The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm Review + Discount Code

I ordered my first tube of The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm in January after a week of dry, tight, reactive skin that had had enough of my regular gel cleanser. Picked it up through Lookfantastic, paid just under a tenner with a discount. I thought: worst case, it goes in the bin. Eighteen months and four repurchases later, it has not gone in the bin.

This is my honest review after genuinely long term use, plus exactly how I use it in my double cleanse routine, how it compares to pricier alternatives, and where to get the best price on it in the UK.

What is The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm?

It is a thick, cream to oil cleansing balm in a 150ml tube. The formula is built around colloidal oatmeal and oat kernel oil, designed to dissolve makeup, SPF and daily grime without stripping the skin barrier. It is fragrance free, vegan, cruelty-free and non comedogenic.

The key ingredients and what they actually do:

• Colloidal Oatmeal (1%): Clinically studied for soothing redness, reducing inflammation and supporting the skin barrier. This is the real reason it works for sensitive skin, not just a marketing word.
• Oat Kernel Oil: Rich in linoleic acid, it nourishes and softens without feeling heavy or leaving a film.
• Glycerin: A humectant that pulls moisture into the skin while you cleanse, so you finish with skin that feels hydrated rather than squeaky.

The texture is thick and creamy from the tube. It warms on contact with skin and melts into a light oil. Add water and it emulsifies to a milky rinse off. No residue, no greasy finish.

My honest experience after 18 months

My skin is combination, prone to flushing around the nose and chin, and fairly reactive to fragrance. I have tried Clinique Take The Day Off Balm, the Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm and the Farmacy Green Clean, all of which are well regarded and all of which cost significantly more. The INKEY List does the same job.

The first week I noticed that my morning skin looked calmer than usual. I attributed this to the fact I was finally getting all my SPF off at night. By week three, the dry patches I had been fighting around my nose were gone. By the end of the first month I had stopped using a separate micellar water to pre cleanse before my gel cleanser, because this balm does the whole first cleanse in one step.

Four repurchases in, I have no complaints. Stubborn waterproof liner comes off cleanly. My eyes do not sting. My skin does not feel tight after. On lazy mornings I sometimes use it as a morning cleanse too, which works fine as long as you rinse thoroughly.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Dissolves waterproof makeup and SPF, genuinely soothing for reactive skin, enormous 150ml tube lasts 3 to 4 months, fragrance free, affordable even at full price, works as a solo first cleanse
• Cons: The tube can be stiff in cold weather (run it under warm water for 30 seconds), no spatula included so you have to use clean fingers or a cosmetic spoon, the pump free tube means you occasionally over squeeze

If you use The Ordinary, Paula's Choice or Geek and Gorgeous, the price point and no frills approach will feel very familiar. The INKEY List sits in the same budget but effective category and this balm is one of its strongest products.

You can get 20% off The INKEY List at Lookfantastic, which makes it very good value for a daily use product.

Save 20% with my The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm discount code LFTFNICOLAL, shop now while it’s in stock! 

How I use it: my double cleanse routine

I use this as the first step of a double cleanse every evening. The process takes under two minutes.

1. Squeeze a small amount onto dry fingers. A pea sized amount is usually enough for a full face, slightly more if you have worn a lot of makeup.
2. Massage onto dry skin for 60 seconds. Focus on the areas where SPF and foundation tend to cling, the hairline, around the nose, under the jaw.
3. Splash a little water over your hands and massage again. The balm emulsifies and turns milky.
4. Rinse thoroughly with water.
5. Follow with a water based second cleanser.

The second cleanser step matters. A balm first cleanse is brilliant at dissolving oil based debris, but a quick water based follow up ensures your skin is genuinely clean before serums and actives go on. I cover this in more detail in my complete guide to double cleansing.

If you are using actives like retinol or AHAs at night, a properly double cleansed base makes a real difference to how well they absorb. Worth the extra 60 seconds.

How it compares to other cleansing balms

I have used a fair few balms over the years and the honest comparison is this:

The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm vs Farmacy Green Clean: Farmacy smells incredible and has a slightly more luxurious texture. It also costs about three times as much. Cleansing performance is comparable. For a routine product you use twice a day, the price difference is hard to justify.

The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm vs Emma Hardie Moringa Balm: The Emma Hardie balm is excellent and comes with a muslin cloth applicator, which I actually like. However it is over four times the price. For sensitive skin the INKEY List's oat formula is arguably better suited anyway.

The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm vs Beauty of Joseon Radiance Cleansing Balm: The Beauty of Joseon cleansing balm is a good alternative with a brightening focus, but it contains fragrance, which makes the INKEY List the safer choice for reactive or rosacea prone skin.

The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm vs Laneige Water Bank Gel Cleanser: Completely different category: the Laneige water bank gel is a second cleanse gel, not a first cleanse balm. They work together, not against each other.

If you want a more intensive treatment focused cleanser to follow this up with, Elemis make some excellent options. I use a few Elemis products alongside this as my routine has developed. You can find out how to get 15% off Elemis if you want to try their cleansers or serums.

Best face cleansers to use as your second step

After the balm, you need a water based second cleanser. I have a full breakdown of the options in my best face cleansers UK guide, but the short version is: look for something gentle, pH balanced and ideally fragrance free if your skin is on the sensitive side. CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser is a solid affordable option. La Roche-Posay Toleriane is another.

Once you have a clean base, your actives and serums can actually do their job. I have written about some of my favourite serums separately, including a full guide to niacinamide which pairs brilliantly with a balm cleanse routine for oily or acne prone skin.

For those using SPF daily (which should be everyone), a double cleanse with this balm genuinely removes it fully. I covered the SPF side of things in my best face sunscreen UK guide if you are looking for what to put on in the morning.

Who is this balm best for?

• Sensitive or reactive skin: The fragrance free, oat based formula is about as gentle as cleansers get. If you have rosacea, eczema prone skin or react to most products, this is a safe bet.
• Makeup wearers: Waterproof mascara, full coverage foundation and long wear SPF all come off cleanly. One scoop, one step.
• Anyone starting a double cleanse routine: Low cost, low risk, high reward. A good entry point if you have never double cleansed before.
• Dry skin: The oat kernel oil and glycerin leave skin feeling comfortable and hydrated rather than stripped.
• Oily or combination skin: Still worth trying. The emulsification means it rinses completely clean without leaving a film.

Cleansing and your skin barrier

One thing that took me a while to understand is how much your choice of cleanser affects your skin barrier. Harsh cleansers, particularly foaming ones with sulphates, can strip the lipids that hold your barrier together. This leads to that tight, dry feeling after washing, which many people then try to fix with heavier moisturisers, when the real fix is a gentler cleanser.

The oat formula here is specifically useful because colloidal oatmeal has a well established role in barrier support. It is not just soothing in the moment. It actively helps maintain the ceramide structure of the skin. If you have been dealing with persistent dryness, sensitivity or redness that your moisturiser is not resolving, changing your cleanser is often the overlooked first step.

I have more on this in my skin barrier calculator and guide. For most people, switching to a fragrance free balm cleanser as the first step is the single highest impact change they can make to their evening routine. If you want to take that further, pairing it with a niacinamide serum or a ceramide moisturiser after cleansing is a solid combination for barrier repair. The Dr.Jart+ Ceramidin Cream is one I have used alongside this balm with good results.

For routine building beyond cleansing, Charlotte Tilbury make some beautiful moisturisers and serums that work well after a balm cleanse. You can save 15% on Charlotte Tilbury with my discount code.

You can also find a wide range of skincare at great prices at Sephora. Sephora UK is also worth checking if you are building out your routine. See what's on offer at Sephora UK for 15% off.

Where to buy and how to save

The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm is widely available in the UK from Lookfantastic, Sephora UK, ASOS and direct from The INKEY List website. Lookfantastic is where I usually buy it because the stock is reliable and delivery is fast.

Before you buy at full price, check out how to save at Lookfantastic. The 20% off applies sitewide so you can pick up a few extras at the same time.

FAQs

• Is The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm good for sensitive skin? Yes. It is fragrance free, non comedogenic and built around colloidal oatmeal, one of the few ingredients with strong clinical evidence for soothing sensitive and compromised skin.
• How long does the 150ml tube last? About 3 to 4 months with daily use as a first cleanse. Longer if you only use it in the evenings.
• Can I use it as my only cleanser? In the morning, yes, it is gentle enough. In the evening if you have worn SPF or makeup, I would follow it with a water based second cleanser for a fully clean finish.
• Does it remove waterproof mascara? Yes, cleanly and without tugging or stinging the eyes, in my experience.
• Is it worth it compared to more expensive balms? In my view, yes. I have used balms at four times the price that do not perform meaningfully better for everyday cleansing. The oat formula also makes it better suited to reactive skin than many luxury alternatives.
• Can I use it with actives like retinol or AHAs? Absolutely. It prepares the skin well for actives. If anything, double cleansing with a gentle balm first means your actives work more effectively. I cover this in my retinol guide.

Is it worth it?

The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm is not complicated. It does what it says. After 18 months and four tubes, I would still buy it over anything else in its category. Gentle enough for reactive skin, effective enough to remove a full face of makeup and SPF, affordable enough that the price never becomes a reason to skip the double cleanse.

If you have been putting off starting a double cleanse routine because of the cost or the faff, this is the balm that removes both objections.

Let me know how you get on over on my Instagram.

Kisses Nicola xxx