Get ready for another in-depth skincare deep dive, today I have a The Inkey List Bakuchiol Review for y’all! This clean beauty vetted budget-friendly moisturizer is a great way to try out bakuchiol in your skincare routine for the first time without breaking the bank. It’s an online-only exclusive from Sephora’s in-house skincare brand The Inkey List (you can find it here). Many bakuchiol skincare products sport price tags of $50+ so it was a breath of fresh air when The Inkey List dropped their tempting Bakuchiol Retinol Alternative Moisturizer at only $9.99!
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The Inkey List Bakuchiol Review: What is it?
This is a lightweight moisturizing cream that can be used either once or twice daily after serums. It absorbs very quickly and leaves your skin feeling hydrated but not weighed down. This would be wonderful for all skin types ranging from oily to moderately dry. If you have extremely dry skin you may want to follow this up with a night cream if you want to use it in your PM routine.
This moisturizer has a 1% concentration of bakuchiol. This may not sound like a very high concentration but studies have shown wonderful results with participants only using 0.5% percent concentrations of bakuchiol extract!
When I saw the extremely agreeable price of $9.99 I immediately assumed that this product could not possibly be anywhere near the concentrations of bakuchiol skincare products from bigger brands on the market like for instance, the HERBIVORE Bakuchiol Retinol Alternative Smoothing Serum ($54.00 USD). Herbivore’s product is actually also only a 4% concentration (thanks Skincarma for DMing Herbivore to get the exact percentages).
I’m personally not going to spend an additional 44+ dollars just to get a 3% boost of the extract, especially when all research done on bakuchiol uses only 1-0.5% concentrations. It frankly seems like overkill and a waste of money when you can get a very effective product for way less. The brand Revolution Beauty has also come out with a 1% Bakuchiol serum for only $14.99!
What’s in The Inkey List Bakuchiol? The 1 oz/ 30 mL tube contains:
Water (Aqua), Squalane, Glycerin, Propanediol, Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil (Sacha Inchi oil), Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Bakuchiol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Caproyl Prolinate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Polysorbate 60, Phytic Acid, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Tocopherol.
What results can you expect?
You will see an immediate boost in hydration and moisture retention. You can also expect improvement in fine lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation in the long run after longterm use. It may take 8-12 weeks to see visible results in fine lines/pigmentation. Bakuchiol has been proven to give the exact same benefits as retinol without the irritating side effects! Retinol increases photosensitivity and can cause stinging or redness after application. Since bakuchiol does not carry the risk of sen sensitivity it’s a great AM skincare routine alterative for retinol. It’s also a godsend for sensitive skin types that can’t tolerate the irritating properties of retinol.
If used sparingly, the 1 oz tube of product should last you one month if used twice daily and 2 months if only used once a day.
The Inkey List Bakuchiol Review: The Formula Breakdown
This moisturizer is fragrance, dye, and paraben-free. This product is also vegan and cruelty-free! In addition to the star ingredient of bakuchiol, it has also been formulated with squalane and sacha inchi oil. Squalane helps balance oil/sebum production and is a natural anti-oxidant+ has many anti-aging properties. (source)
Sacha inchi oil is packed with alpha-linoleic acid and has been proven to help soften skin and boost moisture retention (source). This is a non-fragrant oil pressed from the seeds and fruit of the South American sacha inchi plant.
If you want to learn more about all the awesome benefits of bakuchiol extract (or just need a refresher) I highly recommend that you watch Skincarma’s video below:
This is a sensitive skin-friendly formula and would be beneficial for any skin type but would be especially wonderful for dry skin types that want to target fine lines or wrinkles. I have combination leaning towards dry acne-prone skin and have had wonderful results using this cream.
The Inkey List Bakuchiol Review: Is It Worth It?
The Inkey List knocked it out of the park with this cream. It has a universal skin type friendly formula that is effective while also being easy on the wallet! I comparison shopped over 15+ bakuchiol skincare products and could not find another at such a great price point while also being fragrance-free. Revolution Beauty came very close to sharing the spotlight with Inkey List but they just had to include irritating non-essential pigments in their formula.
Dyes and pigments are not as huge of a problem as fragrance in skincare, but they are still a completely useless addition and can be irritating as well.
If you need your skincare routine to target fine lines, hyperpigmentation or signs of aging I highly recommend giving this moisturizer a whirl. These skin concerns are not on the top of my personal agenda so I will put this product down once I finish off my current tube but I see myself buying more in the future when my attention shifts to treating those areas.
Need even more bakuchiol in your life? Check out my BIOSSANCE Squalane + Phyto-Retinol (aka bakuchiol) Serum Review.
