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The INKEY List

Retinol Eye Cream.

The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream
Eye Care

About this product

A lightweight retinol eye cream designed to address fine lines, texture, and tone around the delicate eye area while minimizing irritation through a stabilized retinoid formula.

Full ingredients

Guru Score

68%

Mixed

8 experts · Strong agreement
8Gurus
5Yay
2Mixed
1Nay
#25 in Eye CareSee the ranking →

What they liked

  • Well priced for a targeted retinol eye cream
  • Simple formula that works without irritation

What they flagged

  • Jar packaging, not an airless pump

What the gurus are saying

The stabilized retinoid formula earns praise for being gentle enough for the sensitive eye area without the irritation of standard retinol, and gurus note it helps with fine lines and texture. The main trade-off is packaging: one expert wished for an airless pump instead of a jar to keep the retinol formula stable over time. At the price point, it reads as a solid affordable option, though a few gurus lean toward eye serums instead depending on what they already have in rotation.
Synthesized from 8 expert reviews · most recent take November 2024

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
"The Inkey List, which comes in at $14, has a Retinol Eye Cream as well. It does have hyaluronic acid."
~Yay
"The Inkey List has a specially designed Retinol Eye Cream which is actually fantastic for that area if you're going to be using retinol around the eyes. Maybe you want to use some encapsulated retinols that will help just resurface and exfoliate the skin so that you get down to that base and also it can help reduce the appearance of milia as well."
~Mixed
"The Inkey List Retinol Eye Cream [...] is a decent Retinol Eye Cream, especially when you are on a budget, but she has another favorite, so she won't repurchase."
~Mixed
"The Inkey List Retinol Eye Cream, it's basically a moisturizer plus retinol. I like it but it would be better if it was an airless pump."
~Nay
"I finally finished The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream. If you're looking for a good affordable eye cream that contains that retinol ingredient, something to really help with fine lines, texture, tone, then this really is a lovely option to go with. Now, I'm not going to be purchasing this at the moment just because my go-to is eye serums and I have a lot of eye serums that I need to use up first, and sometimes I will put a regular eye cream on top of those eye serums just to keep the skin nice and moisturized, but also sometimes I just use my face moisturizers and bring them up around the eyes, so I don't need to pick up another one at this time. But this would be one that I would refer back to down the road for sure."
~Yay
"I tried the INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream because I thought if it's inexpensive enough and it actually works, maybe this is an eye cream I can get behind, and I can say that about the caffeine one and the retinol one, yes."
All 2 takes from Cassandra Bankson
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"I tried the INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream because I thought if it's inexpensive enough and it actually works, maybe this is an eye cream I can get behind, and I can say that about the caffeine one and the retinol one, yes."
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"I love this eye cream. I just would never use it as an eye cream, use this all over the face. It has ceramides so really good for barrier support. But if she had to get a retinoid in an eye cream form, The INKEY List has a Retinol Eye Cream."
~Yay
"I'm not the biggest fan of anti-aging eye creams because usually they're not necessary in a routine and can be overpriced, but I am a big fan of the Inkey List Retinol Eye Cream. It has retinol in it at a gentle percentage so you can specifically target the under eye area to help with any fine lines or dark circles you might be experiencing."
All 2 takes from Hyram
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"I'm not the biggest fan of anti-aging eye creams because usually they're not necessary in a routine and can be overpriced, but I am a big fan of the Inkey List Retinol Eye Cream. It has retinol in it at a gentle percentage so you can specifically target the under eye area to help with any fine lines or dark circles you might be experiencing."
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"If you're someone who wants to use the benefits of retinol for the under eye area, because retinol can be beneficial not only for premature aging but also fading darkness, honestly I recommend the INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream. It's a very simple formula with a gentle concentration of retinol that works well for the under eye area, it gives you the results, and because of the INKEY List you don't have to spend a ton of money on a product. It's really well priced and definitely a good simple formula to use."
~Yay
"The Inky List also has a specific Retinol Eye Cream that is far more gentle. It has a different stabilized form of retinol in it that will not be irritating to the delicate skin here."
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All 2 takes from The Budget Dermatologist
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"The Inky List also has a specific Retinol Eye Cream that is far more gentle. It has a different stabilized form of retinol in it that will not be irritating to the delicate skin here."
My Top 3 Anti-Aging Eye Creams with Budget Swaps! | The Budget Dermatologist
"This is the Inky List Retinol Eye Cream, just about twelve dollars full price but on sale right now during the holidays for around eight dollars. This is the most affordable of all the options and it's just a pretty simple product. You could always start here and dabble in the eye retinol category to see if you can tolerate it before you spend more. The texture of this one I would say is somewhere in between the Avène and the Myshell one, it is not as thick or occlusive as the Avène product but it's a little bit thicker than the Myshell which is more of a serum-like consistency."

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

Humectants and emollients

Ingredients like these draw water into the surface layers and slow how fast it leaves. The evidence is for comfort, softness and hydration rather than for changing the structure of the skin.

Source: DermNet

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 Retinol Eye Cream?

A lightweight retinol eye cream designed to address fine lines, texture, and tone around the delicate eye area while minimizing irritation through a stabilized retinoid formula.

Is The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream worth it?

The gurus mostly approve it, but with enough reservations to keep it in the middle at a Guru Score of 68%.

What is The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream's Guru Score?

The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream holds a Guru Score of 68%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 8 expert reviewers we have collected.

Who is The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream best for?

The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream is generally suited to sensitive skin and mature skin.

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