Index / The INKEY List / Polyglutamic Acid Serum
The INKEY List

Polyglutamic Acid Serum.

The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum
Serums

About this product

A hydrating serum featuring polyglutamic acid, designed to draw moisture to the skin and support hydration without a sticky or filmy feel.

Full ingredients

Guru Score

82%

Yay

5 experts · Moderate agreement
5Gurus
5Yay
0Mixed
0Nay

What they liked

  • Hydrating film without stickiness or pilling
  • Fragrance-free and suitable for many skin types
  • Affordable price point

What they flagged

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

    What the gurus are saying

    Polyglutamic acid holds onto significantly more water than hyaluronic acid, making this serum a powerful hydrator that creates a protective film on the skin to lock in moisture and smooth texture without heaviness. Gurus praise its versatility, affordable price, fragrance-free formula, and suitability for most skin types and concerns, from dryness to fine lines. For best results, apply to damp skin as the last serum before moisturiser, or layer other products underneath and use it as a hydrating sealant before makeup.
    Synthesized from 5 expert reviews · most recent take March 2025

    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
    Yay
    "Polyglutamic acid is very similar to hyaluronic acid, it's a humectant, it's not going to exfoliate your skin but it's an ingredient that can actually hold on to four times more moisture than hyaluronic acid. From my experience with this ingredient specifically it's definitely more hydrating and more plumping on the skin. This product from The INKEY List is actually a serum but it should be used as one of the very last serums in your skincare routine before your moisturizer. You can actually put a few pumps of this into your foundation and apply it to your skin that way if you want to but I see the best results when I apply it within my skincare routine. This is an ingredient that can be used every day twice a day and there's no conflicts with polyglutamic acid because again it's a humectant so it's just a nice hydrating ingredient that plumps up that skin temporarily. A lot of people can't use hyaluronic acid because some people find it to be drying or some people are sensitive to hyaluronic acid especially when you're pairing it up with other types of actives or ingredients but if you can't use hyaluronic acid then look into this."
    All 3 takes from Sincerely Miss Ash
    MOST UNDERRATED ANTI-AGING INGREDIENTS THAT ACTUALLY WORK | STOP SLEEPING ON THESE HIDDEN GEMS!
    "Polyglutamic acid is very similar to hyaluronic acid, it's a humectant, it's not going to exfoliate your skin but it's an ingredient that can actually hold on to four times more moisture than hyaluronic acid. From my experience with this ingredient specifically it's definitely more hydrating and more plumping on the skin. This product from The INKEY List is actually a serum but it should be used as one of the very last serums in your skincare routine before your moisturizer. You can actually put a few pumps of this into your foundation and apply it to your skin that way if you want to but I see the best results when I apply it within my skincare routine. This is an ingredient that can be used every day twice a day and there's no conflicts with polyglutamic acid because again it's a humectant so it's just a nice hydrating ingredient that plumps up that skin temporarily. A lot of people can't use hyaluronic acid because some people find it to be drying or some people are sensitive to hyaluronic acid especially when you're pairing it up with other types of actives or ingredients but if you can't use hyaluronic acid then look into this."
    IF I COULD ONLY PICK 1 PRODUCT FROM MY FAVORITE SKINCARE BRANDS | FYI...THIS WAS REALLY HARD!
    "The Inkey List polyglutamic acid is a very underrated product that I feel nobody talks about. If you love hyaluronic acid, you're going to love this because it's very similar to hyaluronic acid but polyglutamic acid holds on to four times more moisture than hyaluronic acid. If you're looking for a serum that is really hydrating and plumping but also something that acts as a sealant to lock in the hydration from your other serums, essences, and facial mists, then this is great to use every day, twice a day. You want to use this as the very last serum in your skincare routine before your moisturizer and sunscreen. [...] The texture of this is thicker than a watery serum, [...] but I've never experienced pilling with this. I get the most beautiful plumped look to my skin. It looks bouncy, it looks juicy, and I'm all about that. This is a wonderful product from The Inkey List."
    BEST SKINCARE PRODUCTS TO USE UNDER MAKEUP | SERUMS, MOISTURIZERS & SUNSCREEN "AS MAKEUP PRIMERS"
    "The first product that I absolutely love is by The Inkey List and this is the Polyglutamic Acid. I have talked about this many times in the past, this is great just to have in your skincare routine in general, but the reason why I love this one so much is because you can use this multiple ways. So you can use this as the very last serum in your skincare routine before your moisturizer and your sunscreen, so this is going to act as that sealant to lock in the hydration from all of your previous serums that you applied before this. So this is going to be plumping and hydrating. Now let's say you have somewhere special to go and you don't plan on wearing sunscreen, maybe you're going out for the evening, then this would be perfect in replacement of your moisturizer. So again, apply all of your serums before use this as the very last product in your skincare routine, then go in with your makeup on top of this and you get a really nice effect to your makeup as well. So again you get that longevity but you also have this really nice layer [...] just smooths everything out for your foundation and everything just applies so nicely on top of this."
    Yay
    "The closest one to it was the INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum, but this one's a little bit more affordable than that."
    Yay
    "There's a fantastic one from the Inkey List which can is great at attracting water. This is the first thing that you want to put on the skin."
    All 2 takes from Dr. Somji Skin
    Skin Flooding Explained: Is This Trend Worth Your Time?
    "There's a fantastic one from the Inkey List which can is great at attracting water. This is the first thing that you want to put on the skin."
    How To Get Glass Skin | GLASS SKINCARE ROUTINE | Achieve Flawless Skin with Dr. Somji & Dr. Solomon
    "Polyglutamic acid you can get from The Inkey List, and when we done our research it actually attracts 10 times more water than hyaluronic acid, so it's even better than hyaluronic acid. It's like one of those unknown ingredients that are a must for glass skin because that's what you want to do in this outer layer is attract as much water as possible, and polyglutamic acid can do that quite nicely."
    Yay
    "Polyglutamic acid creates almost a hydrating hug like a film on the skin surface to help lessen water loss from the skin and it is known to help improve skin elasticity, so if you have dry rough skin texture, polyglutamic acid is a great ingredient to entertain in your routine. It can be applied to the skin after cleansing while the skin is still a bit damp, then you can put moisturizer on over it. This is actually a very good product from them. I've used it myself and repurchased it, probably one of my favorites from them. It offers many similar benefits to snail serum but does not involve the snail, and this one is a great one at 3% polyglutamic acid."
    All 2 takes from Dr Dray
    AMAZON PRIME DAY 2023 | Skincare & Beauty DEALS @DrDrayzday
    "Polyglutamic acid it's not only an ingredient that helps to hydrate but it almost soothes and supports barrier recovery by creating a hydrating film on the skin surface without being filmy or sticky. The Inkey List Polyglutamic Acid Serum is a really great affordable product that's [...] free of fragrance, a skin care product I frequently recommend because it is very versatile and can benefit many different people in terms of issues around skin problems, dryness, and bumpiness."
    Sephora Savings Event 2023 - Skincare Products Worth Buying
    "Polyglutamic acid creates almost a hydrating hug like a film on the skin surface to help lessen water loss from the skin and it is known to help improve skin elasticity, so if you have dry rough skin texture, polyglutamic acid is a great ingredient to entertain in your routine. It can be applied to the skin after cleansing while the skin is still a bit damp, then you can put moisturizer on over it. This is actually a very good product from them. I've used it myself and repurchased it, probably one of my favorites from them. It offers many similar benefits to snail serum but does not involve the snail, and this one is a great one at 3% polyglutamic acid."
    Yay
    "Polyglutamic acid is essentially multiple glutamic acids stringed together and it's a very large molecule, great for drawing water to the top layer of the skin. Some argue that polyglutamic acid is four times more potent than hyaluronic acid. It's a great, slightly underrated humectant. This serum contains three percent polyglutamic acid along with glycerin, two wonderful humectants, as well as rice bran extract which has soothing properties, hydrating properties, and even arguably some brightening properties. It's a really wonderfully formulated, lightweight, hydrating serum that is really suitable for all skin types. It's a really nice, lightweight, non-sticky hydrating serum, so great for individuals looking for a hydrating serum that doesn't contain hyaluronic acid. It's great for improving fine lines and wrinkles, temporarily plumping the skin, and improving dry skin as well as dehydrated skin."
    Sponsored

    Frequently asked.

    What is The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum?

    A hydrating serum featuring polyglutamic acid, designed to draw moisture to the skin and support hydration without a sticky or filmy feel.

    Is The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum worth it?

    Yes. All 5 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 82%.

    What is The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum's Guru Score?

    The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum holds a Guru Score of 82%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 5 expert reviewers we have collected.

    Similar products worth a look.

    Other products the same gurus have weighed in on, plus more from this brand and category.

    Compare side by side →

    Share this score

    Add this badge to your blog or website. It links back to this page and updates itself when the experts change their minds. Free, no sign-up.

    Then paste it into your site's HTML or embed block.

    This week's top beauty news, in your inbox.

    A weekly read of the takes worth catching up on: the raves, the splits, the ones the gurus won't shut up about. Free, no spam, unsubscribe whenever.

    Subscribe to the digest