My scalp was itchy. So, so, sooooooo itchy. In came Inkey’s Glycolic Scalp Treatment – but did it help? My Inkey List Glycolic Treatment review.
Do you know the feeling of being so panicky with any kind of skin/hair/body condition that at breaking point, you throw random products in your basket in the hope that ONE will help you? Finally? Maybe? This happened to me last Summer when (due to my allergies) my skin and scalp got so incredibly itchy that I just couldn’t cope anymore.
Now, itchiness has its own special flavour of hell, and after hot-footing to the local pharmacy to buy a special shampoo (Ducray Sensinol – which helped nearly immediately, yay) I also ordered The Inkey List’s Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Scalp Scrub. Why? Honestly, no idea. (Panic seems to be as good an answer as any.)
So, here’s how I got on with the Glycolic Scalp Treatment.
Brand Description
“Two people from Boots launched a ‘premium skincare line without premium prices’ (Get the Gloss), with a simple approach concentrating on one hero ingredient per product in 2018. The name plays on that: we’ve all perused the eponymous ‘inci list’ at the back of products. (…) Products are relatively cheap and the black-and-white plastic bottles instagrammable. The brand is already easily available nearly everywhere in the world.”
Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid and Q10 review
I haven’t had the best of luck when it comes to their haircare products – inevitably, I end up disappointed.
My hair
I’ve over-shoulder length colour-treated, fine, wavy (type 2A) hair. I don’t need to wash it a lot – every second, or even third day is totally fine, because it gets dry and frizzy easily. I don’t use hot tools regularly to style my hair, but will (mainly in winter) blow-dry it with a Dyson hair dryer (review).
My usual routine after washing is using conditioner, a hair milk after towel drying, and then applying an air-dry cream. I usually wear my hair either in a bun or pony tail.
The Inkey List Glycolic Treatment review: What is it?
“A gentle exfoliating scrub formulated with both chemical and physical exfoliators to help remove product buildup and dead cells and leave hair looking healthy. This unique formulation also helps to protect and balance the scalp’s microbiome and keep the hair follicles clean.”
The Inkey List
Ingredients
Water (Aqua/Eau), Glycolic Acid, Propanediol, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Betaine, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Polyquaternium-10, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Citronellyl Methylcrotonate, Panthenol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dehydroacetic Acid, Mannitol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Benzoate, Tetraselmis Suecica Extract, Lactic Acid, Potassium Benzoate.
The Inkey List
Formula
There’re lots of reasons for an itchy scalp, and some you should clear up with your doctor. (Dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, reaction to hair care, psoriasis, eczema, fungal infection, infrequent washing, too much washing.)
For dandruff (oily scalp, large flakes) products with salicylic acid are recommended (makes sense, doesn’t it: we use salicylic acid in skincare targeted towards oily skin where it also works in anti-inflammatory ways). For dry scalp (small flakes), try scalp treatments that hydrate and exfoliate: glycolic acid, for example, or nourishing oil treatments.
The Glycolic Treatment also has small beads made from castor oil: I can’t say that they made any difference. The glycolic acid is the main superstar here.
Usage
Shake well, and use as a pre-wash treatment. I trace “lines” on my scalp with the nozzle and massage the liquid in. Leave in for 10 minutes, then wash your hair as usual. I use it once a week (recommended usage is 1-2 times).
Effect
Here’s what happened: after using the combo of the anti-itch shampoo and the Glycolic Treatment a few times, my itchiness got better. And then, at the end of allergy season, it was gone. And while I stopped using the shampoo, I still use the Treatment. Does it help? Make of that what you will.
The Inkey List Glycolic Treatment review: Worth it?
Here’s the thing: I can’t prove if the treatment does “balance the scalp’s microbiome and keep the hair follicles clean”. Does it make my hair look healthy? Debatable. And here’s my beef with “remove product buildup” – I mean isn’t that what a shampoo does?!
What I learned was the following: I neither shampoo nor rinse out my conditioner properly. Since I do that, I feel that my scalp thanks me for that.
One last note: as with all acids, if in skincare or in whatnot, I’d STRONGLY recommend using sun protection when using them. Because that’s an utter pain in the ass when it comes to your scalp, I wore hats in summer. You don’t want melanoma on your head.
Availability & Price
150ml are around 13€ on The Inkey List website.
Please note that this review is not sponsored in any way. We buy products ourselves, with our own money, and don’t accept exchanging goods, or money, for reviews. We are completely independent, and our reviews reflect that.
