Caprylhydroxamic Acid
- Chelating agent to stabilize metal ions; often paired with antioxidants for system stability, used at low levels
- Ethylhexylglycerin
- Mild conditioner and preservative booster at 0.5–1%; reduces preservative load, smooth feel
- Bacillus Ferment
- Bacillus ferment extract; skin conditioner with peptides; verify sterile specs and endotoxin levels
- Lactic Acid
- AHA pH adjuster at 0.5-5%; exfoliation/humectancy, mild at low conc., irritating at high, avoid conflict with alkaline preservatives.
- Sodium Benzoate
- Preservative booster, effective below pH 4.5; combinable with sorbates
- Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol
- Ergothioneine analog antioxidant; stabilizes formula, protect from light.
Source: full ingredient list published on the product label, collected 2026-09-17. Ratings are our internal reading, not a regulatory conclusion. · Product page
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