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    The Inkey List's Affordable Skincare Is All Over Our FYP – Here Are The Products Reviewers Actually Swear By

    If you want to find out which products can *really* walk the walk, we've got your back.

    Amy Glover
    by Amy Glover

    BuzzFeed Staff

    We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Some may have been sent as samples, but all opinions and reviews are our own. Just so you know, BuzzFeed may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.

    In the unlikely event that you haven't seen The Inkey List all over your feed, allow us to introduce you to the latest no-nonsense, cheap-as-chips skincare brand to take over the internet.

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    Prices for their cult-status products hover around a tenner, and the line includes genuine skincare gems (like retinol and polyglutamic acid) that have gotten everyone from beauty influencers to pro dermatologists excited.

    Of course, virality doesn't always mean that a line or product is actually effective (remember when everyone was making those baking soda face masks at home?!). We thought we'd check Amazon reviews to find the products real, unsponsored people swear by – the good news is that we found some must-haves, and the bad news is between me and my bank account.

    1. Niacinamide

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    Good for: balancing oil levels, banishing spots and blackheads, and reducing redness.

    Reviewers say: it's helped some people to control their breakouts, and others reckon it's left their skin amazingly smooth. 

    Use: AM and PM after cleansing and hydrating with hyaluronic acid.

    Rating: 4.5-star average rating from 2,083 reviews. 

    Price: £7.19.

    2. Q10 antioxidant serum

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    Good for: protecting your skin from stressors/pollutants, plumping, and smoothing.

    Reviewers say: it sinks in quickly, it's super lightweight, and it leaves their skin looking and feeling really hydrated. 

    Use: in the AM after cleansing, hyaluronic acid, and toning.

    Rating: 4.5-star average rating from 1,025 reviews. 

    Price: £5.84.

    3. Oat cleansing balm

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    Good for: dissolving makeup, soothing and nourishing the skin, and supporting your natural barrier.

    Reviewers say: it's gentle enough for sensitive skin and leaves their face feeling super soft after use.

    Use: AM and PM when washing your face – you can leave it on as a mask for ten minutes too if you want added nourishment.

    Rating: 4.5-star average rating from 732 reviews.

    Price: £10.99.

    4. Polygluatamic acid

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    Good for: *deeply* hydrating your skin (it holds four times as much moisture as hyaluronic acid).

    Reviewers say: I saw a few reviews from people who feel like they've found their hydration holy grail, so I ordered it pretty much ASAP. A little seems to go a really long way, and it's perfect if your moisture barrier has been going through it (*ahem*).

    Use: AM and PM as the last step before moisturising – you can also use it mixed in with your foundation or as a primer for that glass skin-worthy glow.

    Rating: 4.5-star average rating from 389 reviews

    Price: £12.95.

    5. Vitamin C and EGF serum

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    Good for: brightening, evening out your skin, and blocking stressors and pollutants.

    Reviewers say: it really has given plenty of reviewers that kilowatt glow, and it's helped 'em to tackle hyperpigmentation and texture issues too. 

    Use: AM or PM after cleansing and hyaluronic acid (though a morning application makes the most sense to me, because it helps to mop up the pollutants you face throughout the day).

    Rating: 4.5-star average rating from 184 reviews

    Price: £13.49.

    6. BHA serum with hyaluronic acid and salicylic acid

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    Good for: deeply exfoliating your skin, reducing excess oil, and helping to clear spots and blackheads.

    Reviewers say: it's banished their blemishes and made their skin feel oh-so-fresh (yes, please).

    Use: put a drop or two onto your skin in the AM or PM after cleansing and hyaluronic acid. You'll want to be *extra* vigilant with your SPF if you use it in the morning (I'd personally only ever use it at night, because it can leave your skin a little exposed). You can also use it as a spot treatment for blemishes!

    Rating: 4.4-star average rating from 480 reviews

    Price: £9.89.

    7. 3% ceramide night treatment

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    Good for: supporting your skin's natural barrier, which helps to regulate oil and hydration levels – it's great for dry to very dry skin, and it can help if your face is always shiny too.

    Reviewers say: it's soothing, hydrating, and impressively lightweight. A few people mentioned losing the 'tightness' in their skin, which would make sense given its ceramide-rich formula.

    Use: 2-3 nights per week as your last skincare step instead of your regular moisturiser.

    Rating: 4.4-star average rating from 246 reviews

    Price: £10.79.

    8. 100% plant-derived squalane

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    Good for: hydrating, plumping, and smoothing your skin, and balancing sebum levels. It's non-comedogenic, which means it won't clog your pores – that's unusual for an oil, and makes this stuff perfect for combination skin.

    Reviewers say: it's super-lightweight, incredibly moisturising, and can be added pretty effortlessly to an existing skincare routine.

    Use: AM or PM over your moisturiser, or mixed in with your moisturiser.

    Rating: 4.4-star average rating from 178 reviews

    Price: £9.44.

    9. Kaolin clay mask

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    Good for: deep-cleaning your pores, improving the appearance of blemishes, and absorbing excess oil.

    Reviewers say: it lives up to its decongesting and cleansing promises, and it's not too drying either. Plenty of folks have noticed that their blackheads and spots look better after using this stuff (the dream, TBH).

    Use: 1-2 times a week in the AM or PM after cleansing. Leave it on for ten minutes, rinse the mask off, and then follow through with your regular skincare routine. 

    Rating: 4.3-star average rating from 336 reviews

    Price: £4.94.

    10. Bakuchiol moisturiser

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    Good for: reducing the appearance of fine lines, hydrating your skin, and acting as an antioxidant. It's been touted as a non-irritating retinol alternative.

    Reviewers say: it leaves their skin smooth and glowing, it absorbs quickly, and just a little goes a long way.

    Use: put a pea-sized amount on your face and neck after your AM *and* PM serums.

    Rating: 4.3-star average rating from 243 reviews

    Price: £10.25.

    11. Succinic acid blemish treatment

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    Good for: targeting blemishes by intensively cleansing your pores and absorbing excess oils. It'll help to reduce inflammation too, making it the perfect 'SOS' solution to breakouts.

    Reviewers say: it works really quickly, and the green hue adds a smart colour-correcting dimension to its existing anti-spot action.

    Use: pop it over any blemishes through the day (up to three times daily). It should only go over the affected area, and ideally on top of cleansed skin.

    Rating: 4.2-star average rating from 383 reviews

    Price: £7.19.

    12. 2% alpha arbutin brightening serum

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    Good for: fading dark spots and hyperpigmentation, and hydrating and smoothing skin.

    Reviewers say: it does what it says it will! So many customers have praised its brightening qualities that I added it to my cart mid-writing this caption, and it seems to have worked well for customers with dark skin tones too.

    Use: in the AM and PM after cleansing and hyaluronic acid – if you're using serums, you can layer it anywhere before your moisturiser.

    Rating: 4.1-star average rating from 417 reviews

    Price: £9.44.

    13. Caffeine eye cream

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    Good for: reducing the appearance of puffiness and dark circles under your eyes.

    Reviewers say: wow. It's given plenty of people a smoother, softer appearance around their eyes, it seems to work incredibly quickly, and many claim it's the only eye cream that's truly given them that eight-hours-a-night glow (let's take a moment of silence for the skincare-buying moratorium I imposed on myself last week).

    Use: in the AM and/or PM before your moisturiser (some people like to put theirs in the fridge for an extra-refreshing effect). 

    Rating: 4.3-star average rating from 1,259 reviews

    Price: £8.90.

    14. 1% slow-release retinol serum

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    Good for: it does what dermatologists have been praising retinol for for years – it reduces fine lines, exfoliates the skin, gives a gorgeous glow, and evens out complexion.

    Reviewers say: that they're not sure how they lived without this stuff. It's smoothing and hydrating, and has given them anti-ageing results over the long term. Customers love it for acne and congested skin too – no wonder this stuff is the darling of the skincare world!

    Use: only ever in the PM after cleansing. Start off slow (2-3 nights a week) and build it up if your skin can tolerate the fairly extreme exfoliation. 

    Rating: 4.5-star average rating from 2,412 reviews

    Price: £9.89.

    15. Retinol eye cream

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    Good for: it brightens the skin and evens out fine lines like regular retinol, but with a slightly gentler formulation that's perfect for the delicate eye area.

    Reviewers say: it delivers. Customers love its smoothing effect on everything from their crow's feet to those hard-to-treat under-eye lines, and plenty of people were relieved to find out it wasn't as irritating as its higher-strength counterpart can be.

    Use: again, only ever in the PM after cleansing, and again, you should start off slow (1-2 nights a week).

    Rating: 4.2-star average rating from 358 reviews

    Price: £7.83.

    16. C-50 anti-blemish night treatment

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    Good for: tackling breakouts and blemishes, brightening the skin, and reducing redness.

    Reviewers say: that it's shrunk their spots surprisingly quickly. People also say it's less harsh on their skin than they'd expected, which is a good thing considering how moisture-stripping some anti-acne products can be.

    Use: at night as a last step after you've applied your serums.

    Rating: 4.3-star average rating from 320 reviews

    Price: £11.57.

    17. Fulvic acid brightening cleanser

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    Good for: cleansing sensitive skin, removing makeup, and brightening.

    Reviewers say: it deep-cleanses without drying or irritating their skin, and some people have even found it's cleared up their blemishes. That makes sense considering it contains exfoliating fulvic acid! 

    Use: AM and PM while washing your face.

    Rating: 4.5-star average rating from 114 reviews

    Price: £9.89.

    18. Brighten-i eye cream

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    Good for: brightening, blurring, hydrating, and plumping the under-eye area.

    Reviewers say: they love the cooling metal tip, and the formula itself has worked wonders on many users' dark circles. Fair warning: results can take a couple of weeks to show, but if these comments are anything to go by, it's 100% worth the wait.

    Use: AM and PM before moisturiser or concealer.

    Rating: 4.1-star average rating from 577 reviews

    Price: £9.89.

    19. Collagen booster

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    Good for: plumping and hydrating the skin to help reduce the appearance of fine lines.

    Reviewers say: that it's no joke (seriously, check out the before-and-after pictures). It's impressed many with its hydrating and deeply plumping effects. 

    Use: AM and PM before moisturiser.

    Rating: 4.6-star average rating from 645 reviews

    Price: £12.50.

    There are loads of other Inkey List products to check out if you're interested in more of these – in fact, their Amazon page lets you search by product or concern and even includes hair and scalp treatments. To your skin, I say 'you're welcome', and to your already-limited bathroom countertop space I can only apologise.

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk