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When I first applied The Inkey List Ectoin Hydro-Barrier Serum, I thought—where’s the hydration? I expected a wave of hydration—the kind that instantly plumps and gives a dewy glow.
Instead? Nothing. But as I kept using it, something interesting happened…
So, is this a must-have or one to skip? Let’s take a closer look!
What The Inkey List Ectoin Hydro-Barrier Serum claims
A breakthrough in barrier skincare, The INKEY List Ectoin Hydro-Barrier Serum is your winter skin savior—a dual-action serum that boosts hydration up to 10 surface layers deep whilst building a stronger, more resilient skin barrier to defend against cold weather, dry air, and seasonal stressors. Clinically proven to restore skin bounce in just 3 days and deeply hydrate + strengthen the skin’s barrier in just 15 minutes, it’s a cold-weather essential for keeping skin hydrated, soothed, and glowing all season long.
Facts about The Inkey List Ectoin Hydro-Barrier Serum
Price and size
One pump bottle contains 30 ml and is available for 16 € on the website here. This is one of The Inkey List’s pricier serums—comparable to their Retinol serum. The serum is vegan and cruelty-free.
Texture and smell
Rather than watery, this serum has the texture of a light lotion and an opaque, white color. I could barely notice any scent, only sometimes a faint whiff of something a little plasticky. Luckily that isn’t noticeable after application to the skin.
How to use The Inkey List Ectoin Hydro-Barrier Serum
According to the brand it is supposed to go on as your first serum, so after cleansing and after toner should you use one, and can be used both morning and night. You need a pea sized amount, which is exactly what one pump will give you that you’ll spread all over.
I mentioned before that when I initially applied it, I was a little disappointed, as in my opinion the product doesn’t offer any instant hydration. It spreads with ease and leaves the skin feeling soft and velvety. But if my skin was particularly dehydrated that day, I still felt tightness—no instant relief.
Ingredients of The Inkey List Ectoin Hydro-Barrier Serum
aox|so|h, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate h, Sodium Hyaluronate sii|h 0 0, Maltodextrin, Phenoxyethanol pres, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate emu|surf, Panthenol so|h 0 0, Cetearyl Alcohol emo|vc|emu|surf 1 2, Sclerotium Gum vc, Xanthan Gum vc, Glyceryl Stearate emo|emu 0 1, Jojoba Esters so|emo|h, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate emo, Ethylhexylglycerin pres, Sodium Citrate chel|buff, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Wax emo, Citric Acid buff, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate emu, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract aox|so|emo|abrasive/scrub, Glycerin 
sii|h 0 0, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate amic|pres, Triethyl Citrate perf, Pentylene Glycol solv|h, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer sii|aox|h, Ceramide NP sii, Hyaluronic Acid sii|h, Ceramide AP sii, Cholesterol sii|emo 0 0, Phytosphingosine sii|cci|aacne|amic, Behenic Acid surf|emu 0 0, Sodium Levulinate, Polyglycerin-3 h, Potassium Sorbate pres, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate surf, Ceramide EOP siiHover the mouse over an ingredient for short explanation. Read more on INCIDecoder.
Now when you look at the ingredients, the lack of instant hydration isn’t actually that surprising. The main player and name patron is Ectoin (More info: The benefits of Ectoin in skincare explained) In short, Ectoin isn’t hydrating in itself, but more of a film former and stabiliser to lipid barriers, produced by certain kind of bacteria to prevent them from drying out in harsh climates. In the skin, Ectoin has been used in medical creams for eczema and neurodermatitis—but at much higher concentrations. Prescription formulas contain up to 7%, whereas cosmetic products are limited to 2%—which is the concentration used here.
Basically Ectoin won’t hydrated the skin, but prevent Transepidermal Water Loss or further dehydration as well as sooth your skin.
For hydration you will find several different molecular weights of Hyaluronic Acid as well as Glycerin alongside a few more emollients and preservatives. (More info: The benefits of Hyaluronic Acid in skincare explained)
For additional soothing benefits there is Panthenol and Colloidal Oat Meal as well as ingredients aiming to replace missing parts of a compromised skin barrier like Ceramides, Phytosphingosin and Cholesterol. (More info: The benefits of Panthenol in skincare explained, The benefits of Colloidal Oat Meal in skincare explained and The benefits of Ceramides in skincare explained)
A quick word on the Coconut Alkane present as fourth ingredient on the list and apparently the reason why some people would not recommend this for acne prone skin due to a high comedogenic rating: The comedogenic rating of a single ingredient doesn’t necessarily predict a product’s real-life effect on skin. It depends on the overall formulation rather than the comedogenic rating of its individual ingredients. As this formula isn’t occlusive in the slightest, I would without hesitation recommend it for people suffering from acne, especially as Ectoin seems to have a preventing effect on the development of retained irritation in those being prescription retinoids. I have used it consistently over several weeks without it triggering any breakouts, but of course each skin reacts differently. (More info: Acne basics explained)
More info: How to read the skincare ingredient list
Does it live up to its claims?
Some.
Of course I can’t be the sole judge on if it is a breakthrough in skincare, but I find that quite exaggerated. I am also unsure if the hydration really goes ten layers deep – how would I measure that at home? I don’t find it to be very hydrating in general either, but I do agree that it helps keep the skin more resilient and happy over the winter months, which for me is its main selling point.
How does it compare to…
Geek and Gorgeous Hydration Station
Another product with Ectoin aiming to hydrate and sooth the skin. I do enjoy Geek and Gorgeous more for hydration, somehow that aspect is more noticeable for me, but find The Inkey Lists offer to be more soothing and with more of a long term effect. Although both seem to be similar, I much prefer Hydration Station during the summer and The Inkey List during winter.
You can read my full review of the Geek and Gorgeous Hydration Station here.
Balea Beauty Expert Day Cream with Peptides and Ectoin
Balea is a German drugstore brand and not readily available, but also features Ectoin and reminds me of The Inkey List Product in terms of feeling on the skin – not really hydrating and leaving some kind of film. Balea is more affordable, but also less cosmetically elegant with a tendency to pill, which is why I much prefer The Inkey Lists version. Instead of soothing the main focus in the Balea cream are different peptides aiming to reduce signs of premature aging, so it might be interesting if that is what you are looking for.
You can read my full review of the Balea Beauty Expert Day Cream here.
Would I repurchase and which skin types do I recommend The Inkey List Ectoin Hydro-Barrier Serum to?
I really wouldn’t call The Inkey List Ectoin Hydro-Barrier Serum hydrating, at least not in terms of an immediate effect. But while it wasn’t great at targeting dehydration immediately, it worked amazing over the course of a few days in making my skin less prone to dehydration. I took it with me to a one week trip to the mountains in the snow where being outdoors all day exposed to cold winds and dry air can lead to dryness and irritation when paired with my Tretinoin. This formula, maybe because of the 2% Ectoin, maybe because of the other soothing and barrier supporting ingredients like Ceramides and Panthenol, really helped keeping my skin happy throughout the whole trip.
For me it is a great product to use during winter, and if your skin is prone to dehydration, you might feel the same way.
Shop The Inkey List skincare here
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