Leaping Bunny certified (Cruelty Free International); independent
| Ingredient transparency | Full ingredient list read and categorised |
| Ownership | The Inkey List trades under the legal entity Brand Evangelists for Beauty Limited (UK company number 10787576, incorporated May 2017), which remains active. The company is founder led, with co founders Colette Laxton and Mark Curry still in day to day leadership. Unilever Ventures and Aria Growth Partners hold minority investment stakes taken in 2021 and February 2022 respectively. Some deal tracking databases record a February 2022 transaction linked to the name John Mills, but trade press continues to describe the business as founder led with minority, not controlling, outside investment. (Founder-led) |
| Where made | UK/contract manufacturers |
| Price | Budget |
| Cruelty free | Yes |
| Vegan | Partial |
| Organic | No |
| Certifications | Cruelty Free International's own Approved Brands register lists The INKEY List directly, approved under its Leaping Bunny programme. B Lab's own register lists Brand Evangelists for Beauty Ltd as a Certified B Corporation, with an overall score of 82.0, certified since January 2023. PETA's own register takes a different position: 'The Inkey List may not be cruelty-free. This company hasn't signed PETA's statement of assurance to join the gold standard for cruelty-free certifications and be listed in our database.' This reflects nonparticipation in PETA's own separate programme, not a contradiction of the Cruelty Free International finding. |
| Packaging | Recyclable |
| External ratings | CFK cruelty-free; Leaping Bunny |
| Lab tested | Not publicly disclosed |
| Clinical studies | Not published |
| Caveat | Independently audited under Leaping Bunny; ingredient-led affordable skincare; not fully vegan |
Claims made for this brand that could not be confirmed in a certifier's own register. A brand website is a claim, not a source.
No removal is required for the Cruelty Free International Leaping Bunny or B Corp findings, both confirmed directly in the certifiers' own registers. Any claim that The Inkey List is PETA certified should be corrected to note that PETA has not certified it, even though a separate certifier has.
Cruelty Free International's own Approved Brands listing for The INKEY List https://www.crueltyfreeinternational.org/approved-brands/listing/the-inkey-list/
B Lab's own register listing Brand Evangelists for Beauty Ltd as Certified B Corporation, score 82.0, certified since January 2023 https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/find-a-b-corp/company/brand-evangelists-for-beauty-ltd/
PETA statement that The Inkey List has not signed its assurance https://crueltyfree.peta.org/company/the-inkey-list/
Legal entity and incorporation record https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/10787576/filing-history
Founder led status and minority investment from Aria Growth Partners https://cosmeticsbusiness.com/the-inkey-list-secures-investment-from-aria-growth-partners--198893
Deal tracking record naming John Mills, February 2022 https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/182559-79
Why there is no score: Partial read. No score is published. Ingredient lists were obtained for 41 products, but the brand's product listing did not respond when the total catalogue size was measured, so the share of the range covered is unknown. Without a denominator a percentage would be meaningless.
Last checked 22 July 2026.
We analysed 41 The INKEY List products, categorising every listed ingredient by function, origin (raw natural, naturally derived or synthetic) and safety concern. This is not the whole catalogue, so it is reported as a partial read. Percentages show the share of each formula that is natural or naturally derived.
Most common flags: Phenoxyethanol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Benzyl Alcohol, Salicylic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Polysorbate 60, Dimethicone, Polysilicone-11, Sodium Metabisulfite, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Octocrylene, Dimethiconol
Coverage: Ingredient lists were read for 41 products. The size of the full catalogue could not be established, so no average is shown.
Analyst note: Ingredient lists were read for 41 products. The brand's total catalogue size could not be measured, so the share of the catalogue covered here is not known.
| Product | Natural | Ingredients | Flagged |
|---|---|---|---|
| FREE Hydrating Cream-to-Milk Cleanser - 180ml (worth £13) | 100% | 9 | 0 |
| Oat Cleansing Balm - 50ml | 89% | 18 | 1 |
| Oat Cleansing Balm - 150ml | 89% | 18 | 1 |
| Hyaluronic Acid Serum - 30ml | 71% | 14 | 2 |
| Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Body Wash | 87% | 23 | 2 |
| Bio-Active Neck Lift Stick | 88% | 17 | 0 |
| Nourishing Rice Milk Hydrating Toner | 80% | 20 | 2 |
| Supersize Hyaluronic Acid Serum - 100ml | 71% | 14 | 2 |
| Exosome Boosting Dry Sheet Masks - Pack of 6 | 100% | 11 | 0 |
| Exosome Boosting Dry Sheet Masks - Pack of 3 | 100% | 11 | 0 |
| PDRN Serum | 80% | 20 | 2 |
| Supersize Omega Water Cream - 100ml | 100% | 17 | 0 |
| Glycerin Gentle Purifying Cleanser | 93% | 15 | 1 |
| 360° Skin Clearing Serum | 84% | 32 | 5 |
| Intro Routine for Dry Skin | 91% | 11 | 0 |
| Exosome Glow Serum | 90% | 10 | 0 |
| Ectoin Hydro-Barrier Serum | 92% | 40 | 1 |
| Tripeptide Plumping Berry Lip Balm | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Hyaluronic Acid Serum - 60ml | 71% | 14 | 2 |
| Tripeptide Plumping Mocha Brown Lip Balm | 98% | 43 | 0 |
| PHA Body Water Cream | 77% | 13 | 2 |
| Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Body Stick | 94% | 16 | 1 |
| Bio-Active Ceramide Moisturiser | 64% | 25 | 3 |
| Tripeptide Plumping Lip Balm | 100% | 25 | 0 |
| Dewy Sunscreen SPF 30 | 78% | 40 | 5 |
| Omega Water Cream - 50ml | 100% | 17 | 0 |
| Caffeine stimulating scalp treatment | 80% | 15 | 3 |
| Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Scalp Treatment | 67% | 15 | 3 |
| Fulvic Acid Cleanser - 150ml | 86% | 21 | 3 |
| Succinic Acid Treatment | 79% | 19 | 5 |
| Tranexamic Acid Serum | 74% | 23 | 3 |
| Retinol Eye Cream | 81% | 31 | 3 |
| Peptide Moisturiser | 74% | 23 | 3 |
| Glycolic Acid Toner | 67% | 15 | 2 |
| Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA) Serum | 77% | 13 | 3 |
| Brighten-i Eye Cream | 80% | 30 | 4 |
| 15% Vitamin C + EGF Serum | 62% | 13 | 3 |
| Caffeine Eye Cream | 86% | 35 | 3 |
| Polyglutamic Acid Serum | 80% | 15 | 2 |
| PHA Toner | 81% | 16 | 0 |
| Salicylic Acid Cleanser - 150ml | 77% | 26 | 4 |
Full ingredient breakdown
The full ingredient by ingredient breakdown of all 41 The INKEY List products (833 ingredients, each categorised by function, origin and safety concern) is free with an account.
Create a free accountAlready have one? Log in