All scans / Serums / The INKEY List Ceramide Hydrating Night Serum
The INKEY List Ceramide Hydrating Night Serum ingredients: is it worth it?
A competent hydrating barrier serum, but the ceramides arrive too late to justify miracle claims.
A competent hydrating barrier serum, but the ceramides arrive too late to justify miracle claims.
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The efficacy score of 4.4/5 reflects strong early-formula hydration from butylene glycol, glycerin, sodium hyaluronate, jojoba oil, and later squalane, plus a genuinely sensible barrier-lipid combination of ceramides, phytosphingosine, and cholesterol. However, the ceramides and cholesterol appear well below the primary formula positions, so their concentration is likely modest; there is no high-evidence treatment active for pigmentation, acne, or wrinkles, and the undisclosed pH prevents credit for pH-optimized performance. The simple water-based, airless-style serum format is more suitable for these ingredients than a jar would be.
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DemythSkin rates The INKEY List Ceramide Hydrating Night Serum 4.4/5 for efficacy and 4.5/5 for safety.
CONTAINS COMMON SENSITISERS⌄
Fragrance components and essential oils that more often cause reactions in sensitive skin: Benzyl Alcohol. Most people tolerate them; patch test if your skin reacts easily.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS BY TIER
Gold Standards
High clinical proof | Skin-transformativeReliable
Proven resultsPotent
Developing evidenceOverhyped | Marketing
Hype | Limited dataDocumented Irritants
Evidence-backed flagFORMULATION BASE (14)⌄
FULL INGREDIENT LIST⌄
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Benzyl Alcohol, Squalane, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium PCA, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sodium Lactate, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Gluconate, PCA, Polysorbate 60, Dehydroacetic Acid, Ceramide NP, Glycine, Alanine, Sorbitan Isostearate, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Serine, Cholesterol, Valine, Xanthan Gum, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Ceramide EOP.
WHAT EACH INGREDIENT DOES (24)⌄
- Water
- Formula solvent
- Butylene Glycol
- Humectant and solvent
- Glycerin
- Water-binding humectant
- Sodium Hyaluronate
- Humectant and film former
- Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil
- Emollient plant oil
- Carbomer
- Gel-forming thickener
- Phenoxyethanol
- Preservative
- Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
- Stabilizer and texture modifier
- Benzyl Alcohol
- Preservative and solvent
- Squalane
- Lightweight emollient
- Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
- Emulsifier and skin conditioner
- Sodium PCA
- Natural moisturizing factor
- Sodium Hydroxide
- pH adjuster
- Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
- Emulsifier
- Sodium Lactate
- Humectant and pH buffer
- Arginine
- Amino acid humectant
- Aspartic Acid
- Amino acid conditioner
- Ethylhexylglycerin
- Preservative booster
- Sodium Gluconate
- Chelating and conditioning agent
- PCA
- Humectant component
- Polysorbate 60
- Emulsifier
- Dehydroacetic Acid
- Preservative
- Ceramide NP
- Barrier-supporting lipid
- Glycine
- Amino acid humectant
EXTERNAL CITATIONS
Ceramide NP: Barrier-supporting skin lipid used in moisturization formulations
Ceramide AP: Ceramide-class barrier lipid
Ceramide EOP: Ceramide-class barrier lipid
Cholesterol: Physiologic barrier lipid used with ceramides
Glycerin: Well-established topical humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate: Hyaluronic-acid salt used as a topical humectant
DISCLAIMER: THIS ANALYSIS IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. AI-GENERATED DATA BASED ON PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INGREDIENT LISTS. VERIFY WITH A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL.
A cheaper serum with a similar formula
A partial ingredient match (44%), not a close dupe.
The INKEY List Ceramide Hydrating Night Serum: common questions
Is The INKEY List Ceramide Hydrating Night Serum worth it?
The INKEY List Ceramide Hydrating Night Serum scores 4.4 out of 5.0 for efficacy (Effective) and 4.5 out of 5.0 for safety (Very Gentle) on DemythSkin's independent ingredient analysis. A competent hydrating barrier serum, but the ceramides arrive too late to justify miracle claims.
What are the key active ingredients in The INKEY List Ceramide Hydrating Night Serum?
The INKEY List Ceramide Hydrating Night Serum contains no gold-standard actives. Its formula is built on supporting and base ingredients rather than clinically transformative actives.
Does The INKEY List Ceramide Hydrating Night Serum contain fragrance or known irritants?
DemythSkin's analysis found no flagged irritants in The INKEY List Ceramide Hydrating Night Serum. It scores 4.5 out of 5.0 for safety.
How is The INKEY List Ceramide Hydrating Night Serum scored?
DemythSkin grades every product on two independent scores: efficacy (whether the ingredients have clinical evidence of working) and safety (irritation and sensitisation risk). Ingredients are graded S through D against a database of over 3,000 compounds. Brand and price are not part of the score, and no brand pays for one.
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