The INKEY List Mandelic Acid + Hyaluronic Acid.

Serums

About this product

A lightweight serum that combines mandelic acid, a gentle exfoliating AHA, with hyaluronic acid. It is designed to smooth skin texture and tone while keeping skin hydrated.

Full ingredients

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

Guru Score

88%

Yay

4 experts · Moderate agreement

What the gurus are saying

Here's an exfoliating acid that doesn't leave dry skin feeling tight. Mandelic acid is the gentler AHA, and with glycerin in the mix, the experts found this lightweight, non-sticky serum suits sensitive, dry and acne-prone skin, even the chest and neck. A couple of drops stirred into your moisturizer is one easy way to use it.

Synthesized from 4 expert reviews · most recent take March 2024

What they liked

Lightweight, non-sticky texture
Gentler exfoliant than glycolic acid
Helps reduce pigmentation and redness

What they flagged

Nothing. None of the experts who reviewed it raised a problem.

Type

SerumsDrops & dropper

Key actives

RetinoidAHAVitamin E

Formula notes

Fragrance-freeNo drying alcohol

Where to buy

Sephora → Ulta → Amazon → Google →

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Scan it in the shopFree iPhone app. Scores in the aisle.

What the experts use it for.

The concerns the experts tie this product to, in their own words. Paid and founder takes don't count.

Breakouts and acne1 expert

“The mandelic acid treatment which is so good and inexpensive and beginner friendly if you want something that actually helps to hydrate the skin and if you have dry skin and acne this mandelic acid's treatment is so phenomenal for dry skin.”

Cassandra Bankson, watch at 14:27

Irritated or reactive skin1 expert

“The less irritating of all of those is mandelic acid and that's for really sensitive skin.”

Darnell Cox | 50+ Healthy Aging Expert, watch at 59:54

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

Darnell Cox | 50+ Healthy Aging Expert

55k subs

✓Yay

"The less irritating of all of those is mandelic acid and that's for really sensitive skin. [...] I'll oftentimes use this if I'm going to peel my chest and my neck because the skin on your neck is different than the skin on your face. The skin on your neck does not secrete oil, skin on your face secretes oil, the way you treat your neck has to be very different than the way you treat the rest of your body."

Hyram

4.33M subs

✓Yay

"I do love that one"

Cassandra Bankson

2.46M subs

✓Yay

"The mandelic acid treatment which is so good and inexpensive and beginner friendly if you want something that actually helps to hydrate the skin and if you have dry skin and acne this mandelic acid's treatment is so phenomenal for dry skin. This actually has glycerin in it as well so it's a more hydrating formula and because it's an AHA it actually doesn't dry out the skin."

Top Pick: mandelic acid serum

All 5 takes from Cassandra Bankson

3 Acne Destroying Skincare Tips I Wish I knew When I was 16

"If you don't want to spend this much on mandelic acid, the INKEY List has a mandelic acid spot treatment that you could actually use kind of as a makeup primer or a base if you wanted to use it all over, so that's another good mandelic acid if you wanted to."

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8 Best & Worst Mandelic Acid Serums & How They Work

"This is the snack jar of skincare. [...] This is the one I'm always looking for. I love this from The Inky List for the price, for what you get, for how tiny the little bottle is, but how it goes such a long way. This really cannot be beat, especially for the price and how it works. This is the top mandelic acid product that I've used on my skin or recommended to others, and I cannot rave about this enough."

The New Laminated Skin Trend Has Me Confused….

"The Inkey List also has a mandelic acid spot treatment, which is really good."

Dry Skin & Acne Skincare Routine 🌵

"You can literally mix these in with a moisturizer and make it work. [...] You can mix mandelic acid plus hyaluronic acid in with something like a peptide moisturizer from the inky list. [...] You can literally put a couple of drops on the top of the moisturizer, pump it out and mix it together right there and this becomes a beautiful hydrating moisturizer that actually has that targeted exfoliant that's going to hydrate but exfoliate."

Dr. Jenny Liu

324k subs

✓Yay

"This is another really lightweight non-sticky treatment serum so it's again really suitable for all skin types but in particular individuals who are more struggling with acne and hyperpigmentation or say if your skin is more on the sensitive side and you're looking for an exfoliant that is not going to be as irritating as glycolic acid I would give this one a try."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Retinoids

Retinoids are among the best studied ingredients in dermatology, with solid evidence for acne and for the fine lines and rough texture that come from sun exposure. Dryness and flaking in the first few weeks are common and usually settle.

Source: DermNet

Alpha hydroxy acids

Alpha hydroxy acids loosen the bonds holding dead cells at the surface. The evidence supports smoother texture and more even tone over time, and they can leave skin more sensitive to sun.

Source: NIH, National Library of Medicine

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an antioxidant, and it is often in a formula to keep the other ingredients stable rather than as the active itself. It pairs well with vitamin C, though on its own the evidence for visible change is limited.

Source: NIH, National Library of Medicine

Frequently asked.

What is The INKEY List Mandelic Acid + Hyaluronic Acid?

A lightweight serum that combines mandelic acid, a gentle exfoliating AHA, with hyaluronic acid. It is designed to smooth skin texture and tone while keeping skin hydrated.

Is The INKEY List Mandelic Acid + Hyaluronic Acid worth it?

Yes. All 4 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 88%.

What is The INKEY List Mandelic Acid + Hyaluronic Acid's Guru Score?

The INKEY List Mandelic Acid + Hyaluronic Acid holds a Guru Score of 88%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 4 expert reviewers we have collected. At least one expert has named it a Top Pick in its category.

What is The INKEY List Mandelic Acid + Hyaluronic Acid good for, according to the experts?

In their reviews, experts say The INKEY List Mandelic Acid + Hyaluronic Acid is good for breakouts and acne (1 expert) and irritated or reactive skin (1 expert).