Last week, Paula’s Choice introduced a new addition to their Booster collection: Paula’s Choice 7% Ectoin Booster. I love their Boosters because they’re so easy to use. Just add a drop or two to your favorite moisturizers or serums, and you’re good to go!
New 7% Ectoin Booster
A Newish Skincare Ingredient
What the heck is Ectoin, you ask? I wasn’t familiar with Ectoin either in spite of the fact that there are now about 12 skincare products sold in the US with Ectoin as an ingredient!
Ectoin is an amino acid derivative, one of the building blocks for proteins and peptides. It’s called an “extremolyte” because it protects organisms such as bacteria that live in high-salt environments from damage. Ectoin has proven to be an excellent defender against even the most extreme environmental conditions.
According to Paula’s Choice Beautypedia, “Ectoin works by putting up a defense around skin, protecting it from environmental factors like UVA rays and pollutants. It also excels at preventing trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) because of its ability to decrease stressors in the human stratum corneum – the outer layer of skin – when it is exposed to harsh, drying environments.” Sounds good to me for my dry skin!
They go on to list its benefits as:
- Softer, smoother-feeling skin thanks to its ability to prevent water loss and boost the microbiome
- Diminished signs of aging because of ectoin’s function as an antioxidant, which helps neutralize free-radical damage
- Fewer visible signs of UVA radiation damage (like uneven tone) because of its ability to defend against pro-aging harmful rays
- Less sensitized and less stressed skin because of its soothing properties
The New Booster
In addition to 7% Ectoin, the new Booster’s other key ingredients include:
- 7x hyaluronic acid for deep hydration
- glycogen to strengthen skin’s barrier and promote skin health.
Like the other Boosters from Paula’s Choice, 7% Ectoin comes in a heavy glass bottle with a dropper.
The Booster serum itself is a milky thick liquid. I mix a drop or two of the 7% Ectoin Booster with my TonyMoly Green Tea Watery Essence, a lightweight lotiony-cream, and then I pat the mixture onto my cleansed skin after toner. Or if you prefer, you can use the Booster on its own.
I’ve been using new 7% Ectoin Booster for a little more than a week, and my skin is noticeably more hydrated and feels softer. Paula’s Choice calls the Booster’s key benefit as “7 Day Repair Instant Dewy Hydration”. Truth be told, maybe because I mix the Booster with one of my serums, my skin looks and feels hydrated, but it’s not “dewy” per se. 🙂 For me, this hydrating, protective Booster is a keeper!
Paula’s Choice 7% Ectoin Booster bottle contains 0.67 fl. oz. and is priced at $44. It’s sold on the Paula’s Choice website in 3 different sizes:
- full size 0.67 fl. oz. $44
- travel size 0.33 fl. oz. $23,
- sample packet 0.05 fl. oz. packet $1.50.
The new Booster is also sold at Dermstore.
Ingredients: Aqua/Water/Eau, Ectoin, Isopentyldiol, Triethylhexanoin, Diisopropyl Adipate, Isoamyl Laurate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Undecane, Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate, Squalane, Tridecane, Polyglyceryl-6 Oleate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, 1, 2-Hexanediol, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Tocopherol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Glycogen, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Sodium Phytate, Citric Acid, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate
Sounds great. I like the idea of mixing it with moisturizer since that’s one less step in our routine.