The INKEY List Polyhydroxy Acid Toner: a Guru Score of 81%

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.

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Dr. Jenny Liu

321k subs

✓Yay

"The Inkey List has a great Polyhydroxy Acid Toner."

All 4 takes from Dr. Jenny Liu

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"The toner I'm going to recommend is a liquid exfoliant, again from The INKEY List, their Polyhydroxy Acid Toner. It's lovely, very affordable, again $14 on Amazon. This contains 3% polyhydroxy acid that's going to act as a hydrating ingredient, at the same time over time helps to improve dullness, along with 3% niacinamide, that is also an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory ingredient that really works well with polyhydroxy acid to tackle dullness, uneven skin tone, and skin texture, and also contains aloe that's going to be hydrating at the same time. This is something I recommend actually pouring onto your palm and then patting onto your skin, instead of swiping with a cotton pad, that may just be a little bit too abrasive physically. But you can use this a couple times a week, almost like a hydrating toner slash chemical exfoliant in one."

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"The Inkey List Polyhydroxy Acid Toner contains three percent polyhydroxy acid along with three percent niacinamide. It's a great one that's more affordable, and polyhydroxy acids are more of a humectant but over time it can certainly slowly improve that skin texture and skin radiance. This is something I really love if you have sensitive skin."

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"Another one I really like, and more affordable, is The Inkey List PHA toner. You apply it with a cotton pad or pat it over your skin a few times a week. Polyhydroxy acid is super gentle, even a great humectant and antioxidant, so it can be used more regularly."

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"The Inkey List has a great Polyhydroxy Acid Toner."

Beyond50Skin

32k subs

✓Yay

"You can also use instead of something with glycolic and salicylic and [L-ascorbic] acid a polyhydroxy acid. The Inkey List makes a really nice one."

All 2 takes from Beyond50Skin

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"You can also use instead of something with glycolic and salicylic and [L-ascorbic] acid a polyhydroxy acid. The Inkey List makes a really nice one."

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"The Inkey List has a polyhydroxy acid exfoliation product. So if you have sensitive skin, that's another one you might consider. It's meant to be used as a daily exfoliant, morning and evening."

Dr. Somji Skin

359k subs

✓Yay

"The Inkey List PHA is different from AHAs and BHAs and they're a lot milder. It contains a product called gluconolactone, which is a mild exfoliant that's a little bit more gentle in terms of its exfoliation, so it doesn't damage the skin and it can be used by all skin types. [...] What's really nice within the ingredients is they've included niacinamide, which is a skincare favorite, [...] and also it's got glycerin in there as well. So if you look at this formulation, it's a far cry from the old astringent toners which had alcohol in there. It's a clean formulation that can be used as a nice toner. If you want to include a toner, this is something that I really do recommend."

DA

Doctor Anne

56k subs

✓Mixed

"The INKEY List PHA Toner is, against common belief, not really an exfoliating toner. The Polyhydroxy Acids are acids by name, but more hydrating than exfoliating compared to your regular AHAs. While I like it well, I don't think I will repurchase though."

Hyram

4.34M subs

✓Yay

"If you want a more deluxe experience without breaking the bank, the Inkey List PHA Toner is an awesome one, particularly if you have sensitive skin that you'll be able to use more frequently. It exfoliates but very gently, removes the dead skin cells from your face."

All 5 takes from Hyram

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"If you want a more deluxe experience without breaking the bank, the Inkey List PHA Toner is an awesome one, particularly if you have sensitive skin that you'll be able to use more frequently. It exfoliates but very gently, removes the dead skin cells from your face."

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"Some of my favorite super affordable brands are the Inkey List. Their PHA toner is one of my favorite products for exfoliation."

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"For PHAs, I recommend the INKEY List PHA toner. It's gentle but still effective, which is ideal for dry skin."

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"If you're wanting a really gentle formula, the Inkey List PHA toner is a great option where you're just getting a very gentle, simple solution to exfoliating your face."

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"If you're someone who's wanting to regularly exfoliate your skin throughout the week, I recommend the INKEY List PHA Toner, it's a great but very gentle exfoliating treatment that you can use regularly throughout the week and get those dead skin cells off your face without having to worry about it overly sensitizing your skin."

Cassandra Bankson

2.46M subs

✓Yay

"The INKEY List does toners phenomenally, and I don't know why they don't get a lot of attention for that. This is the PHA, polyhydroxy acid, toner. [...] If the Ordinary's toning solution is too much for you, this is a godsend, it's your guardian angel. [...] It is non-irritating compared to the Ordinary's, and yet it's a little bit hydrating and nourishing to the skin. It has a really low molecular weight, [...] I think it's 73 or 74 grams per mole, but it's absolutely wonderful. If your skin needs a little bit of a glow, maybe you have a little bit of acne or post acne marks, this stuff is so good. Polyhydroxy acid is a big, thick, chunky molecule. These PHAs are super good at holding onto water and they kind of hang out on top of the skin because of how big and chunky they are. They don't penetrate, but they exfoliate gently on top, and they're really good at holding moisture into the skin. It's like a leveled up, even more sensitive version of the glycolic toner, so if you're super sensitive and even glycolic is too much for you, or if you're much drier and you just need the moisture, that's when the PHA comes in."

Top Pick: gentle liquid exfoliant

All 4 takes from Cassandra Bankson

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"The INKEY List does toners phenomenally, and I don't know why they don't get a lot of attention for that. This is the PHA, polyhydroxy acid, toner. [...] If the Ordinary's toning solution is too much for you, this is a godsend, it's your guardian angel. [...] It is non-irritating compared to the Ordinary's, and yet it's a little bit hydrating and nourishing to the skin. It has a really low molecular weight, [...] I think it's 73 or 74 grams per mole, but it's absolutely wonderful. If your skin needs a little bit of a glow, maybe you have a little bit of acne or post acne marks, this stuff is so good. Polyhydroxy acid is a big, thick, chunky molecule. These PHAs are super good at holding onto water and they kind of hang out on top of the skin because of how big and chunky they are. They don't penetrate, but they exfoliate gently on top, and they're really good at holding moisture into the skin. It's like a leveled up, even more sensitive version of the glycolic toner, so if you're super sensitive and even glycolic is too much for you, or if you're much drier and you just need the moisture, that's when the PHA comes in."

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"The Inkey List has a PHA toner that is fantastic. It does not have a whole bunch of witch hazel and doesn't have the orange or the lemon or the extras that we don't need. PHA is polyhydroxy acid, basically acids that look like sugar molecules and they're very large so they sit on top of the skin, exfoliating very gently. It brightens the skin, this is non-irritating, this is a gentle option for people who do deal with skin sensitivity but still want a little bit of exfoliation, and it also has niacinamide. It's literally a fourth of the price at $11 compared to the SKKN at $45."

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"This PHA toner is about one-third of the price of Glossier for one less fluid ounce. And this PHA toner is very, very gentle on skin. Just the way Glossier can be used, this can be used every single day. And depending on which aesthetic you want and how much money you want to spend, this is a good choice."

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"The Inky List also has an amazing Polyhydroxy Acid Toner."

Dr Dray

2.68M subs

✓Yay

"Polyhydroxy acids include things like gluconolactone, zinc gluconate, and lactobionic acid. They are very, very gentle exfoliants that help with shedding of heaped up cellular debris and help skin turnover, just improving the overall look of the skin, more radiant, even, healthy, glowing. Polyhydroxy acids also help with skin hydration and elasticity and may help in reducing glycation from sun damage. They're also great because a lot of people have very, very, very sensitive skin and want to use an exfoliant but their skin does not tolerate it. This is a great family of ingredients to include in your routine. This particular product from Inky List is great. It not only has these but is free of fragrance. The way to use it is after cleansing, while the skin is still damp, just pat a little bit in and then apply moisturizer over it. Really great product."

All 2 takes from Dr Dray

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"Polyhydroxy acids such as gluconolactone are both hydrating and very gently exfoliate. As long as it's tolerated, they can be used twice a day. They're super gentle exfoliants and they can be used twice a day."

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"Polyhydroxy acids include things like gluconolactone, zinc gluconate, and lactobionic acid. They are very, very gentle exfoliants that help with shedding of heaped up cellular debris and help skin turnover, just improving the overall look of the skin, more radiant, even, healthy, glowing. Polyhydroxy acids also help with skin hydration and elasticity and may help in reducing glycation from sun damage. They're also great because a lot of people have very, very, very sensitive skin and want to use an exfoliant but their skin does not tolerate it. This is a great family of ingredients to include in your routine. This particular product from Inky List is great. It not only has these but is free of fragrance. The way to use it is after cleansing, while the skin is still damp, just pat a little bit in and then apply moisturizer over it. Really great product."

What the evidence says.

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

Frequently asked.

What is The INKEY List Polyhydroxy Acid Toner?

A liquid exfoliant toner containing 3% polyhydroxy acid (gluconolactone) and 3% niacinamide, designed to gently exfoliate and hydrate without the strength of glycolic or salicylic acid.

Is The INKEY List Polyhydroxy Acid Toner worth it?

Mostly yes. 6 of the 7 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 81%.

What is The INKEY List Polyhydroxy Acid Toner's Guru Score?

The INKEY List Polyhydroxy Acid Toner holds a Guru Score of 81%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 7 expert reviewers we have collected. At least one expert has named it a Top Pick in its category.