# The Influence of Ectoine on the Skin Parameters Damaged by a CO2 Laser

## TL;DR

This study shows that ectoine helps reduce redness and improves skin hydration and healing after CO2 laser treatment.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates ectoine's effectiveness in improving skin recovery parameters after CO2 laser therapy.

## Key findings

- Ectoine reduced redness after CO2 laser treatment with increased application frequency.
- Preparation A with ectoine achieved the highest moisture levels and reduced TEWL.
- Cosmetic emulsions with ectoine showed non-Newtonian, shear-thinning behavior.

## Abstract

Ectoine is a substance produced by extremophiles and is naturally used by them as protection against adverse environmental conditions in which they live. Scientific contributions discuss its excellent effect through cosmotropic properties, prevention of secondary messenger release in cells, and transcription factors. The influence on the lipid layer of the cell membrane and its preventive effect as a UV filter were also demonstrated. What is more, its anti-oxidative effect was established. Ectoine works as an immunostimulant and also has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. These attributes are dominating factors in the use of ectoine’s properties in skin fractionation treatment with a CO2 laser. In the following work, the influence of ectoine on skin parameters was described, focusing on redness, moisturization, and TEWL after the use of a CO2 laser (Załęska 2019). The rheological properties of preparations with ectoine addition were also tested. The yield point was determined, the viscosity changes of cosmetic preparations were measured with increasing shear rates, and oscillation tests were performed. With increasing percentages of ectoine and frequency of application, the occurrence of redness after CO2 therapy decreased. The highest moisture level values from 54.4 × 0.02 mg/cm2 to 72.5 × 0.02 mg/cm2 were obtained for preparation A applied twice a day; for the same preparation, a reduction in TEWL from 6.2 to 5.3 g/(m2·h) was obtained. The results of the tests of cosmetic emulsions allowed us to conclude that the preparations in the analyzed shear rate range at all tested temperatures are non-Newtonian liquids that are shear-thinning and have a flow limit. The obtained results of the conducted research prove the positive effect of dermocosmetics with ectoine content in the process of skin healing.