What's the Hype About Hyaluronic Acid?

What is Hyaluronic Acid?

Found in the body’s connective tissue, Hyaluronic acid is a glycosaminoglycan that gives your skin a plump and hydrated look. Hyaluronic acid has a plethora of benefits such as anti-aging, anti-wrinkle, increasing elasticity, treating facial redness and moisturising.

Hyaluronic acid is a humectant which can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water. This characteristic of the ingredient allows it to hold water molecules on your skin in order to provide moisture. Many people take this ingredient as a supplement, but more often, it is used in serums, eye creams, gels and even lip injections.

Transepidermal water loss (TEWL)

TEWL refers to the measurement of how much water is evaporated from the skin. To prevent TEWL, hyaluronic acid keeps the skin hydrated by ensuring that water is kept in the skin instead of evaporating from the surface.

Anti-aging properties

The natural ageing process is catalysed by external factors such as ultraviolet radiation from the sun, pollution and tobacco smoke. Hyaluronic acid supplements can slow down this decline by retaining the moisture in order to help the skin feel and look more supple.

Wound healing and acne-fighting properties

Hyaluronic acid is already naturally found in the skin due to its crucial role in wound healing by regulating inflammation levels (increasing concentrations when there are wounds to be healed by signalling the body to build more blood vessels in damaged areas). Additionally, dryness leading to the overproduction of sebum (an oily substance produced by sebaceous glands to naturally rehydrate the skin) in the hair follicles can increase one’s chances of developing acne. In order to prevent this, hyaluronic acid can control the excess sebum production by hydrating the skin, making it a useful ingredient when it comes to acne prevention.

How to use hyaluronic acid properly 

Most hyaluronic acid serums can be used up to two times a day and are less likely to cause negative side effects compared to other harsher products such as retinoids.

It is recommended that HA serums are used with other moisturising products since the HA allows the other ingredients to be better and more easily absorbed by the skin. It should also be noted that HA serums should not be applied on to dry skin as it can actually draw moisture out of the deeper layers within the skin. When applied to moist skin/paired with other products, it draws water into the skin and keeping it hydrated.