No 12 on Sephora’s bestselling sunscreen list is The Inkey List Polyglutamic Acid Dewy Sunscreen SPF 30.
Like all Inkey List products, this is massively popular. At US$12 for a 50ml product, this is less than the average price of most sunscreens at CVS pharmacy.
I do have a bias against the Inkey List – the products do not smell great and the textures leave a lot to be desired. I feel like an elitist snob, but somehow I have not made my peace with applying charcoal paste to my face.
Ingredient list
(up to date 7 Feb ’24)
What do I think about this product?
This sunscreen is a textbook example of how to make a sunscreen at a cheap cost, which satisfies certain criteria, which I think are:
- Provide UVA + UVB protection
- Blue light protection
- Use a reliable, stable emulsification system (which this product does by using old-school emulsifiers)
- Moisturising but without using expensive ingredients or emollients
- Reduce odour b/c we are not going to add fragrance AND old school sunscreen filters smell
To achieve these objectives, the formulation uses MORE ingredients than are needed to make a sunscreen – but does so at a low price point. So, this formulation is nothing short of genius.
Type of product?
An oil/water emulsion
1) Sunscreen filters
UVB filters are Octocrylene, Octisalate and PSA. Like all chemical sunscreens in the USA, the only UVA filter is Avobenzone.
2) Emulsifiers
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Glyceryl Stearate SE
3) Emollients/solvents for sunscreen filters
- Squalane,
- Castor Oil/IPDI Copolymer (castor oil derivative that offers emolliency, water repulsion and is non-drying)
- Coco-Caprylate/Caprate (and) Triheptanoin (and) C9-12 Alkane (gives great skin feel and emolliency)
4) Preservative system
- Caprylhydroxamic Acid (and) Glyceryl Caprylate,
- 1,2 Hexanediol (preservative booster)
5) Ingredients to improve skin feel
- Dimethiconol (and) Dimethicone (provide silky and non-greasy feel)
6) Other ingredients that support the structure of the product
- Saccharomyces Ferment (reduces odour in product)
- Dilinoleic Acid/Butanediol Copolymer (Imparts water-resistancy + water proofing)
- Hydroxyethycellulose (thickener)
- Cetearyl Alcohol (thickener)
- Tromethamine (pH buffer (?))
- Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer (and) Polysorbate 60 (and) Sorbitan Isostearate (thickener + stabiliser)
7) Actives in the sunscreen
- Water (and) Propanediol (and) Polyglutamic Acid (and) Phenoxyethanol (Moisturising agent)
- Water (and) Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (and) Ipomoea Batatas Root Extract (and) Oryza Sativa (Rice) Hull Extract (and) Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate (and) Saccharomyces Lysate (and) Hydroxyacetophenone (and) Sodium Benzoate (and) Caprylyl Glycol*
7a) *Royal Tea IQ
According to the manufacturers, “Royal Tea IQ is a triple strength antioxidant powerhouse supporting the skin’s role to defend against environmental insults (UV & blue light), regulate circadian rhythms and maintain homeostasis in the skin.”