PRODUCT REVIEW: THE INKEY LIST SYMBRIGHT MOISTURIZER - BEST BRIGHTENING FACE CREAM, BEST HYDRATING MOISTURIZER
THE INKEY LIST | SYMBRIGHT MOISTURIZER
This review was originally part of my blog article titled, Part 1: Three Super Light Moisturizers (and an Eye Cream!) for Spring That I'm Super Into. You can catch the full piece here.
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As the winter weather recedes and warm spring air takes its place, my mood naturally shifts to lighter skin care. Like water-based Vitamin C serums; light, frothy cleansers; and delicious, light-whipped moisturizers with gel-like textures.
Last summer, I kicked off my second annual two-part series on lightweight face creams titled, Summer Moisturizers Part I – Some of the Best Lightweight Face Creams for Oily Skin and All Skin Types in Hot Weather. You can still catch the series here.
That piece featured some of my favorite face creams for warmer weather, including First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Oil-Control Moisturizer and the SELF/ish Oil-Free Moisturizer. I’ve explored a whole slew of really great skincare products from each brand over the course of the past year.
SUMMER MOISTURIZERS PART I – SOME OF THE BEST LIGHTWEIGHT FACE CREAMS FOR OILY SKIN AND ALL SKIN TYPES IN HOT WEATHER
So, with temps in NYC already brushing up against 70 degrees, I thought it would be cool (no pun intended!) to start the lightweight moisturizer series earlier in the year — in the middle of spring, just as things are warming up.
As in years past, I’ve split my deep dive into some of my warm weather skincare faves into two separate blog articles. Here in part one, I’m featuring three light-as-air face creams from Paula’s Choice, The Inkey List and Sobel Skin Rx.
Yes, I said “light-as-air.” I always crack up when a moisturizer is described as “light as air.” What could be any more ridiculous than that?!
Plus, once again, I’m featuring one of my favorite eye creams (IMO one of the best anti-aging eye creams!) — the SELF/ish Eye Cream. It’s super light, packed with antioxidants, peptides and all kinds of goodness for the eye area. And it’s crazy affordable, too!
Let’s take a look at one of the first super light face creams that has caught my eye this spring. And yes, it’s among the best moisturizers for oily skin — and all skin types in warmer weather.
The Inkey List | Symbright Moisturizer
I love Inkey innovations! From their very first collection, which included one of my favorite moisturizers of all time, the Turmeric Brightening Moisturizer, Inkey has been pushing the skincare envelope. The brand has recently introduced their new Fulvic Acid Cleanser — and I can’t get enough of it.
Inkey’s intriguing Fulvic Acid Cleanser sounds super weird and nerdy, but that’s what I love about Inkey. (I happen to be touch weird and nerdy myself!) The light gel cleanser is infused with Nordic Peat, rich in fulvic acid. There’s also power brightening Kakadu Plum Extract, a natural source of Vitamin C, and Licorice Root Extract — a natural brightener popular in K-Beauty.
It’s likely no coincidence that Inkey introduced two brightening products at the same time. The brightening skincare category is pretty hot right now. More expected brightening actives like Vitamin C and Niacinamide of course lead the pack, but a whole new generation of power brighteners have come on the scene, among them Tranexamic Acid.
In fact, Inkey has led with innovation there, too, with the introduction last year of their Tranexamic Acid Hyperpigmentation Treatment — which I reviewed on the blog here.
So right on cue, along with the Fulvic Acid Cleanser, The Inkey List introduced Symbright Moisturizer — a brightening face cream powered by a 0.5% concentration of a new, patented brightening complex called Symbright.
It took some work to figure out where exactly in the INCI Symbright appears. In fact, the product’s INCI is just 20 ingredients deep so it was funny that it took some effort. There are a few ingredients that are new to me, but I did finally determine that an active listed as Sclareolide is, in fact, Symbright. A bit more googling and I found that it’s produced through the fermentation of the clary sage — a relatively common botanical that’s relatively uncommon in skincare.
The experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team who are responsible for Paula’s extensive ingredient glossary are not exactly fans of the extract. They describe it as “an ingredient that's fermented from clary sage and used as a fragrant component in cosmetics. As such, it has the potential to be a skin sensitizer.”
Nary a mention of its brightening properties.
Symbright isn’t the only brightening active in the formula. There’s also a 2% concentration of potent antioxidant Kakadu Plum Extract, a rich, natural source of Vitamin C.
The Symbright Moisturizer is a relatively simple formula — a hallmark of Inkey’s products.
There’s also a red algae complex that nourishes skin and delivers a humectant benefit to keep skin hydrated. I love to see algae anything in a product.
It’s not only wonderfully replenishing and hydrating, but common seaweed extract also has humectant and antioxidant properties.
With a light, silky texture, Symbright Moisturizer is superbly comfortable on the skin and not the least bit greasy. In fact, it has a nice dry-down effect that makes it really easy to layer — and ideal for a hot, humid day.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the The Inkey List Symbright Moisturizer for just $13.19 here.
PRODUCT REVIEW: THE INKEY LIST FULVIC ACID BRIGHTENING CLEANSER - BEST BRIGHTENING CLEANSER
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW
THE YEAR’S BEST VITAMIN C SERUMS WITH PAULA'S CHOICE, SUNDAY RILEY, THE INKEY LIST AND MORE!
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
The Ingredient List of the Paula’s Choice Water-Infusing Electrolyte Moisturizer:
sii|h 0 0, Dimethicone emo 0 1, Butylene Glycol h|solv|vc 0 1, Propanediol solv|h, Stearic Acid emo|vc 0 2-3, Glyceryl Stearate emo|emu 0 1-2, Isohexadecane emo|solv, Potassium Pca h, Magnesium Pca h, Calcium Pca h, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Polyglyceryl-4 Olivate emu, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract 
h, Laminaria Saccharina (Brown Algae) Extract h|so, Actinidia Chinensis (Kiwi) Fruit Extract emo, Coffea Arabica (Coffee) Seed Extract, Biotin/Folic Acid/Cyanocobalamin/Niacinamide/Pantothenic Acid/Pyridoxine/Riboflavin/Thiamine/Yeast Polypeptides, Garcinia Mangostana (Mangosteen) Peel Extract, Prunus Serotina (Wild Cherry) Fruit Extract h, Squalane sii|emo 0 1, Ceramide EOP sii, Ceramide AP sii, Ceramide NP sii, Pisum Sativum (Pea) Extract, Phytosphingosine sii|cci|aacne|amic, Cholesterol sii|emo 0 0, Acetyl Hexapeptide-37, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract, Tocopherol aox 0-3 0-3, Creatine, Bisabolol so, Sorbitol h 0 0, Inositol h, Xylitol h, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride emo, Sodium Levulinate, Behenyl Behenate emo, Tribehenin emo, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate emu, Xanthan Gum vc, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer vc, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer vc, Carbomer vc 0 1, Sodium Hydroxide buff, Tetrasodium EDTA chel, Phenoxyethanol pres, Ethylhexylglycerin presThe Ingredient List of The Inkey List Symbright Moisturizer:
sii|h 0 0, Glyceryl Stearate SE emu 2 3, Cetearyl Alcohol emo|vc|emu|surf 1 2, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride emo, Stearic Acid emo|vc 0 2-3, Phenoxyethanol pres, Benzyl Alcohol pres|perf|solv|vc, Carbomer vc 0 1, Sclareolide perf, Mica col, Kappaphycus Alvarezii Extract cci, Ethylhexylglycerin pres, Dehydroacetic Acid pres, Sodium Hydroxide buff, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract aox|sb, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate chel, Sea Water h|solv, Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide) col 0 0The Ingredient List of the SELF/ish Eye Cream:
Aqua, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Pantolactone, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Dipeptide-2, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Darutoside, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Bakuchiol, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopherol, Cyanocobalamin, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Sodium Lactate, Sodium Citrate, Linoleic Acid, Oleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone, Steareth 20, Sorbitan Isostearate, Polysorbate 60, Trideceth-6, Butylene Glycol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Sodium Polyacrylate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/ Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, t-Butyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Stearic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Phenoxyethanol
The Ingredient List of the Sobel Skin Rx Bio Hyaluronic Moisture Cream Extreme:
Aqua/Water/Eau, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Pentylene Glycol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Rosa Moschata Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Ceramide Np, Glycerin, Leontopodium Alpinum Callus Culture Extract, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Amino esters-1, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Ocimum Basilicum (Basil) Flower/Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract
