Your face and wallet will love this £15 skin saviour.

But get it fast because this is a serum that will almost definitely sell out.

It’s not often I’ll talk about a product and say with utmost confidence, “try it, you’ll love it, your skin will look better for using it and it will work with all the skincare you’re already using”, but that, dear reader, is what you’re getting this week.

This is not the kind of serum you have to use for weeks to see results, the benefits are visible almost immediately.

The product in question is The Inkey List Ectoin Hydro-Barrier Serum, £15, a new launch from one of the high street’s most reliable and affordable skincare brands.

There’s a chance you already need this super-charged serum because why wouldn’t you want hydrated skin and a stronger skin barrier?

Hydrated skin functions more efficiently, looks fresher, healthier, plumper and all those lovely words that make you feel good when someone says them about you, and a stronger skin barrier means skin will be better equipped to deal with environmental stressors like pollution, the weather and even other active skincare ingredients, like retinol, that may be proven to work but can put a stress on our skin and lead to irritation and sensitivity.

The hydration in this dual-action serum comes from 2.5% multi-molecular hyaluronic acid and the barrier protection comes from 2% Ectoin that hydrates while simultaneously supporting and strengthening the skin barrier.

You could argue that Ectoin is the magic here. It’s an amino acid found in the kinds of organisms that are able to thrive in harsh environments with conditions such as extreme temperatures and pollution and so its use in skincare is to do just that for your skin, to protect it and help it to thrive even when its subject to external stressors.

In The Inkey List Ectoin Hydro-Barrier Serum, £15, its use in conjunction with the multi-molecular hyaluronic acid means boosted hydration up to 10 surface layers deep and a skin barrier that’s hydrated and strengthened in just 15 minutes.

I received a sample before Christmas and have been using it daily and have found it to be the step I didn’t know I needed because my skin feels a lot less reactive and is visibly plumped and a little bit ‘glowier’.

It’s a pleasing texture that feels gossamer thin but instantly quenching. I’ve been layering it with The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Serum, £9 and the delightfully lightweight Omega Water Cream, £11 over the top before applying my SPF. I’d been struggling with my skin feeling a bit parched towards the end of last year, but that’s been knocked on the head with this combo.

Indeed, at night, when I use Tretinoin, I’ve been using this on days when I feel I need a buffer and it’s worked beautifully.

The great news is, this serum is suitable for all skin types and if you’re struggling with dehydrated skin, dryness, flakiness, dullness or a compromised skin barrier (does it sting when you apply skincare?) then the chances are this will ease them.

I’ve already ordered my second bottle because this is one serum I don’t want to run out of.

Deep-down hydration and a stronger skin barrier? Yes, please!

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