The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum for combination skin
Collagen Peptides
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Glycerin
Average
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for combination skin; other moisturizers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with combination skin: an oily T-zone, enlarged pores, and dry cheeks. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers moderate moisturizing and plumping for your combination skin, as glycerin and peptides like Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 enhance hydration without exacerbating oiliness.
- While beneficial for general hydration, the formula does not directly address your primary concern of oily shine, as the peptides are not specialized for oil control.
- The product is safe for your combination skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing glycerin.
How to apply
- Use this moisturizer in your AM and PM routine every day to control shine. Always pair with SPF in the morning.
- Apply this moisturizer after your cleanser and toner, right before your morning SPF.
- Gently press a small amount of the moisturizer into your skin and avoid harsh rubbing. Let it ⏳absorb for a minute.
- Apply the moisturizer on slightly damp skin to help it lock in moisture better. This keeps your combination skin balanced.
- Avoid the eye area when applying the moisturizer. Do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 1.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this serum is consistently praised for its ability to instantly plump and hydrate the skin, making it appear fresher and smoother. While many appreciate it as an affordable preventative measure for aging, a significant number of reviewers noted that it did not dramatically reduce deep wrinkles or fine lines on its own.
Highlights
Plumps and firms Mostly Mentioned
- “skin looks fresh and plump”
- “visibly plumper skin”
- “makes skin look bouncy”
Hydrating Often Mentioned
- “intense nourishment”
- “skin feels well hydrated”
- “leaves skin soft and supple”
Lightweight & fast-absorbing Often Mentioned
- “sinks in immediately”
- “super light but moisturizing”
- “layers well under makeup”
Affordable & fragrance-free Sometimes Noted
- “so affordable and effective”
- “great price point”
- “love that it is fragrance-free”
Lack of dramatic results Sometimes Noted
- “didn't see a huge difference”
- “no change in fine lines”
- “underwhelming results”
Messy packaging Sometimes Noted
- “product ends up around the opening”
- “hard to control amount”
- “cap gets messy”
Runny texture Sometimes Noted
- “very runny serum”
- “feels like water”
- “hard to measure a pea-sized amount”
Sticky finish Rarely Noted
- “sets to a tacky finish”
- “slightly sticky before moisturizer”
- “leaves a film”
Sources: lovi.care, cultbeauty.co.uk, lookfantastic.com, sephora.com.au, ulta.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does The Inkey List Collagen Peptide Serum work for combination skin?
The Inkey List Collagen Peptide Serum works moderately well for combination skin by providing light moisture without making dry areas feel left out or causing extra oiliness, though it does little to stop oily shine. A moisturizing treatment for combination skin needs ingredients that balance moisture levels and manage oily shine without causing irritation.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for combination skin?
Glycerin and peptides like Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 help provide moderate hydration without making your skin feel oily. To be a better fit for this skin type, a product of this type needs specialized oil-control ingredients and soothing components that balance moisture while managing shine.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Annals of Dermatology, 2019
What do Collagen Peptides do for combination skin?
Collagen peptides help improve skin elasticity, moisture, and firmness for combination skin. Taking them daily helps smooth out fine lines and keeps skin looking healthy.
What does Argireline do for combination skin?
Argireline helps smooth out lines and keeps combination skin feeling soft when applied twice daily. This ingredient may reduce wrinkle depth and improve overall skin texture, though its absorption through the skin is quite low.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2013Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 2013
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This serum goes in your evening routine after cleansing and toning, and before your moisturizer. Combination skin also needs ingredients that control oily shine and balance oil production.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol by applying it right before your retinol step to help keep your skin comfortable. This product needs ingredients that control oil shine to work best for combination skin.
How often should I use this serum?
You can use this serum in your evening routine, as treatments fit best at night for simplicity and extra safety around sun exposure. Some serums can also be used in the morning or twice a day if your skin tolerates them well.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This serum is unlikely to cause breakouts or clog pores on combination skin, as it is free of harsh ingredients and uses soothing glycerin. However, because it does not control oily shine, combination skin also needs ingredients that help balance oil.
Can I use this serum around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this serum safely around the eyes and on the body because its gentle ingredients are well tolerated by different areas of skin. While it offers nice moisture, combination skin dealing with oily shine needs a product that also helps control oil.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Treatment with cross-linked hyaluronic acid-based microneedle patches combined with acetyl hexapeptide-8 or epidermal growth factor significantly improved wrinkles and skin hydration compared to the patch alone in Korean females over 29 days.
Annals of Dermatology, 2019A liquid formulation containing hydrolyzed collagen demonstrated structural stability, peptide mass distribution between 0.5 and 19.5 kDa, and faded forehead wrinkles in five volunteers while proving to be non-irritating and hypoallergenic.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Exposure to collagen peptides increased the expression of COL1A1, ELN, and VCAN genes and collagen protein levels in cultured human dermal fibroblasts compared to untreated controls.
Frontiers in Medicine, 2024Salmo salar and Tilapia nilotica skin collagen peptides accelerate wound healing in a rat murine wound model by reducing proinflammatory cytokines, upregulating BD14, NOD2, IL-10, VEGF, and beta-FGF, and favorably altering wound microflora colonization compared to untreated controls.
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2020Argireline treatment twice daily for 4 weeks produced a significant anti-wrinkle effect with 48.9% total efficacy and decreased skin roughness in Chinese subjects compared with 0% efficacy and no decrease in roughness in the placebo group.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2013Acetyl hexapeptide-3 and tripeptide-10 citrulline demonstrated antiwrinkle efficacy and decreased transepidermal water loss in twenty-four healthy volunteers compared to control groups, though synergistic effects between the two peptides remained unclear.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2017Daily topical acetyl hexapeptide-8 showed a trend toward a longer time until return to baseline Jankovic Blepharospasm Rating Scale scores compared to placebo (3.7 months vs. 3.0 months) in 24 patients with blepharospasm receiving botulinum toxin therapy.
European Journal of Neurology, 2013A multi-modal methodology combining MALDI-MSI, in vivo RCM, echography, and histology revealed age-related decreases in extracellular matrix and epidermal-dermal junction proteins and undulation depth, while a blend of palmitoyl oligopeptide and palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7 improved subepidermal low-echogenic band thickness, density, and extracellular matrix structure compared to placebo.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2015Chronomodulated daytime application of baicalin and nighttime application of palmitoyl tripeptide-1 synergistically improved skin luminance by 16.29%, nasolabial fold depth by -36.35%, and firmness by 24.35% in 30 female participants.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2026Palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7, acetyl hexapeptide-8, palmitoyl tripeptide-1, and palmitoyl tetrapeptide-10 significantly increased type III collagen levels in human dermal fibroblasts following UV exposure, with their combination demonstrating a greater effect in vitro and enhancing type I, III, and IV collagen levels in ex vivo skin tissues compared to individual components.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2026The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012
Why other moisturizers fit combination skin better
A peel-off facial mask containing myoinositol and trehalose-loaded liposomes improved adult female acne by decreasing lesion counts, sebum production, GAGS scores, and local androgen levels while increasing beclin-1 levels.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2017A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium Edta, Sodium Hydroxide
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
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Victoria Derkova, MS
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How does it fit your skin?
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