The INKEY List has become a darling of ingredient lovers, though it may still fly under the radar for anyone who has yet to wander beyond the drugstore aisle. Known for straightforward formulas and wallet-friendly price points, the brand has a knack for turning chemistry class staples into practical bathroom shelf essentials.
Enter the rather sci-fi sounding C50 Blemish Night Treatment. The name might read like a spaceship model number yet the promise is far more down to earth: smoother clearer skin by sunrise. Inkey talks up an overnight gel that tackles breakouts, calms redness and keeps clogged pores at bay thanks to a trio of Vitamin C, Vitamin E and 2 percent salicylic acid, with lotus extract in tow to keep oil in check. It is intended to replace your usual night cream on alternate evenings, no extra steps required.
I cleared space in my routine and spent two full weeks putting this citrus tinted gel through its paces to see if it lives up to those bold claims and whether it deserves your hard earned cash.
Disclosure: This review is not paid or sponsored. The thoughts shared here are entirely my own and results will naturally differ from one complexion to another.
What Is C50 Blemish Night Treatment?
C50 Blemish Night Treatment is an overnight gel that replaces your regular moisturizer on the evenings you choose to use it. The formula pairs a stable form of vitamin C with vitamin E to curb surface bacteria and adds 2 percent salicylic acid to clear trapped debris inside pores.
Overnight treatments sit in a space between a serum and a mask. You apply them as the final step in your evening routine, let them work while you sleep and rinse off in the morning. Because skin spends the night in repair mode the actives have a longer uninterrupted window to do their job compared with daytime products.
This specific treatment focuses on three trouble spots that often overlap: breakouts, visible redness and excess oil. Chemical exfoliation from salicylic acid loosens dead cells, while the antioxidant duo aims to support a calmer looking complexion by morning.
The brand advises a pea sized amount two or three nights a week, leaving room for a dedicated moisturizer on the off nights to maintain hydration and reduce the chance of irritation.
Did It Work?
To give C50 a fair shot I put my beloved retinal cream on ice for four nights before starting, which felt extremely scientific of me if you ignore the fact that my bathroom mirror fogged up like a bad lab scene. Two weeks felt like a solid window to watch for real change rather than placebo glow.
Application is easy: one pea sized dot spreads into a thin, slightly tacky film that dries clear within a minute. The first night came with a faint tingle around my nose and chin but nothing fierce. By morning those areas looked a touch calmer though any blemishes still held their ground.
Nights two through five were smoother. I alternated usage just as the instructions suggest and followed up with a basic ceramide moisturizer on off nights. Small whiteheads along my jawline stopped erupting and existing ones flattened faster than usual by roughly a day. Redness around an angry hormonal spot eased a notch though the spot itself stuck around until nearly the end of the first week.
Week two told the fuller story. My T zone felt clearer to the touch and makeup sat more evenly, a sign that the salicylic acid was indeed clearing out pore clutter. On the flip side the sides of my mouth started to feel a little tight even with the break nights, proof that oil balancing can tip into minor dehydration if you are not vigilant.
Did it pull off every promise? Partly. Breakouts resolved quicker and new ones were kept to a minimum. Redness faded but did not vanish and I did not notice any long-term reduction in oil once I stopped using it. After day fourteen my skin was in a slightly better place yet not dramatically different from what my usual routine delivers.
So while C50 earns a respectful nod for giving me a smoother week of skin, it is not compelling enough to elbow out my current lineup. I would recommend sampling it if you have very oily skin or are salicylic acid curious but for me it will remain an occasional pinch-hitter rather than a permanent roster spot.
Main Ingredients Explained
The star of the show is Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, a water-soluble form of vitamin C that is more stable than pure ascorbic acid and therefore less prone to oxidation. In studies at 1 to 5 percent it has demonstrated antibacterial action against acne-causing P. acnes while still delivering the brightening antioxidant perks we expect from vitamin C. Paired with Tocopherol (vitamin E) and its lipid-friendly cousin Ascorbyl Palmitate, the formula sets up a classic C+E partnership that neutralizes free radicals and supports a calmer complexion overnight.
Next comes 2 percent Salicylic Acid, the leave-on beta-hydroxy acid that can slip inside pore lining to loosen sebum and dead cells. At this concentration it is strong enough to keep blackheads in check yet gentle enough for most skins to tolerate twice weekly use. Because salicylic acid is oil-soluble it also offers mild anti-inflammatory benefits which explains the redness reduction I noticed by morning two.
Lotus Extract shows up via two botanical sources (blue lotus and sacred lotus). Both are rich in polyphenols and naturally occurring alpha-hydroxy acids that can help curb surface oil while adding an antioxidant boost. Madecassoside, a compound isolated from Centella asiatica, rounds out the soothing side of the formula by dialing down irritation that stronger actives sometimes trigger.
The texture owes its slip to Propanediol and Glycerin, two humectants that pull in water so the gel does not feel stripping. Sunflower Seed Oil and Lecithin add a whisper of emollience. Those two ingredients are rated low to moderate on the comedogenic scale which measures the likelihood of clogging pores, so highly congestion-prone readers may want to patch test first although the percentages here appear small.
No ingredients come from animal sources which makes the treatment suitable for vegans and vegetarians. It is also fragrance free and alcohol free, both welcome choices for reactive or sensitized skin. On the pregnancy front topical salicylic acid at 2 percent is generally considered low risk yet guidelines vary so I would still advise checking with a healthcare provider before adding it to a prenatal routine. Finally the formula is bottled in an opaque pump so the vitamin C stays protected from light and air, a detail that helps the active stay potent through the last drop.
What I Liked/Didn’t Like
Here is the quick rundown of wins and watch-outs after two weeks of nightly testing.
What Works Well:
- Lightweight gel sinks in fast and does not pill when layered over toner or under spot treatments
- Noticeable dip in small whiteheads plus slightly quicker healing of active blemishes
- Fragrance free formula with stable vitamin C and pump packaging that keeps the actives protected
- Wallet friendly for an overnight treatment and easy to slot into a routine twice weekly
What to Consider:
- Leaves a brief tacky film that texture sensitive users might dislike
- Oil control can tip into mild tightness on normal to dry zones unless extra hydration is used on off nights
- Benefits plateau if you already rely on other exfoliants so it may not suit anyone seeking a dramatic overhaul
My Final Thoughts
When it comes to overnight treatments I am a picky sleeper. I have rotated through more night-time gels and creams than I care to admit so I feel confident saying C50 Blemish Night Treatment sits comfortably in the middle of the pack. It delivers a respectable clear-up of minor breakouts without nuking the rest of your face yet it stops shy of the skin-transforming fireworks the marketing hints at. If you are oily, breakout-prone and want a fuss-free formula that plays nicely with the rest of your routine this is a solid choice. Anyone with dry patches or a constant exfoliant already in play may find the benefits plateau quickly and that mild tightness I experienced could grow old fast.
On the impress-o-meter C50 lands a tidy 7/10. I would recommend it to a friend so long as they understand it is a maintenance player not a miracle worker. For my own shelf it has earned a spot for hormonal flare-ups while my richer creams handle nightly hydration.
If you love the idea of multitasking night care but want different textures or beefier ingredient lists there are other options worth sampling. Nocturnal Revive Cream by Deascal is my current all-rounder hero offering balanced hydration and gentle renewal at a wallet-friendly price. For those craving a silkier feel Medik8’s Advanced Night Restore pairs ceramides with antioxidants for a plush morning glow. Light sleepers who prefer a cooling gel should try LANEIGE Water Sleeping Mask which leaves skin plumped without stickiness. Finally if you want a cocooning, pillow-proof cream that smells faintly of lavender Confidence in Your Beauty Sleep by IT Cosmetics is a surprisingly hardworking comfort blanket for the complexion. I have logged nightly miles with each of these and can vouch that they hold their own.
Before you slather anything new onto your face remember the boring but important stuff: patch test on a discreet area first, especially with actives like salicylic acid. Keep expectations realistic, results need upkeep and skipping applications will send your skin right back to where it started. Sorry for sounding like an over-protective parent but your future face will thank you.