The Inkey List Brand Takeover
My thoughts on the brand!
This post is not sponsored but contains gifted AD- PR samples. We do not use affiliate links. You can find my full disclaimer here.
Welcome to RohitBagga.com! This post marks the first of a new Brand Takeover series on my website where I will be delving into some of my favourite and most requested brands and I hope I’ll help you to navigate your way through these brands a little easier, because with countless new products from every corner of the industry popping up daily, it’s hard to keep up!
First up- The Inkey List. A brand I have been using since it launched in 2018, fast forward two years and I am forever recommending, using and being asked about their products! If you have any questions on these brand takeovers you can find me over on Instagram here!
It’s hard to believe that The Inkey List is only 2 years old; in these two short years they have reached such success that I struggle to imagine a time before their products. They were early adopters of the single active ingredient ‘trend’ and launched in 2018 with a handful of hero skincare products championing single actives. These were met with rave reviews and worldwide demand largely due to their accessible pricepoint.
The Inkey List (and similar accessible brands) have been brilliant for Beauty, in some ways they have increased transparency and accelerated the shift away from ‘traditional’ false promises in a jar. But active led skincare still leaves room for confusion, misinformation and endless cocktailing. Ironic considering science is at the heart of these brands. But we aren’t all cosmetic chemists, there is no need for us to focus *so heavily* on percentages and layering, especially if the formulas can’t stand on their own.
When I first tried the brand, I liked some of it, thought the packaging was great and I’d probably continue to use their products. But it was only as they began releasing more products, I quickly became obsessed * cue Salicylic Acid Cleanser and Polyglutamic Acid *. They weren’t afraid to create more sophisticated products at their pricepoint, moving away from ‘just’ using one active in a product and championing a complete formula (which was often my bugbear with brands like Inkey). They also removed any potential confusion by renaming products, investing in education and a packaging makeover, earning them a top spot in my favourite skincare brands.
It became obvious that they weren’t here to add to the noise of the skincare market and give us boring, basic and overdone products. Take a look at their innovation (& timeline!) with Polyglutamic Acid, Tranexamic Acid and Vitamin C and EGF. They didn’t create this market – but they did elevate it.
Rather impressively, The Inkey List have continued their commitment to using education as a tool in the brands success, they provide it openly in customer interactions, resting comfortably in the knowledge that a happy customer who knows how to get the best from their products is a returning customer. A clever move considering the way in which we all consume beauty and personal care and will no doubt go a long way in building trust in the brand.
The brand is now keen to alleviate any potential confusion by renaming products like Kaolin to Kaolin Clay Mask- clarifying the purpose of the product. It is these details that I like to see in my favourite brands, it shows that they are receptive to feedback. The aforementioned packaging update also provides further clarity on how, when and where in your routine to use the product.
The Inkey List packaging is full of helpful information so you can pick up a product and know exactly what to do with it- It translates confusing skincare jargon into simple and easy steps.
At time of publishing in January 2021 The Inkey List Skincare has 38 products and have since added a new category, Haircare with 9 products. Bringing the total to 47. All of these are covered in this Brand Takeover of my website, where you’ll find several pieces on The Inkey List, helping you to understand their products and see what might work for you, because sometimes we all need a second opinion! These are unbiased (as always), I hope you enjoy the posts and remember you can drop me a note on Instagram if you have any questions.
The Inkey List is Cruelty Free and available at Selfridges, Cult Beauty, Boots, Sephora US and Shoppers Drug Mart Canada, in addition to their own website where you can AskINKEY for specific product related support.
I am glad to be able to report that Sustainability and Diversity are both held in high importance at the brand, whilst both remain a work in progress I am confident that a young brand working at this pace will create ripple effects in the Beauty Industry on both fronts.
If you want to know more about The Inkey List check out the posts on the site, posts on both of their new products, Succinic Acid and PCA bond repair treatment will be live tomorrow!
Find out more:
The Inkey List Exfoliating Toners
The Inkey List Serums Overview
The Inkey List Haircare Overview
The Inkey List Exfoliating Serums
The Inkey List Hydrating Serums
The Inkey List Treatment Serums
The Inkey List Vitamin C and Brightening Serums
The Inkey List Night Treatments
The Inkey List Wash Off Treatments
The Inkey List is Cruelty Free and available at Selfridges, Cult Beauty, Boots, Sephora US and Shoppers Drug Mart Canada, in addition to their own website where you can AskINKEY for specific product related support.
If you have any questions or want to get in touch, you can find me on Instagram here.