The Truth About Hyaluronic Acid

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Unless you have been living under a rock, in a cave or have simply switched off from the media all together, you would have heard of one of the beauty industries best kept secrets. Well it’s not a secret anymore, it is here to stay and we have the truth about hyaluronic acid.

The question a lot of us have been asking is, what exactly is hyaluronic acid and why should we be making sure to include this extremely popular ingredient into our skincare regime.

Why should we look at hylaluronic acid in our skincare?

Let’s start here shall we, almost half of the body’s hyaluronic acid is found in the fluid and tissue in our bodies, primarily in the skin, eyes, and joints and as we age, our natural levels of hyaluronic acid begin to deplete. So people turn to skincare products containing the acid for that extra beauty boost.

Approximately 50% of the total hyaluronic acid resides in the skin so it is crucial to maintain moisture and skin elasticity. As we mentioned above, that dreaded ageing process depletes those natural levels so we need to start looking at alternative ways of treating our skin and most importantly, bringing back that beautiful teenage glow.

Anti-Ageing

Because hyaluronic acid helps our skin attract and retain moisture, one of the main benefits is reducing those fine lines and wrinkles that we all love to hate as we get older. The benefits of plumping and hydrating the skin come in very handy here.

It’s very important to know that it’s never too early to start to look at ingredients for anti-ageing, whether you are in your early 30s or mid 50s, now is the time to ensure you are utilising this ingredient for your skin and adding it into your daily skincare routine. More on that later.

Skin Hydration

Nothing makes you feel better than seeing hydrated and glowing skin glaring back at you in front of the mirror secretly whispering “thank you for looking after me”. After all, our skin is the largest organ of the human body and sometimes we really do take it for granted.

Hyaluronic acid is able to hold up to 1,000 times its molecular weight in water which is incredible. It penetrates the skin and binds water to our skin cells, infusing all layers of the skin with much needed hydration.

Wound Healing

Another incredible benefit of our friend hyaluronic acid is that it helps to regulate inflammation levels and signals the body to send more blood cells to a wounded area of the skin. What does that mean? More blood cells = increased healing time.

Increases Skin Resilience

When the lipid barrier is further enhanced and protected by hyaluronic acid, the skin is better equipped to be able to defend itself against environmental age-factors and pollutants. When your skin isn’t busy fighting these toxins, it remains less wrinkled, brighter, and bouncier longer.

Tightens Skin Tone

No one wants saggy skin. Ever! As we age, the elastin in the skin breaks down, and skin loses its snap, or “bounce back”. A quick trick to check your elastin (the bounce back) is to pinch the skin on the top of your hand. If it snaps back quickly, you still have a lot of elastin. As you age, the skin won’t bounce back as quickly.

Unfortunately, hyaluronic acid isn’t going to replace your elastin, but it can help with the appearance of tightness in the skin. As it fills the skin with moisture, hyaluronic acid tightens the overall complexion and also helps to firm facial contours for a more youthful looking appearance.

Stimulates Skin Cell Generation

Because hyaluronic acid aids in protecting your skin barrier and adds in extra hydration, it also encourages new skin cell growth. The best news here is that those new skin cells are always healthier and brighter and can help with the overall look and feel of your complexion.

Smoothes Skin Texture

Much in the same way it makes the appearance of the skin look tighter, hyaluronic acid also aids in smoothing the texture of the skin. This results in a silky smooth finish that you can really actually see and feel.

Oily Skin

When oily skin is stripped of hydration (water) it overcompensates to hydrate the skin by producing oil. A big misconception is that oily and acne prone skin doesn’t need hydration, but in fact, they really do. By promoting proper moisture balance in the skin, hyaluronic acid helps to prevent the over-production of oil that clogs pores and causes breakouts

Not all products are made equally

It is very important to also understand that not all products out there marketing how amazing hyaluronic acid is and why you should buy their product, are created equally. There are three forms of hyaluronic acid and all three provide you with a different result. Here’s what you should look for in an ingredient listing for your specific skin benefits.

Hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid: Broken down into elements that are small enough to penetrate the skin but don’t go too deep.  We recommend this form of hyaluronic acid for people with oily or combination skin. These skin types don’t need too much hydration, but still need a protective layer.

TRY: The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% +B5

Sodium Hyaluronate: Penetrates the skin more deeply than hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid for a short-term effect. This form is typically found in a skin serum meant for that gorgeous skin glow. Not long-lasting but still with the added benefits of skin moisturisation and hydration.

TRY: Boracay Skin Hyaluronic Acid for a self-tanning glow.

TRY: The KIND Collective Miracle Glo Serum for a bright and dewy glow to last throughout the day.

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate: This form of hyaluronic acid has the longest lasting results and is recommended for those of us that have very dry skin and need all of the extra moisturisation and hydration that we can get.

TRY: Essano Intense Hydration Concentrated Serum for a higher strength hydration to quench dry skin.

*bare beauty Australia was gifted the Boracay Hyaluronic Glow Serum, we only review and recommend products that we would use on ourselves and that our skin personally adores!

REFERENCES: www.healthline.com/ www.webmd.com/