The Inkey List Finally Dropped a Sunscreen and It Was Worth the Wait

This is the second installment of Allure's new franchise, One to Watch, which highlights one brand-new, innovative product our editors are loving each month. Learn more about our submission process here.

It's been five years since I first met Colette Laxton and Mark Curry, cofounders of the UK-based company, The Inkey List. My first encounter with the brand was at a breakfast where the two of them announced that the skin-care company was launching at Sephora. I was intrigued because I had never heard of the brand, but the idea of every product having one main ingredient appealed to me, a skin-care minimalist. The fact that every product in the brand's line fell under $15 was pretty exciting, too. 

Fast-forward to 2023 and The Inkey List has 45 products in its skin portfolio as well as seven hair and scalp treatments. While each and every launch the brand has dropped is special in its own way, I've had one ongoing question for Colette and Mark: When will you launch a sunscreen? 

Well, today is that day! The Inkey List Polyglutamic Acid Dewy Sunscreen SPF 30 is coming soon and it's so damn good. 

In this story

• Overview
• About the ingredients 
• How I tested it
• Before and after
• More Allure reviews
• Pricing and value
• Where to buy it

As soon as I sat down with the cofounders to talk about this new launch I immediately had to ask what took them so long to create a sunscreen. "We had to make sure it was perfect," they both say, almost in tandem. "It took us over 50 tries to get it right," says Laxton. The first version was actually back in 2020 and was a complete failure. "We'll never launch something just to launch it. We needed it to be up to Inkey standards," she adds. 

What defines a perfect sunscreen? To Curry, cofounder of Inkey List and the R&D lead, it must offer really strong sun protection and a bonus active ingredient (in this case, it's polyglutamic acid or PGA.) It also needs to layer well with other products, including makeup and, most importantly for many of us, have a blendable, white-cast-free finish to ensure it works for all skin tones. 

My coworkers and I put the new sunscreen to the test to see if it delivers on all of the above and more. 

A glance at the product name and you're probably wondering what PGA is. Curry wanted to include an ingredient that would hydrate the skin without causing piling when it's layered with other skin-care products or makeup. 

According to cosmetic chemist Kelly Dobos, PGA is a hydration powerhouse. "It is a naturally occurring component of the sticky paste found in the Japanese fermented soybean dish called natto," says Dobos. She adds that while you might hear polyglutamic acid can hold up to 5,000 times its weight in water, this type of data is generated by evaluating the ingredient by itself. When it’s in a formula with other ingredients, like in this sunscreen, it's far less but still very effective at increasing skin moisture. In addition to PGA, the formula also contains squalane and glycerin, which add to the hydration packed into the tiny tube. 

Connecticut-based, board-certified dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD, agrees with Dobos's assessment and states that PGA can absorb four times the amount of water as hyaluronic acid and is proven to plump and bring radiance to the skin, which would explain the dewy finish the sunscreen leaves behind.  

But that's not the only standout component in the tube. Dobos points out a few other stars on the ingredients list. "These definitely aren't the sexiest ingredient names, but they are pretty great: C9-12 alkane and coco-caprylate," she says. "These both have naturally derived emollients that are being used as a substitute for cyclic silicones." These two make the sunscreen look glowy without feeling oily or greasy. 

And, most importantly, the protection factor: Polyglutamic Acid Dewy Sunscreen is formulated to provide a broad-spectrum SPF 30 shield, thanks to common sunscreen ingredients, including avobenozone, ensulizole, octisalate, and octocrylene. Also noting that while this is a chemical sunscreen, it contains no oxybenzone or octinoxate, which are believed to be harmful to coral reefs. 

For those who prefer a higher SPF, SPF 30 may seem on the low side, but according to the experts, it’s really not. Dr. Gohara explains how the SPF system works and its importance: "SPF 15 guards against 93 percent of UVB rays, SPF 30 protects against 97 percent, SPF 50 is about 98 percent, and SPF 100 blocks 99 percent," she says. This is why most dermatologists — and team Allure — recommend at least 30 and to reapply sunscreen every two hours.

There's no such thing as too much sunscreen, but there is such a thing as too little sunscreen. This is why I like to test them using the two-finger rule, an application method I've picked up over the years, thanks to dermatologists' tips.

It's recommended to use two milligrams of sunscreen per square centimeter of skin because that's how much the FDA is using when they determine SPF numbers. That's "equivalent to one shot glass for the body or three tablespoons," says New York City-based, board-certified dermatologist Marisa Garshick, MD. "For the face, it's recommended to apply the amount of two finger lengths, which is also equivalent to half a teaspoon, to the face and neck combined."

And that's exactly what I did. I applied two finger lengths' worth of The Inkey List's Polyglutamic Acid Dewy Sunscreen to my face and neck as the last step in my skin-care routine, after cleansing and applying vitamin C serum. Not only did my skin feel extremely supple and soft, but the formula is so lightweight it didn't even feel like I was wearing sunscreen. It felt more like a dewy or hydrating primer, just with a subtle sunscreen scent. As far as a white cast, it doesn't come close to existing with this sunscreen. It melted into my medium-tan skin and into darker complexions as well (which you'll see below).

The brand claims that when formulating, it wanted to ensure the product layered well with other skin-care products and makeup and it sure did. I tested it with the Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum underneath and my YSL All Hours Luminous Matte Foundation on top and there was no piling in sight. 

Seriously, this sunscreen is a game-changer. It actually makes you want to wear sunscreen. Sun protection is not the most glamorous thing in the beauty industry, but when a product can give a glow this good and protect my skin this well, it's a winner in my book. 

"I try on a lot of sunscreens for this job and usually my biggest fear is looking like an extra on the set of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video, which happens a lot more often than it should. When I got The Inkey List's PGA sunscreen, I was understandably hesitant and didn't expect much. But, thankfully, this sunscreen did not make me look casket-ready. 

"I used the two-finger trick to apply and was shocked when I rubbed the formula into my skin. It's pretty thick, but didn’t feel heavy or uncomfortable on my skin. And I didn’t have to rub it endlessly to make sure it blended into my brown skin. It absorbed nicely without any stickiness."

"Like Ang, I was pumped to learn that The Inkey List was finally launching a sunscreen. Over the last few years, I've tried so many of the brand's products (including some Best of Beauty Award winners!) and have yet to be disappointed. So when I got my hands on a sample, I was so excited that I started immediately slathering it on…at my desk…over my makeup.

"Perhaps not my smartest move, considering my foundation-and-concealer combo was actually looking quite nice that day, but it did prove how easy (and fast!) the formula blends in, despite its thick-ish consistency. 

"The next day, I applied it on clean skin following serum and moisturizer and had the same results. The bright-white formula seeped into my skin with ease in just a few seconds of gentle massaging and left behind a dewy (now I understand why it's in the name), non-tacky finish. I had no problem applying foundation and concealer immediately after and didn't encounter any piling — just a pretty sheen."

The Inkey List Polyglutamic Acid Dewy Sunscreen costs $15, maintaining the brand's $15-and-under ethos. The price is really unheard of for this type of quality — I'd compare its formula to sunscreens that retail for $85 or more! Plus, the tube is 1.7 ounces, making it TSA-approved for upcoming summer travels. 

The Polyglutamic Acid Dewy Sunscreen will be available on theinkeylist.com and sephora.com on March 28. Trust us, if you're on the hunt for a new, everyday sunscreen, don't let this one slip away — it’s worth every penny. 

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