Advanced Guide to Hyaluronic Acid — Benefits, Types and Side Effects, What to Look For in Hyaluronic Acid Products and More.

You may have heard before this skincare super-ingredient. However, do you truly know what it can do for you and how it can benefit you?

What is Hyaluronic Acid (HA)?

Hyaluronic Acid is a naturally found component of skin tissue re-created synthetically to help restore, hydrate, and protect the skin from environmental stressors.

What is the Key Benefits of using Hyaluronic Acid?

1. Hyaluronic Acid Promotes Healthier, More Supple Skin

Hyaluronic acid can help your skin look and feel more supple. It binds to water to help retain moisture in your skin.

However, the natural ageing process and exposure to things like ultraviolet radiation from the sun, cigarette smoke and air pollution, can decrease its amounts in the skin.

Hyaluronic acid reduces the appearance of wrinkles as it fills in to make the skin appear smoother.

When applied to the surface of the skin, hyaluronic acid serums can reduce wrinkles, redness and dermatitis which is a great addition if you are using strong active ingredients like retinol, retinoids, benzoyl peroxide and AHAs.

2. Hyaluronic Acid Speed Up Wound Healing

Hyaluronic acid also plays a key role in wound healing.

It is naturally present in the skin, but its concentrations increase when there is damage in need of repair.

Hyaluronic acid helps wounds heal faster by regulating inflammation levels and signaling the body to build more blood vessels in the damaged area.

Applying it to skin wounds has been shown to reduce the size of wounds and decrease pain faster than a placebo or no treatment at all.

Hyaluronic acid also has antibacterial properties, so it can help reduce the risk of infection when applied directly to open wounds.

3. Hyaluronic Acid Helps to Maintain a Healthy Skin Barrier

Poorly hydrated skin is unable to maintain an appropriately intact skin barrier, leaving the skin more vulnerable to damage from external and environmental stressors.

When the skin barrier is not intact, it can let bacteria in, which can lead to infection.

Compromised skin barriers can play a role in many skin conditions, including dry skin, atopic dermatitis, rosacea, and acne.

Hyaluronic acid is not just a matter of aesthetics as hydrated skin combats and reverse ageing skin.

How do I choose products containing Hyaluronic Acid?

1. Molecular Size of Hyaluronic Acid

The benefits of hyaluronic acid on the skin has to do with its molecular weight and concentration. In this case, size matters!

The molecular weight refers to its mass, or how big the HA molecule. This is measured in something called unified atomic mass units — daltons, or kDa for short.

HA between 50 to 1,000 kDa is the most beneficial for skin, with about 130 kDa being the best. Anything higher won’t make too much of a difference. Anything lower might cause inflammation.

2. Diameter of Hyaluronic Acid

The diameter of hyaluronic acid is also important as it too determines the ingredient’s ability to penetrate the skin. A recent study investigated the efficacy of a topical, low molecular nano-hyaluroid acid, and found that smaller substances under 500 kDa has:

• Changed the depth of wrinkles
• Increased moisture
• Increased elasticity around the eye
• Absorbed into the skin better

Larger molecules, with a molecular weight greater than 500 kDa, had a more difficult time passing through the skin barrier.

3. Different Concentration of Hyaluronic Acid

Some products feature HA — or its salt form, sodium hyaluronate — as the star ingredient. They include a higher acid concentration because their main aim is to provide hydration and pro-ageing support.

Others include a smaller amount that acts as a humectant to help with a different purpose, from treating acne breakouts to evening skin tone.

What are the Types of Hyaluronic Acid?

Hydrolzyed Hyaluronic Acid

Suitable for oily or combination skin as Hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid has been broken down into elements small enough to penetrate the skin.

It is moisturising but not the most moisturising option which suits oily and combination skins as these skin types want to avoid over-moisturising.

Sodium Hyaluronate

Suitable for normal skin as sodium hyaluronate goes deeper into the skin and delivers even better results. However, the effects are not very long lasting.

It allows moisture to seep in but it does not have a heavy-duty, long-lasting effect which will work great on normal skin types.

This ingredient is likely found in toners and serums.

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Suitable for dehydrated and dry skin as it has the benefits of sodium hyaluronate but with much longer-lasting results.

So… What makes a good Hyaluronic Acid Product?

• Look for products which uses hyaluronic acid that aim to hydrate and moisturise.
• Avoid anything with harsh ingredients like alcohol and fragrance, or anything with a high acid concentration.
• Majority of over-the-counter (OTC) cosmetic creams, lotions, and serums are water-based and contain less than 2 percent hyaluronic acid.
• However, moisturisers with too-high humectant levels can actually result in an increase in water loss from the skin. More isn’t always better.
• Look for moisturisers that can stop water from leaving the skin and evaporating into the air. The most effective moisturisers also contain ingredients called occlusive.

Occlusive ingredients include:

1. Butters like shea and cocoa
2. Oils like avocado
3. Beeswax and carnauba wax
4. Lanolin and stearin acids (most common)

Look for complementary ingredients in your hyaluronic acid products, too:

1. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that can help fix dryness and protect skin against environmental damage.
2. Vitamin B5, meanwhile, is used to further soften and smooth skin.

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