Skincare gurus and beauty bloggers across social media, YouTube, and the blogosphere have been touting the benefits of hyaluronic acid for years. Hyaluronic acid is a humectant, which is a natural substance that can not only attract but also hold onto moisture. It can harness more than 1000 times its own weight in moisture!
So, what is this wonder ingredient?
While you might hear the word ‘acid’ and think that this is a chemical peel or a harsh substance that strips your skin, hyaluronic is the complete opposite. It is a gentle and calming substance that is beneficial to all skin types, nourishing skin from the outside in. It results in supple, bouncy, and moisturized skin that looks years (or even decades) younger, and helps other skincare products sink in and absorb effectively.
What is Hyaluronic Acid?
Hyaluronic acid is a member of the glycosaminoglycan family and is a naturally occurring substance that supports youthful hydration and supple skin. As one of the most vital glycosaminoglycans in your skin, hyaluronic acid helps to keep your facial and body skin safe, renewed, and stable. Just 0.03 oz. of hyaluronic acid is able to draw in and contain a gallon and a half of water – this is serious stuff!
This ‘wonder ingredient’ is a humectant, a hygroscopic skincare ingredient. This means that it is able to draw moisture out of the surrounding environment and draw it into the skin. You will usually find humectants in moisturizers, serums, eye creams, and body balms, as they can increase hydration for all skin types. If you use room humidifiers to hydrate your skin, you can apply a moisturizer with a humectant to act like a magnet to draw moisture from the air into your complexion.
Humectants like hyaluronic acid are particularly beneficial when used in leave-on skincare products designed for dehydrated and dry skin. Since a major cause of aging skin is a lack of moisture, hyaluronic acid is exceptional for older skin, or for people who are worried about wrinkles or fine lines.
How should you add hyaluronic acid to your skincare routine?
Adding hyaluronic acid into your skincare routine could not be easier. With many affordable and effective hyaluronic skin care products available on the market, you can try a few different products to see what works best with your existing regimen.
You can use hyaluronic acid in moisturizers, toners, serums, face masks, eye creams, and directly on the skin, and so you have many choices for how to add it to your morning and evening skincare routines. This incredibly gentle and effective ingredient will help redness-prone skin, aging skin, sun damage, and wrinkles. Best of all? It feels lightweight and silky when you apply it.
Should you take Hyaluronic Acid orally?
Some companies are now introducing hyaluronic acid oral supplements, in both capsule and liquid form. While you might dismiss this as ineffective, a lot of recent research shows that ingesting hyaluronic acid can be very helpful for improving the look and feel of aging and dehydrated skin.
Ingesting between 120-150 milligrams of hyaluronic acid each day has shown to be effective in increasing hydration, plumpness, and elasticity, and in removing the look and feel of wrinkles.
Add hyaluronic acid to your skincare routine after your cleansing (or
ideally, double cleansing) step, and before any oil-based serums and
moisturizers. A typical routine looks like this:
– Cleanser
- Acid toner
- Eye cream
- Hyaluronic acid
- Serum
- Facial oils
- Moisturizer
What is the difference between Hyaluronic Acid and Sodium Hyaluronate?
As you start investigating skincare ingredients, you might see the sodium hyaluronate, a similarly named product, on some skincare ingredient lists. It should come as no surprise that the two ingredients are closely related, but make no mistake – they are not identical.
Sodium hyaluronate is derived from hyaluronic acid, but it is a specific salt. It is very helpful for the skin, but your skin can absorb it more easily. That said, don’t think that it is a better ingredient for skincare. The best skin care products use a mixture of both ingredients.
Hyaluronic acid – a wonder ingredient
Sure, you may be wary of ingredients that claim to be ‘wonder products,’ but in the case of hyaluronic acid, this is not just a boast. Hyaluronic acid will help you with moisture, wrinkles, and smoothness – what do you have to lose (other than wrinkled, rough skin)? Enjoy your new facial routine!