PRODUCT REVIEW: THE INKEY LIST MANDELIC ACID TREATMENT - BEST DARK SPOT SERUM, HOW DO YOU GET RID OF DARK SPOTS?
THE INKEY LIST | MANDELIC ACID TREATMENT
This product review was originally part of my blog article titled, Products I'm Into: New Stuff from The Inkey List. You can catch the full piece here.
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I love discovering new things. Whether it’s cool TikTok beauty hacks, innovative skincare treatments or delicious vegan treats, it’s the little things that make my days delightful.
Just ahead of vegan donuts on the delight scale are innovative skincare products. And when it comes to cool, new stuff I’d never imagined, let alone heard of, The Inkey List has long been an innovation machine.
One of my favorite new Inkey products over the past year is the brand’s Succinic Acid Acne Treatment. I’m always seeking out new acne products — and particularly gentle, effective blemish serums and creams that don’t dry out the skin and compromise the delicate microbiome. That only perpetuates the acne cycle; it’s the reason so many people struggle with acne longterm.
The Inkey List’s Succinic Acid Acne Treatment is a blend of two tried-and-true, proven acne treatment actives, Sulfur Powder and Salicylic Acid. By themselves, they’re not innovative. But combined with Succinic Acid, an ingredient I’d never heard of until Inkey imagined it, you’ve got acne innovation. In the year since the product launched, I’ve seen Succinic Acid in several other acne products. The Inkey List didn’t event it, but they kicked off a trend!
PRODUCT REVIEW: THE INKEY LIST SUCCINIC ACID ACNE TREATMENT – BEST GENTLE ACNE TREATMENT
What Is Succinic Acid and What Does Succinic Acid Do for Skin?
In my initial review of The Inkey List’s Succinic Acid Acne Treatment, I wanted to know more about the mysterious sounding ingredient and found an insightful piece on the Refinery29 website titled, I Used Buzzy Ingredient Succinic Acid For 4 Weeks & It Changed My Skin.
What is succinic acid and how can it treat acne, fine lines and wrinkles?
“Naturally found in amber or sugar cane, succinic acid is sustainably obtained through a process of fermentation and is similar in aim to salicylic acid. It has skin-softening and bacteria-inhibiting properties and helps to control sebum, therefore reducing shine and excess oil, which can potentially lead to breakouts. It also restores the skin’s pH balance – something some skincare products (such as foaming cleansers or harsh exfoliating acids) can disrupt, causing redness, dryness and cracked skin.
“Although new to us in the beauty industry, succinic acid has been used in European countries for many years for its medicinal properties. Its skincare properties are especially intriguing, though. ‘As succinic acid balances oily and congested complexions, it’s ideal for patients with acne,’ says skin expert and facialist Renée Lapino. ‘This leads to fewer spots and blackheads. But succinic acid also reverses the visible signs of ageing, and is especially useful for those with sensitive skin that gets red or irritated easily.’”
The Succinic Acid Acne Treatment has become one of my go-to blemish treatments for my occasional breakouts. It’s quite effective — and never dries out my skin. I have Inkey innovation to thank for that!
Over the last several weeks, the brand has been on a roll with multiple new product introductions and I’ve been excited to give them all a try. Three of them stand out to me, featured in the blog.
The Inkey List Omega Water Cream Moisturizer is a wonderfully light, refreshing lotion that’s slightly thicker than a conventional gel-cream. With the change of seasons and warmer weather ahead, it couldn’t have come at a better time.
I love a good cleanser! Among my favorites for warmer weather is a gel type cleanser. Often, however, even the best cleansing gels can dry out the skin. Inkey infused their new Hyaluronic Acid Cleanser with an innovative complex of humectants and hydrators to infuse skin with moisture and prevent dryness. It’s so cool and such a pleasure to use!
Last is The Inkey List Mandelic Acid Treatment for the treatment of acne marks — one of the most vexing acne-related conditions to treat. Even I deal with leftover signs of acne in the days and weeks after the blemish has been eradicated. Mandelic Acid is hot in skincare right now and this new treatment really intrigues me.
Let’s take a look at one of The Inkey List’s latest innovations for SS22 in more detail…
The Inkey List | Mandelic Acid Treatment
Spots in the complexion are generally among the most difficult skin conditions to treat. There are numerous types of spots — from dark spots, sun spots and age spots to hyperpigmentation, acne marks and even scars. How to minimize the look of darks spots, and even make them disappear altogether, is one of the most common questions I get from readers of the blog, friends, and family members alike.
Here’s the thing. As with wrinkles, it’s best to prevent spots in the first place. And like wrinkles, many spots are caused by unprotected sun exposure. If dark spots and hyperpigmentation are an ongoing concern for you, you may want to consider stepping up your protection from UV damage by finding an effective, broad-spectrum sunscreen and using it religiously.
Find a facial sunscreen you love so much that you wouldn’t even think of not applying it each morning; one with both a high SPF (I recommend SPF 30+) and a high PA+++ rating — the measure of a product’s protection against more insidious UVA rays. Check out my top recommendation of the best sunscreens for face here.
The Best Sunscreens For Face
So, yes, a well-formulated facial sunscreen will go a long way toward addressing dark spots by preventing them from getting worse — and from forming in the first place. But what about existing dark spots and acne marks?
A close friend from Los Angeles recently reached out to me in what could best be described as panic mode. He had seen a TikTok video of mine earlier in the day and texted me about it. “Your complexion is perfect. Ugh. I need help with these dark spots!”
Regrettably, I’ve been imploring him for years to use a daily sunscreen — to no avail. But I was willing to help. It told him it’s essentially an all-hands on deck situation; that is, he needed to do everything I say and use every product I recommend in complete, distinct AM and PM regimens. He agreed.
I created an entire new skincare routine for him that included high potency serums, replenishing face creams and, yes, a daily sunscreen. The serums were centered around Vitamin C, Niacinamide and Azelaic Acid — a relatively new-to-the-scene active for brightening and unifying the complexion. My pick for him was one of the best Azelaic Acid treatments, the Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster.
PRODUCT REVIEW: PAULA'S CHOICE 10% AZELAIC ACID BOOSTER
And while both the recommended Paula’s Choice C15 Super Booster and Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster will help to brighten his complexion and tone down the appearance of his existing dark spots, I wanted to add in an effective spot treatment, powered by potent acids.
It just so happened that The Inkey List had recently introduced their new treatment for dark spots and acne marks, the Mandelic Acid Treatment. And I had been wanting to test it out on darks spots. But, thankfully, I had none of my own to treat!
So my friend has been the guinea pig, so to speak. In conjunction with the three brightening serums in the regimen, The Inkey List’s Mandelic Acid Treatment seemed the perfect solution for targeting his dark spots.
One of the class of alpha hydroxy acids, or AHA’s, Mandelic Acid has been getting more and more attention lately. It’s the most gentle of the six or so AHA’s, at the exact opposite end of the scale as powerhouse Glycolic Acid.
What Is Mandelic Acid and What Does Mandelic Acid Do for the Skin?
There’s a very succinct, well-sourced explanation of Mandelic Acid and its exceptional benefits for the skin, and particularly sensitive skin, from the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team. Here’s what they have to say…
Mandelic Acid at a Glance
Also known as amygdalic acid
An alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that can exfoliate skin
Generally more tolerable for those with sensitive skin
Must be in opaque packaging to maintain its effectiveness
Mandelic Acid Description
Mandelic acid is a type of alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). There’s some research showing mandelic acid is an effective exfoliant, although it’s not as effective as glycolic acid due to its larger size (it’s twice as big as glycolic acid) and slower penetration into skin; however, these traits can also make mandelic acid more tolerable for those with sensitive skin. Unlike glycolic acid, mandelic acid is light-sensitive and must be packaged in an opaque container to remain effective. It may be synthetic or derived from almonds. Like other AHAs, mandelic acid is most effective in leave-on products that are within a 3-4 pH range.
A couple studies have shown that mandelic acid and salicylic acid worked well together in a higher-strength peel for use on darker skin tones struggling with discolorations, including post-acne marks. However, what we don’t know is how well mandelic acid would’ve worked on its own—it’s possible the results were more from salicylic acid than the combination of the two acids. Other research has shown mandelic acid can increase sebum (oil) production, which isn’t great for oily skin but would be a benefit for dry skin.
PRODUCT REVIEW: COCOKIND TURMERIC ILLUMINATING SOLUTION – BEST TONER WITH MANDELIC ACID
If you’re wary of harsh acids like Glycolic Acid, then Mandelic Acid deserves your attention. For the longest time, The Ordinary dominated the skincare market for Mandelic Acid with its unsung hero, Mandelic Acid 10% + HA. But I recently discovered Cocokind’s Turmeric Illuminating Solution and it’s quickly become one of my favorite treatment toners. It’s an absolute pleasure to use!
(Psst…you can catch my review of it on the blog here.)
With a 10% concentration of Mandelic Acid, The Inkey List Mandelic Acid Treatment is ideal for gently targeting dark spots in the complexion. The thick, velvety serum is made to adhere to the skin and remain in place, aiding in the effectiveness of the actives at treating a specific spot on the skin — much like the Paula’s Choice C25 Super Booster does so effectively.
The Mandelic Acid Treatment is also infused with encapsulated Retinol at 0.1% and several humectants and replenishing oils to prevent skin from drying out. I love the combination of the Mandelic Acid with Retinol as a solution for dark spots and hyperpigmentation. Each on its own is effective at accelerating cell turnover.
And while I haven’t been able to effectively and directly evaluate its efficacy at treating dark spots, I can attest to the fact that it is gentle enough on skin. I haven’t experienced any dryness or irritation. And, I can report that after nearly a month on his new regimen, my sun-exposed friend in LA says his complexion is much brighter and healthier looking. I’ll take it!
THE INKEY LIST’S CLINICALS FOR MANDELIC ACID TREATMENT
Clinically proven to significantly reduce hyperpigmented acne scars*
94% agreed the appearance of post breakout and blemish dark spots are significantly reduced*
94% agreed the appearance of dark spots and hyperpigmentation are significantly reduced*
94% agreed skin tone and texture is even with no significant signs of scarring*
*Based on an independent clinical trial under dermatological control, 20 participants, October 2021
What I like about it: The Inkey List Mandelic Acid Treatment is the most intriguing treatment for dark spots, acne marks and hyperpigmentation that I’ve seen since the launch of the Topicals Faded Serum For Dark Spots & Discoloration — which essentially takes an everything but the kitchen sink approach. I really appreciate its use of gentle Mandelic Acid to tackle the vexing problem of spots and post-acne marks. The clinicals are promising, for sure. And at just about $10, it’s worth a shot if you are struggling with dark spots and acne marks.
What I don’t like about it: I have no idea if it’s possible to formulate, but I would like to see a version of this product that includes a high concentration of Vitamin C. (Curiously, the Topicals Faded Serum doesn’t contain Vitamin C either!)
Who it’s for: All skin types.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase The Inkey List Mandelic Acid Treatment for $10.99 here.
The Ingredient List of The Inkey List Mandelic Acid Treatment:
Aqua (Water/Eau), Propanediol, Mandelic Acid, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate, Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Benzyl Alcohol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Retinol, Polysorbate 20, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dehydroacetic Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, 1, 2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Ethyl Ferulate, Humulus Lupulus Extract.
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