Skincare made simple: How The INKEY List empowers beauty lovers.

“Skincare is a journey and we’re in this together” -- The INKEY List.

In just five years, The INKEY List has emerged as a serious contender in the skincare industry. Created by beauty heavyweights Colette Laxton and Mark Curry, the brand's mission is simple yet important -- to help skincare lovers better understand their own skin. After all, with that knowledge, certainly comes great power.

For what seems like the first time in beauty history, this brand stripped away the complicated jargon that you find on skincare labels. Instead, The INKEY List is all about products that contain a few simple, yet highly impactful, ingredients. Hallelujah.

It should come as no surprise that The INKEY List completely sold out of stock within four weeks of their 2018 launch. Nor should the fact that they had Sephora and Cult Beauty trying to get their hands on products from the get-go, and 40,000 DMs from shoppers asking for skincare advice. Hitting $100 million worth of sales in 2022? Piece of cake.

The INKEY List bet big on education and won. So let’s deep dive into what makes this sell-out brand so unique and how its winning skincare strategy is shaping the beauty industry.

Getting to know the brand

The INKEY List is actually a play on the words 'International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients,' or INCI list for short. This is the official name for the long list of cosmetic ingredients that can be found on the back of skincare packaging. The INKEY List’s smart branding offers consumers the complete opposite, defining itself as ‘the beauty translator’ that strips away complicated terms while helping the brand feel less intimidating.

INKEY List’s founders realized that skincare lovers wanted simple products that were empowering, rather than confusing. In 2018, they kickstarted that project by releasing a collection of products in simple black-and-white packaging. The name of each product is the key ingredient itself, meaning that shoppers instantly know what they’re getting. They even added an explanation of how to pronounce the ingredient -- because let’s be honest, who can actually pronounce bakuchiol or niacinamide?

The Inkey List founders Mark Curry and Colette Laxton.

'We launched the brand to answer consumer needs; there is so much clutter and frustration out there in the jargon-filled beauty world,' Mark Curry to Marie Claire.

The former virologist and science teacher added that their goal was to make it easy for shoppers to be interested in skin care. Having nailed a trailblazing ingredient-focused strategy, the brand instantly connected with shoppers who felt something was missing from their skincare routines.

Who is an INKEY List shopper?

Over the last few years, there’s been a steady shift in skincare consumer behaviour. Skincare lovers are DONE being bombarded with adverts telling them what to buy. Instead, they want education, personalization and brands that really represent their values. According to The Hut Group 2022 Beauty Trends Report, two-thirds of U.S. shoppers are now prioritizing the quality of their products, and 59% want their brands to be authentic.

The INKEY List believes that knowledge is power. It has tapped into this authenticity by providing education as one of its brand pillars, helping customers navigate the beauty industry and make their own skincare decisions.

They encourage learning through an in-depth knowledge page full of insightful blogs about ingredients, how-tos and skin concerns. They also launched a Recipe Builder that generates a personalized skincare plan following a short two-minute survey. If you have any questions, The INKEY List team is on hand to respond through their askINKEY live chat option. Going one step further, its ‘Knowledge is Power’ campaign sums up The INKEY List’s clear dedication to a people-first approach.

All of these educative tools serve a key purpose in connecting shoppers with the brand, creating a community where skincare users feel supported and valued. And that, in the 2023 beauty industry, is EVERYTHING.

Finally, the brand also connected with shoppers that wanted to do good for the planet. In 2022, the brand was certified as cruelty-free when it was awarded the Leaping Bunny certification by Cruelty Free International (CFI). In 2023, they were awarded B-Corp status, which is awarded to companies that champion sustainable initiatives. Kind to the planet, kind to animals, and kind to tired beauty lovers who just wanted simple, yet effective products… now that’s what I call a winning strategy.

The power of The INKEY List’s products

Everyone’s INKEY List journey should be unique. That’s why we encourage you to try their Recipe Builder and learn more about the products that really work for you. However, here are also some staple INKEY List products that many swear by (and their pronunciation)...

1) Salicylic Acid Cleanser (sal-a-sil-ik \ a-sed \ klen-zer)

One of the brand’s best-sellers, The INKEY List’s Salicylic Acid Cleanser cleans your skin, reduces breakouts and promotes an even complexion all in one. Winner!

Made up of the beta-hydroxy acid (BHA) known as Salicylic Acid, which helps when unclogging dirt in our pores and is often identified as a key tool against acne. Not only is this cleanser powerful, but it can also be used daily and fans can expect to see results within six weeks.

2) Hyaluronic Acid Serum (hi-lur-ron-ic \ a-sed \ seer-uhm)

In an interview with The Industry, The INKEY List founders rated their Hyaluronic Acid Serum as one of their all-time favourites, adding “Hyaluronic Acid….every SINGLE day for EVERYONE. Hydration for all!”

As a user of this product, I couldn’t agree more. Like any good HA serum, The INKEY List’s incredibly affordable formula is lightweight, easily absorbable and brimming with moisturizing properties. No wonder that one of these tiny, yet powerful products is sold every 20 seconds around the world.

3) Peptide Moisturizer (pep-tahyd \ mois-chuh-rahy-zer)

Once you’ve cleansed and treated your skin, it’s time to add some moisturizer to really give your skin the hydration it deserves. Peptides are amino acids which are key to college production in the layers of your skin. As a result, this moisturizer encourages the maintenance of a youthful, glowing complexion as it delays the ageing of your cells.

Are you ready to get empowered in your skincare routine?

The INKEY List has emerged as a cult favourite in the skincare world within the last few years -- and rightly so. By bringing skincare lovers clarity about WHO the ingredients are geared toward, WHAT the ingredients actually do and HOW the products can be used, The INKEY List has established itself as the frontrunner in the ingredient-led beauty movement. And we are here for it!