The INKEY List

The INKEY List is a British skincare company founded in 2018 by Colette Laxton and Mark Curry [6]. It sells ingredient-led products at low prices, organising its range around single active ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and retinol, and pairing them with plain-language education about what each one does. The company built its identity around the idea that, as it puts it, "better knowledge powers better decisions."

The brand grew quickly after launch, moving from a UK debut into a global retail presence within a few years. It remains active, with product launches, a published impact report and founder interviews recorded through 2024 and 2025 [16].

The two founders met while working at Boots, the British pharmacy chain. Laxton spent eight years there in branding and marketing before a spell at the London startup WAH London; Curry trained as a virologist and taught science before commercial roles at Mars and Boots [6]. They reconnected in early 2017 after Curry contacted Laxton on LinkedIn — a beginning the founders have described as "a LinkedIn love story" — and launched the brand in September 2018 [6].

The name is a piece of wordplay. According to Marie Claire UK and other editorial coverage, it derives from the INCI List, the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients printed on product packaging: the INCI List became the "Inkey List," with the play on "key" signalling that the brand aims to give customers the key to understanding their ingredients [8]. An alternative reading treats the name as a simple "ink + key" construction, but the INCI-derived explanation is the one carried by multiple editorial sources.

There is a minor discrepancy in the record over the co-founder's surname: most sources, including the company's own site, give "Colette Laxton," while one editorial snippet wrote "Colette Newberry" [8]. The brand site and the remaining sources support Laxton.

The INKEY List launched in September 2018 with about 15 affordable products, and Boots — the founders' former employer — was among its earliest stockists [8]. Within months of launching, the founders met with Sephora in October 2018, a meeting that grew into a global partnership and an exclusive arrangement with the retailer in the United States [6].

In 2021 the company extended its ingredient-led approach beyond skincare, launching an eight-product hair and scalp care collection through Sephora, with formulas built around ingredients such as caffeine and salicylic acid and priced roughly between eight and fifteen dollars [9]. Coverage at the time framed the move as bringing its accessible, education-first skincare positioning to hair care.

By early 2022 the company reported rapid expansion — close to 600% growth over three years and roughly 20 million products sold worldwide [7].

The INKEY List describes itself as remaining independent, with minority stakes held by institutional investors. In February 2022 it received a minority investment from Aria Growth Partners, adding to existing backing from Unilever Ventures [7]. The company presents the arrangement as external investment rather than a change of control.

The company frames itself as an education-first, ingredient-led skincare brand aimed at demystifying beauty. Its founding principle, stated on its site, is that "better knowledge powers better decisions," and its stated mission is: "Whatever you want to know, however you want to know it, when it comes to finding out what's best for your skin we're here for you." The brand summarises its approach in the line "Your needs, our knowledge. We are INKEY," and lists knowledge, quality and efficacy, transparency and equality among its core values.

Products are positioned at drugstore price points — the company has described its line as skincare priced under fifteen dollars — and sold both through its own regional websites and a range of beauty retailers including Boots, Sephora, Cult Beauty, Space NK, Selfridges and John Lewis. The brand supports customers through an "askINKEY" advice service, which it says has handled millions of consumer interactions [7].

The range is organised by active ingredient, spanning hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, vitamin C, retinol, salicylic acid, azelaic acid, ceramides and glycolic acid. Its Hyaluronic Acid Serum is described by the ingredient database SkinSort as the brand's most popular product [11]. Other frequently cited products include the Oat Cleansing Balm, the Bio-Active Ceramide Moisturiser — which the company says is clinically proven to firm, plump and reduce signs of ageing — and the 1% Retinol Serum.

The company describes itself as a carbon net neutral business, offsetting emissions annually through education-focused projects. On packaging, it reports that its range is currently 74% recyclable and commits to reaching 100% recyclable packaging with a minimum of 30% post-consumer recycled content in its tubes and bottles. It also runs the INKEY Impact Fund, a social-impact programme that set a goal of creating 500,000 young changemakers by 2024, supported by the education organisation Ashoka.

The brand holds Leaping Bunny certification for its cruelty-free standards and states that it is B Corp certified [2].

The 1% Retinol Serum won an Allure Best of Beauty award, and the Hyaluronic Acid Serum has been included among the brand's award-winning products. The company has also drawn trade-press coverage of its growth, including a BeautyMatter feature on the brand passing the $100 million mark.

The INKEY List is active and globally distributed, available in more than 30 countries through Sephora alongside major UK, European, North American retailers [7]. Recent activity includes a 2024 impact report, founder interviews in 2025, and continued product launches such as the Exosome Glow Serum.