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Fancy ingredients are no longer limited to high priced brands it seems – The Inkey List recently released their 15% Vitamin C and EGF Brightening Serum to prove that.
EGF stands for Epidermal Growth Factor and is one of the up and coming buzz ingredients for 2020. I will go into more detail about what they can (and can not) do later, but so far they were found in products at the upper end of the price range.
Which is absolutely not true for this serum.

 

What The Inkey List 15% Vitamin C and EGF Serum claims

Achieve smooth, healthy-looking skin with this cutting-edge formula. Vitamin C combines with plant-derived EGF to create a potent dose that helps brighten dull skin. EGF helps skin regeneration and supports natural collagen and elastin within the skin’s matrix, while Ascor-byl Glucoside converts to pure Vitamin C on the surface for a brighter, more even-looking complexion.

 

 

The Inkey List 15% Vitamin C and EGF Serum Facts

Prize and size

The pump packaging contains 30 ml and retails for 14,99 £ on the website here. For my face and neck I need two pumps.

 

Texture and smell

Watery, slightly yellow and thankfully no “raw meat” Ascorbic Acid scent. While there IS a faint scent, I can´t describe it. Nothing new here, describing scents isn´t my forté…

 

 

How to use the The Inkey List 15% Vitamin C and EGF Serum

It is suitable for use morning and night, probably even for twice a day if you want, but I prefer it in the mornings. (If you want to, you can read more about serums and their role in skincare here). The reason for that is the texture, lightweight and easily absorbed, just how I prefer it in the mornings, and the antioxidant abilities. While there is nothing wrong with using antioxidants at night, I like them as extra protection during the day.

(Did you know that antioxidants are among the five ingredients proven to work for preventing premature aging?)

 

The Inkey List 15% Vitamin C and EGF Serum Ingredients

Hover the mouse over an ingredient for short explanation. Read more on INCIDecoder.

A simple formula. Not as in basic, but as in “straight to the point”.

When it was first launched there was some confusion as people initially thought it contained Hyaluronic Acid – it doesn´t – but other than that it does what it says on the bottle:
It contains Ascorbyl Glucoside, a Vitamin C derivative that is more stable and effective at a more neutral pH, which in turn makes it less irritating. As I said in my “Everything you need to know about Vitamin C” post, we still have the best data on the original diva, L-Ascorbic Acid, but Ascorbyl Glucoside shows promising results as well.

Then there are preservatives, solvents and then the other main ingredient, EGF, which stands for Epidermal Growth Factor or, the INCI name, Oligopeptide-1. Epidermal Growth Factors are proteins that regulate cellular growth, proliferation and differentiation under controlled conditions, they play an essential role in maintaining healthy skin function and structure.
It is however still issue of debate whether or not topically applied growth factors do work.
The term “plant-derived” refers to the means of harvesting the EGF, which is in this case through genetically altered plants as opposed to let´s say bacteria or human cells in the lab.

 

Does it live up to its claims?

Well.
I admit that I did not see a huge difference in both the brightness and the firmness of my skin, but then again I already am on a skincare regime that combines several ingredients to target these issues, so seeing major results was not to be expected. It certainly has the ingredients to back up it´s claims.

 

How does The Inkey List 15% Vitamin C + EGF compare to…

The Inkey List Vitamin C Serum

Their original Vitamin C Serum, provided in an elegant formulation with a silicone base to address the stability issues. I was however not a fan.

It contains 30% Ascorbic Acid which, while effective, was irritating for my skin. I could solve that by mixing it with Hyaluronic Ac-id, but as anything more than 20% will most likely not bring any additional benefit, but just increase the irritation, I was not convinced.
This version is much gentler, but at the same time brought less noticeable results. Maybe you can´t have one without the other? Might be, but I have not given up hope just yet.

Read my full review of The Inkey List Vitamin C Serum here

 

pixi Vitamin C Serum

pixi uses Ascorbic Acid, very effective but also very unstable. I adore their serum, but it turns very quickly, usually within 6-8 weeks. After this time I have still around half of it left, which makes it wasteful. So even though I found it very effective and pleasant to use, I will probably not repurchase. The Inkey List 15% Vitamin C and EGF lasted the whole bottle without going off.

Read my full review of pixi Vitamin C Serum here

 

Would I repurchase?

Maybe.
It is really nice, but it doesn´t wow me, which is what is needed for a skincare snob like me to ensure a repurchase. I think I will continue my quest to find the perfect highly effective, yet non-irritating Vitamin C serum. (If you have suggestions, leave them in the comments below!)
The EGF are nice, but right now on their own not enough to make me want to repurchase.

 

Whom do I recommend The Inkey List 15% Vitamin C + EGF Brightening Serum to?

If you have sensitive skin that does not tolerate Ascorbic Acid or if you want to try the latest, fancy ingredient, but are on a budget, you will find a pleasant and affordable serum here.

 

 

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