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Is the Fulvic Acid lending its name to The Inkey List Fulvic Acid Brightening Cleanser as exciting as Glycolic, Tranexamic or Hyaluronic Acid are? (More info: Tranexamic Acid for hyperpigmentation and Everything you need to know about Hyaluronic Acid)
To be honest, I don’t think so.
But that doesn’t mean that this cleanser is one you should pass on. Why? That is what we are going to talk about today!
What is Fulvic Acid?
Fulvic Acid is a substance that occurs when things like plants or animals decompose, which is why it can be found in compost and soil or, in this case, peat.
While it is commonly used as a supplement in traditional medicine for inflammatory diseases and things like Alzheimer’s Disease, to my knowledge there isn’t much evidence to support that. There isn’t much evidence for its use in skincare either, although I happened to find one study in which in vitro skin permeation in humans could be shown.
Why on earth The Inkey List chose this substance as the leading ingredient in the naming of their cleanser is beyond me though.
What The Inkey List Fulvic Acid Brightening Cleanser claims
This luxurious gel cleanser gently exfoliates to reveal a brighter, healthy looking complexion whilst removing makeup, including eye makeup.
Containing 0.5% Nordic Peat, naturally high in Fulvic Acid which is proven to act as a strong antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties, it helps to improve the appearance of uneven skin tone whilst leaving skin feeling soft and soothed. Kakadu plum (rich in Vitamin C) instantly boost’s skin’s radiance whilst Liquorice root extract helps soothe and reduce hyperpigmentation.
Facts about The Inkey List Fulvic Acid Brightening Cleanser
Price and size
One tube (standard The Inkey List packaging) contains 150 ml and is available for 11,99 € on the website here. One coin-sized dollop is enough to cleanse your face.
Texture and scent
Interestingly what you get when you squeeze the tube is a light brown gel with brown bits floating inside (probably bits of peat), but don‘t worry, you won‘t feel them on your skin. As Fulvic Acid is not an exfoliating acid, I wonder if the “gently exfoliating” refers to these parts of peat, like a gentle physical exfoliation? If it does it is too gentle for me to feel it.
There is no noticeable scent.
How to use The Inkey List Fulvic Acid Brightening Cleanser
It is suitable to use both morning and night, and I do enjoy it for both. It was the only cleanser I took with me on my recent trip to Tenerife (you can watch my full travel routine here), and it also is my husbands favorite as in the one cleanser he is least reluctant to use.
I simply squeeze some into my palms, either foam it up with water or massage it onto already wet skin and then rinse it off again. The foam is subtle and pleasant and absolutely not stripping.
Despite the claim of “removing makeup, including eye makeup” I don’t think it excels at that. Yes, it breaks down some, but isn’t enough to completely get rid of mascara and liner and could sometimes, if my eyes were irritated, sting a little.
Ingredients of The Inkey List Fulvic Acid Brightening Cleanser
sii|h 0 0, Butylene Glycol h|solv|vc 0 1, Xanthan Gum vc, Phenoxyethanol pres, Benzyl Alcohol pres|perf|solv|vc, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice 
so|h, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride emo, Peat so|amic, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract so|sb, PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate surf|emu|solv|surf, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate emu|surf, Disodium EDTA chel, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil emo 0 0, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil emo 0 1–3, Dehydroacetic Acid pres, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract aox|sb, Potassium Sorbate presHover the mouse over an ingredient for short explanation. Read more on INCIDecoder.
Coco-Glucoside as gentle surfactant, Glycerin as humectant and then the Peat for the Fulvic Acid. There is also Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, also known as Kakadu Plum, for some Vitamin C and Aloe for soothing. I personally am most excited about the added Licorice Root Extract, but in all honesty don’t think any of them will make a difference in performance.
How does it compare to…
The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm
While the tube looks similar, the texture is completely different, with the Fulvic Acid one being a gel to foam type, while The Oat one is a balm/ oil cleanser. I love both, but for different things. The Oat Cleansing Balm is my go-to in winter and for makeup removal, so better suited for night time, The Fulvic Acid one is the one I reach for during the warmer months, in the mornings or when I feel the need to cleanse my skin, but am not wearing makeup. You could combine them if you do a Double Cleanse or just use one or the other depending on your skin type and texture preference. (More info: Do you need to Double Cleanse?)
You can read my full review of The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm here.
Youth to the People Superfood Cleanser
While both are gels that foam up, the YTTP version has more foam and is at the same time a little bot more stripping than The Inkey Lists version. I could still use it in the summer without problems, but if your skin is more on the dry side, The Inkey List is probably teh better choice though.
You can read my full review of the Youth to the People Superfood Cleanser here.
Which skin types do I recommend it to?
I think the cleanser is suitable for all skin types. (More info: How to find the right cleanser for your skin type)
Would I repurchase?
Now it might sound as if I am disappointed in the cleanser with all the stuff I said about Fulvic Acid and me not understanding why it was put in in the first place. Quite the contrary, The Inkey ist Fulvic Acid Cleanser is among the ones I reach the most for, and one that I can see myself repurchasing. No matter which extracts it contains, I love the texture and how it makes my skin feel – and to be honest, I don’t expect my cleanser to do the heavy lifting when it comes to brightening my complexion anyway. (More info: What is hyperpigmentation and how do you treat it?)
If you want to get a vote in the next Ask Doctor Anne Topic, Ingredient Spotlight or product I review, don’t forget you can head over to my Patreon account to get more involved!
