If you’ve been paying even the slightest attention to the latest beauty buzz, you’ve probably heard plenty about hyaluronic acid. While not exactly new (our bodies produce it), this skincare powerhouse is all the rage — everywhere. And for good reason, as a product that hydrates, brightens, helps with skin regeneration, improves clarity, tackles hyperpigmentation, and diminishes fine lines and wrinkles, there isn’t much hyaluronic acid can’t do. Let’s take a closer look at this hot-shot to see what it can do for your skin.
What is hyaluronic acid?
Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance produced by our bodies, with the largest concentrations found in our skin, eyes, and connective tissue. Its superpower is the ability to attract and hold on to moisture in the skin’s cells. Today, hyaluronic acid is commonly found in moisturizers serums, face masks, and eye creams. Moreover, hyaluronic acid is the active ingredient in dermal fillers like Restylane and Juvederm. Now that you know what it is, take a look at what it can do for your skin.
Deep hydration
Hyaluronic acid makes an outstanding skin hydrator due to its ability to hold water. In fact, one research study showed that just one gram of hyaluronic acid could hold up to six liters of water. Couple that with its remarkable ability to regulate the moisture content in those cells and you have a skincare dynamo that no beauty routine should be without. When applied topically, hyaluronic acid penetrates deeply into the skin, plumping it with moisture.
Enhances the skin's barrier function
As the largest organ on our bodies, our skin’s primary function is to protect our bodies. In order to work effectively, it needs constant hydration and moisture. Over time, however, as a direct result of the constant assault from environmental factors like pollution and UV rays, our skin’s moisture barrier tends to take a pretty good beating. In turn, its ability to function (keeping the good stuff in and keeping the bad stuff out) becomes compromised. And that’s where hyaluronic acid comes in; it can help fortify and repair your skin’s moisture barrier to keep it operating at max capacity.
Tackles fine lines and wrinkles
As we age, our skin loses the ability to retain water (and stay moisturized). In addition to the harmful effects of free-radicals, environmental pollution, and overexposure to UV rays, it’s your recipe for expeditious aging — that’s the bad news. The good news is hyaluronic acid can easily address these skincare concerns. Along with its exceptional ability to hydrate your skin, hyaluronic acid is teeming with antioxidants, so it packs a nice one-two punch on aging. With continued use, hyaluronic acid can help diminish the look of fine lines and wrinkles.
Other ancillary benefits of hyaluronic acid
As hyaluronic acid performs its primary function – deeply moisturizing the skin and restoring its moisture barrier, there are a few more ancillary benefits your skin reaps as a result of that deep hydration. These benefits include:
- Improved resilience
- Improved clarity
- Decreased hyperpigmentation
- Smoother texture
Who should use hyaluronic acid?
While the name can be a little confusing, there are no known side effects of using hyaluronic acid, and it can be used by people of all skin types. Those with dry or mature skin might stand to gain the most from using hyaluronic acid because it’s such a powerful ally in the fight against those particular skin issues. That said, with its ability to address such a broad spectrum of skin concerns, anyone can benefit from it.
