It seems that in the last year or two we've seen a huge rise in the popularity of the supposed wonder product hyaluronic acid in beauty products (though the fact that the word "acid" in a product destined for your face is encouraging people to flock to the shops to spend their money is a bit surprising to me).
And given that so many trending "magic" products often have more hype than actual science behind them, I'm always dubious when it comes to these super ingredients.
But this one is slightly different though. It works.
But what exactly is this must-have beauty ingredient?
Hyaluronic acid is actually a molecule, composed partly of sugar that is naturally found in the skin as well as the connective tissue in the body. It acts as a lubrication agent in the body and that is why the beauty industry love it so much.
It's the darling of the moment because of its ability to retain and hold moisture content.
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Hyaluronic acid is considered to have a greater capacity to hold moisture than any other natural or synthetic polymer. In fact, one gram of hyaluronic acid is able to hold up to six liters of water. It can increase your skin’s moisture content and at the same time strengthen the skin’s barrier which will make your skin look and feel softer, smoother and plumper.
It's great on all skin types, so if you are the proud owner of oily, dry, mature, combination or even sensitive skin, it could really improve the quality of your skin. Not only that but it is also full of antioxidants, and can even reduce inflammation.
I find that using products containing hyaluronic acid are best used in spurts of six month patterns. Then give your skin a break for a month or so, and repeat the process.
The other thing to be aware of is the ingredient list which I have spoken about before (if you have missed it you can read it here). Make sure hyaluronic acid is listed near the top of the list so that you know you are getting a good quality product.
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And you should be aware of other listed ingredients - avoid irritating perfume ingredients, dehydrating alcohols, and bulking agents like mineral oils, lanolin, paraffin, petroleum etc and some fragrant plant oils that could undo the good work hyaluronic acid can do for your skin.
Are you a hyaluronic acid fan? What are your go-to HA products?
