A good face wash can make or break your morning routine, and anyone who’s tried The Inkey List’s oat (£7.24, Amazon.co.uk) or hyaluronic acid (£9.47, Amazon.co.uk) formulas will know the refreshing feeling of comfortably cleansed skin.
As it stands, The Inkey List has four cleansing balms and gels under its belt – oat, HA, salicylic acid (£9.60, Amazon.co.uk) and fulvic acid (£8.50, Amazon.co.uk) – but, as of 6 June, it’s introducing a brand first: a cream-to-milk cleanser.
The hydrating cream-to-milk cleanser (£13, Theinkeylist.com) is set to be The Inkey List’s most gentle formula yet and, in keeping with its self-proclaimed ‘no BS’ mantra, will retail for sub-£15 with no less than four skin benefits – and that’s on top of make-up removal.
The brand is renowned for its do-the-job approach and has proven time and again how much you can do for your skin without breaking the bank. Now, it’s simply a matter of the cream-to-milk cleanser living up to The Inkey List’s reputation. Luckily, I had the new formula for more than a month before its market launch, so scroll on for my tried and tested review after four-plus weeks of twice-daily cleansing.
How I tested
As recommended by my longtime skincare inspiration, Caroline Hirons, I cleanse once in the morning and twice in the evening. For my first evening cleanse, I typically use a balm or oil cleanser. For my second and morning cleanses, I used the hydrating cream-to-milk formula. I applied around two to three pumps to bare skin, massaging the formula upwards and around my face, before removing with a clean, hot flannel.
I tested the hydrating cream-to-milk formula over more than four weeks, paying close attention to how comfortable it felt on my skin, how well it removed residual makeup, and whether it had any noticeable effect on the overall condition of my skin, such as changes in blemishes, blackheads or texture.
I made sure to test its makeup-removing abilities, using it to remove waterproof mascara and full coverage foundation.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Lucy Smith has been reviewing skincare for several years, including cleansers, like the Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser, and micellar waters. She’s well-versed in effective make-up removal and has interviewed skincare expert Kate Somerville to discuss the dos and don’ts of cleansing mature skin. As for The Inkey List specifically, she’s covered new product launches from the brand and is familiar with everything from its moisturiser for oily skin to its peptide lip balm. After an extensive, twice-daily test, she’s now across the best and worst (if any) qualities of The Inkey List’s new cream-to-milk cleanser.
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The Inkey List hydrating cream-to-milk cleanser
I love a cream cleanser, but if I’m being honest, my go-to formula costs a whopping £39. The Inkey List already had a leg up in that department, as the brand’s upper hand price-wise came without fragrance or aesthetic packaging. I can certainly do without the latter, and the elimination of fragrance helps those with sensitive skin.
The formula is impressive on paper, with key ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, rice extract and shea butter. Together, this trifecta of skin-loving components aims to combat dehydration, irritation and tightness, promoting a healthy and happy skin barrier. It feels is smooth and silky, and dilutes to a lightweight milk upon contact with wet skin. Scent-free skincare often goes hand in hand with an unpleasant chemical odour, but I’m pleased to report this wasn’t the case here. Actually, it’s entirely odour-free; there’s no smell at all.
The formula effectively rids the skin of oils that have built up overnight and, if used to remove make-up, it successfully dissolves heavy foundation, brow products and even mascara. It needed an extra intensive lash massage to clear my eyes of waterproof mascara, but I’ve yet to find a cream cleanser that can remove this first try.
My skin was left fresh and revitalised before a slight tautness set in after five minutes. In my experience, no water-based cleanser can leave your skin feeling as though it has been moisturised, and subsequent products will always be necessary. However, when compared to certain foaming or harsh cleansing formulas, The Inkey List’s cream-to-milk wash created a tightness that was less uncomfortable and more of a reminder to crack on with the rest of my routine.
After a month of use, I have actually seen an improvement in my blemishes and blackheads. It’s possible that this comes down to the rigorous nature of the test, prompting me to double cleanse every day, but it’s reassuring to see the same improvements from this £13 product as I have when practising consistency with my normal £39 pick.
Buy now £13.00, Theinkeylist.com
The verdict: The Inkey List hydrating cream-to-milk cleanser
The Inkey List has done a great job of mimicking a high-end cleanser here. Granted, the packaging is nothing to write home about, and it’s not a 15-in-1 miracle worker. However, it’s an enjoyable first cleanse that neither exacerbates fissures from dryness nor causes irritation to blemishes. It’s gentle, yet tough on make-up, affordable, yet packed with three types of skin benefits and, ultimately, it’s going to stick around in my bathroom. As a beauty writer awash with samples, that’s no mean feat.
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