Hyaluronic acid (HA) has recently gained prominence as an ingredient used to moisturize and prevent signs of aging in beauty products. Naturally present in skin, HA binds water molecules effectively for moisturization purposes.
Your body’s stores of HA gradually decrease with age, so topical supplementation is necessary. Not all HA products work the same; concentration and molecular weight play an integral part in how it acts on skin.
Moisturizers
Hyaluronic acid is found in numerous moisturizers, including Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost Water Gel with Hyaluronic Acid ($20), which offers up to 48 hours of continuous hydration without clogging pores and oil build-up.
For something creamier, Exuviance’s Plumping Serum with Hyaluronic Acid ($70) might be just what’s needed. With its light gel-cream consistency and caffeine inclusions, this serum will work to plumps skin and boost circulation while simultaneously plumping your pores and improving overall circulation.
The serum contains fragmented hyaluronic acid to quickly penetrate skin and fill in fine lines and wrinkles while helping restore natural production of hyaluronic acid, thus delaying aging processes. Furthermore, this form of hyaluronic acid also includes peptides and vitamin E which helps promote an even complexion.
Hyaluronic acid helps the skin by slowing the rate at which water evaporates from its surface, according to Marisa Garshick, MD, a dermatologist and clinical professor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College. This process, known as trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL), is one of the primary factors determining skin dryness level.
Hyaluronic acid products contain molecules with multiple “gripping” areas on their surfaces that attract water from your surroundings and instantly draw it in, instantly providing your skin with moisture. Hyaluronic acid products make an excellent way to hydrate skin – its potency even exceeds 1,000 times its weight! Hyaluronic acid has proven itself a wonderful hydrator.
When searching for products containing hyaluronic acid, be sure to carefully read through their ingredients list and ensure it appears among the primary ones. Once there, check its molecular weight listing; this should give an indication of its presence; higher numbers indicate more hyaluronic acid presence – ideal range should be between 0.1-2 percent as anything more could lead to drying effects.
Serums
Hyaluronic acid attracts and retains water molecules within cells to keep skin hydrated and reduce evaporation from the skin, thus keeping skin plump, smooth, and young-looking.
Hyaluronan (HA), an naturally-occurring substance found throughout the body including eyes and skin, can also be produced artificially through bacterial fermentation in laboratories.
Cosmetic products containing hyaluronic acid can be an excellent addition to your skin care regimen, be it as an individual treatment or part of an everyday skin care routine. There are various formulas of products available containing this acid; while some require a valid medical prescription, most can be bought over-the-counter and some even as supplements; although experts caution that supplements may cause adverse side effects with long term usage.
Hyaluronic acid’s main advantage in skin products is its hydrating abilities; it has the capacity to absorb up to 1,000 times its own weight in water, keeping skin hydrated and helping fight wrinkles. Hyaluronic acid also plays an integral part in healing by providing support that allows blood components and cells to reach injured areas quickly and effectively.
As you age, your skin begins producing less hyaluronic acid naturally and this decrease can result in changes such as dryness and wrinkles. That is why many anti-ageing serums contain hyaluronic acid to stimulate natural production of this substance by your body.
When purchasing a serum containing hyaluronic acid, make sure to read its label for its molecular weight. Studies have revealed that those with smaller molecules (ranging between 50-130 kilodaltons (kDa)) penetrate skin more effectively than those with larger molecular weights.
For optimal results, find a product that combines powerful skin-nourishing ingredients such as hyaluronic acid with other skin-protective compounds, like ceramides lipids that strengthen skin barriers ceramides that help defend against environmental assaults that could otherwise cause premature aging of skin. For instance, it would be ideal if there was a serum containing both these elements to provide ultimate skin defense from environmental assaults such as pollution. This will protect you from early aging caused by environmental assaults.
Eye Creams
Hyaluronic acid can be found throughout the body, lubricating skin and joints while acting as an anti-ageing ingredient. Hyaluronic acid holds 1,000 times its own weight in water, making it a potency anti-ageing ingredient that’s also been known to heal wounds, lighten scars, reduce dry eye symptoms, as well as heal wounds faster. Hyaluronic acid can be purchased over the counter in topical skincare products like creams, ointments, or serums for safe usage.
Eye creams often combine hyaluronic acid with other ingredients to address specific concerns like dark circles and puffiness, such as First Aid Beauty’s formula that includes both hyaluronic acid and niacinamide to brighten delicate eye skin, or SkinBetter’s Illuminating cream which features hydrating hyaluronic acid, cucumber extract and mineral pigments to diminish shadowy spots; or Kate Somerville’s product that utilizes this combination with peptides and retinol to minimize fine line appearances – or both!
Hyaluronic acid serums can be an excellent way to deliver results to your skin quickly, as it’s easily absorbed. Before beginning your serum regime, however, make sure that you use a gentle cleanser on your face in order to eliminate dirt, oil and makeup residue that could block absorption of essential skincare ingredients.
Once your skin is clean, tone (optional) to balance pH levels and prepare the surface for product absorption. After choosing an appropriate serum for you, select it carefully.
Hyaluronic acid can be an invaluable addition to most skin care routines, but specifically adding it as part of your morning or evening ritual may help reverse fine lines and wrinkles. Hyaluronic acid can strengthen your epidermis’s protective lipid barrier function which provides added defense against environmental pollution as well as the effects of age.
If your pores are large and noticeable, hyaluronic acid can also help. When combined with microneedling tool, the combination will cause skin to gradually fill in pores over time – giving the appearance of smaller and even pores.
Makeup
Hyaluronic acid, a sugar-based molecule with the ability to retain up to 1,000 times its weight in water, is naturally found in our connective tissues and plays an essential role in keeping joints moving freely and our skin feeling plump and smooth. Unfortunately, over time our levels of hyaluronic acid decrease, leading to fine lines and wrinkles, dryness, and dark spots according to Cleveland Clinic research. Beauty products containing this ingredient – either as part of a moisturizer or standalone serums – help replenish depleted levels and counter signs of aging.
Hyaluronic acid can often be found in facial serums with higher concentrations than your typical moisturizer, as well as being available as a dietary supplement in pill form and being used to enhance skin, eye, lung and joint health.
Hyaluronic acid can be even more effective at diminishing fine lines and wrinkles when combined with ceramides, the fatty acids that protect your skin’s barrier, says dermatologist Rina Allawh MD. Additionally, it strengthens your lipid barrier to slow the degradation of epidermis over time.
Hygroscopic ingredients like bentonite clay have the unique ability to attract and trap moisture, making it one of the primary components in water-based products such as gel masks and cleansers. Furthermore, its moisture-trapping capabilities also make it popular among eye cream manufacturers for use on delicate eye areas in order to hydrate them while decreasing puffiness.
Makeup products containing collagen are also an ideal addition for all skin types, as it fills in fine lines and plumps up your complexion to create the appearance of more plumpness. Foundations benefit particularly from using it because it creates a natural-looking glow while helping prevent color from fading over time.
If you’re considering trying a product containing hyaluronic acid, take note of its molecular weight on the label. While this information might not always be provided, molecular weight can provide insight into its effectiveness; lower molecular weight means acid molecules will penetrate skin more readily making anti-ageing more effective.