Graymelin 100% Beta-Glucan Ampoule Review – Hyaluronic Acid on Steroids

Disclaimer:  This product was received complementary from W2Beauty.com, all opinions and thoughts are my own.

Last week, I reviewed the Graymelin Propolis 80 Energy Ampoule that W2Beauty so generously contributed.  This week, I am now onto my second Graymelin product, once again received for review purposes from the lovely Alice at W2Beauty.   Just so everyone knows the process, with W2Beauty I was allowed to pick out two products that were of interest to me.  I personally researched many items before settling on these two items from W2Beauty.  I have been using this product since November 1st and I AM IN LOVE WITH IT.   Graymelin 100% Beta-Glucan ~ as my title suggests, it is HA on steroids.

My skin type and concerns:  oily, aging, blemish prone, hyper-pigmentation issues, clogged pores, fine lines and wrinkles

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I have seen beta glucan (β Glucan) as an ingredient before in other skin care products and my interest was peaked when I saw this 100% Beta Glucan product.  So what is Beta Glucan?  I did a ton of research here, and in a nut shell, it is a compound that is naturally derived from mushrooms, oats, yeast and grains.    It helps stimulate the production of collagen, speeds up wound healing, soothes and calms skin due to its anti-irritant and strong anti-inflammatory properties, moisturizes, locks in natural moisture, anti-aging and anti-wrinkle due to its anti-oxidant properties and also helps repair your moisture barrier.   Whew.  Oh, you want more than a nutshell?  Okay…

Beta glucan is considered the “3rd” generation of moisturizing agents, according to Graymelin. The first generation is glycerin, which is very affordable but only keeps moisture from evaporating, and not providing moisture. Hyaluronic acid, which I love and use, is the second generation and it is one of the ingredients that exists normally in our body which helps provide collagen and elastin production. Hyaluronic acid production starts to decline once in your late 20’s. Beta glucan was created originally to strengthen the immune system and is 20% more effective at moisturizing than hyaluronic acid. It protects skin from UV rays as well.  It helps reduce redness and it is a good ingredient for sensitive skin, so long you aren’t allergic to yeast, oat, grains and mushrooms.

Beta glucan is a polysaccharide sugar and it is found in plant’s cellulose, in the bran of grains such as oats, Saccharmoyces cerevisiae (baker’s yeast), mushrooms such as shiitake mushroom (lentinula edodes), some types of fungi and also bacteria.   Beta glucan suppresses the propagation of cancer cells by activating immune cells.  The FDA has registered its safety in 1983 for cosmetic use.   Our bodies do not produce beta glucan, unlike hyaluronic acid, so we have to supply it to our skin and bodies through supplements.    People have been rubbing an oat bran pasted on their skin for thousands of years, to relieve skin irritation, itching and speed up wound healing.  Beta glucan interacts with our immune cells, called microphages, and activates antigens which kill germs and protect our body.

Beta glucan helps heal and build our immune system, fighting off bacterial and viral infections, it also helps rebuild our skin’s surface cells and to help restore collagen, by stimulating the skin tissue.   This is helps cellular turnover by creating new fresh skin cells while supporting existing structural cells.   It can penetrate deeply into our cellular matrix and get into the lower levels and help prevent wrinkles from where they are formed.    It was thought for a long time that the Beta glucan molecular structure was too big to pass through and be absorbed into our skin, but recent studies have proven that incorrect.

The results showed that beta-glucan, “despite its large molecular size, deeply penetrated the skin into the epidermis and dermis.” The same team tested 27 people to evaluate the effects of beta-glucan on facial fine lines and wrinkles. After 8 weeks, there was “a significant reduction of wrinkle depth and height, and overall roughness.”  So after the penetration issue was resolved, a team at the University of Alberta discovered how. It seems that the beta glucan enters the skin the same way that water penetrates a brick wall. “It does not go through the brick, it goes through the concrete binding the bricks together,” explained the lead scientist. “As a result of our study, we now know that glucan works through the inter-cellular lipid matrix, or the cells’ cement, to enter the lower levels of the skin. Of medical significance is the fact that beta glucan creams promote wound healing and reduction in scaring following surgical procedures.”  source News Medical Net

Beta Glucan Sources : Ingredients To Die For  ~~ Truth In Aging  ~~ Skin Store  ~~ News Medical Net

Why did I pick this product?  Well, I love my Hyaluronic Acid and I use that during the day and summertime.  However, I am getting older and despite having oily skin, it can get quite dehydrated in the wintertime.   The problem I find is that heavy creams make me break out, so what can I use instead to ensure that my skin doesn’t dry out during the night?  I’ve been using HA, but I wanted something a bit more “stronger” and so Beta Glucan looks like it would provide ample hydration, lock in that moisture, help repair and plump up my skin, while not being oily or greasy.  

It looks like, by the box description, the Greymelin 100% Beta-Glucan is derived from fungi ~  Schizophyllum commune  FR.   and it is water soluble and will leave your skin supple, smooth and firm.

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Description

Once again, the packaging on the box is so hard to read because of the old-timey script, but it is pretty classy looking.   It is also a bit jumbled up, so I will try and clean it up a bit too.

Description: Hydration/Nourishment: Beta-glucan exists in the cell walls of mushroom, grain and leavening and will boost skin’s immune system and prevents the slowing down of the immune system ~ one of the big causes behind skin aging. Boosts reconstruction of skin and collagen, prevents skin damage caused by ultraviolet rays, mitigates infection and irritation.   Beta-glucan will boost immunity and is excellent in anti-inflammatory, soothing and moisturizing. Restores soft and smooth skin texture. Beta-glucan is widely being used in cosmetics, food and medicines and it is not only capable of keeping moisture about 20 times more than hyaluronic acid, but it also boosts the immunity of skin cells and helps to prevent skin again by skin renewal. It is a natural polymer made of Schizophyllum commune FR. that grows naturally in a wide area.  Boosts epidermal cell growth factor that will help collagen synthesizing to restore skin elasticity.

Do not use cotton pad.  After washing your face, in the first step of basic skin care, apply to the face and gently pressing the product into the face to make the active ingredients absorb into the skin. When you first use, apply small amount and gradually increase. Apply daily both morning and night.  In the morning, if you use makeup, make sure to tap your skin while applying it, so it will absorb faster.

Graymelin 100% Beta-Glucan is odorless, colorless and has a viscosity that reminds me of egg whites.  Seriously, when I first took the eye dropper out and place the product in my hand, the first thing I noticed was a string of beta glucan from the dropper to the drop on my hand!   You know how raw egg whites look like and their texture ~ but unlike egg whites, it isn’t really sticky.  It *looks* sticky, but the closest I can describe this as is like a thick water (I watch too much sci-fi, I guess).   It absorbs fairly quickly, leaving behind skin that is smooth, soft and has a nice light sheen, without being greasy, tacky or oily.    I only need 1/2 dropper full for a full treatment on my face.

This applicator is much easier to use than the one from the Propolis 80 Energy Ampoule, which is strange, as they look the same to me.  You can tell that this sits better on the bottle as well, it isn’t crooked looking.

It is so beautiful, I could just cry.

 

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Usage

When I first starting using this, I just used it straight up and thought, okay.  Yeah.  But then I started adding it to other things..  like my facial oils, eye creams or my favorite use, mixing it with Innisfree Ginger Oil Serum, which I am currently testing in my night care routine.    THAT is when I noticed a WOW.  This little egg white-like liquid transforms and amplifies my other skincare products.  I mix it in with my serum and it makes it glide on smoother and absorb faster.   I can feel my skin cells just PLUMPING UP with moisture!!   I know, I am gushing here ~ but if you love HA, you will adore beta glucan.  I put this all over my face and it doesn’t break me out, doesn’t cause rashes, keeps my skin hydrated and moisturized without being greasy or oily. 

Mixologist ~ Innisfree Ginger Oil Serum with Greymelin 100% Beta-Glucan

 

How is the moisture level?

OMG.  Seriously.  This stuff locks in moisture and leaves me the Dew Queen for the evening.  I only use this product at night, that is how dewy it makes my skin.  But never greasy or oily.   On average, over the course of the month that I have been using this, it increased my moisture levels about 35% if I used it alone.  However, if I use it mixed in with other products, such as Innisfree Ginger Oil Serum, I found that I increased my moisture level by 40%.   If you have dry skin, I am sure you could use this during the day without any issues.

Ingredients: oh please. 100% Beta-Glucan

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Final Thoughts

So, Greymelin’s 100% Beta-Glucan is now on my forever purchase list.  I will not be without it.  I really want to see the longer term benefits of this, but for now, what it does for my skin ~ hydrate, moisturize, keep my skin moist, amplifies other skincare products, plumps up fine lines and wrinkles, making them less noticeable ~ is enough for me.  I think this product is perfect for the winter time and night care and I may even try it during my daytime skin routine, if it is bitter cold and harsh outside ~ which in New England, that is a given.  #WinterIsComing.   

I do think all skin types, barring any allergies to beta-glucan, can use Graymelin 100% Beta-Glucan.  Dry skin types could use this morning and night with no issues; same with combination skin types.   However, as an oily skinned type, I have to rave ~ it is SO difficult for oily skin types to find a really rich hydrating product  that keeps moisture in, helps heal and plump up skin without causing any blemishes.   My skin is dewy ~ which is okay at night ~ smooth, soft and silky.  That is why I love hyaluronic acid and why I am totally having a massive affair with this product.    Some people cannot use hyaluronic acid so this might be a fantastic alternative for them.  If you love hyaluronic acid ~ you might want to give this product a try.    A little goes a lonnnng way too ~ this is a 50 mL bottle and as I post this review, I have only used 1/4 of the bottle since November 1st.

Have you tried Graymelin’s 100% Beta-Glucan ampoule?  What do you think of it?  Are you interested in trying it out because you need something more powerful than hyaluronic acid or you cannot use HA?  Let me know in the comments below ~ I am always interested in my reader’s thoughts and suggestions!

 

Where To Purchase

W2Beauty carries the 50 mL Graymelin Pure 100% Beta Glucan Ampoule (click here for link) for under $26.00. W2Beauty is very generous with free samples, which vary depending on availability.  The more you order, the more (and bigger) freebies you get.  FREE shipping for purchases $60.00+ OR if you include any products from Benton (which is amazing, check out my reviews here), Klairs (reviews here) ~ the supple toner is fantastic ~ and Troiareuke.  If under $60.00, there is a one flat rate fee ~ for example, for USA, it would be $12.50.  You can check out the rates here.

 

[ this product was complementary for review purposes ~ all opinions are my own and are unbiased.  Blog post contains referral link ]