What Is Hyaluronic Acid and What Does It Do?
Hydration is one of the best things you can do for skin, for just about any part of body care and good health to be exact. While the best form of hydration is water - which if you’re not already doing, take a break, grab a glass of water, take a sip, now we can continue - there are tons of topical products that you can use to boost the hydration in your skin. One of my favourites being, Hyaluronic Acid.
But what exactly is Hyaluronic Acid and what does it do for the skin? Today we’re breaking down this cosmetic ingredient to find out what is, what it does and how to use it to improve your skin.
What is Hyaluronic Acid?
Don’t let the acid part fool you. Hyaluronic Acid (HA) is a compound that is naturally found in the body that helps maintain moisture levels of the skin. Our daily environment; pollution, free radicals and other impurities are thrown at our skin all day long and disrupt our skin’s acid mantle (moisture barrier of the skin). Not to mention, as we age, our skin cells produce less, and less of HA. If you love your youthful glow, it’s definitely a good idea to get in the habit of applying it topically.
Known from its trademark, being able to hold “1000x is weight in water,” Well, about 6L of water. When used correctly it can have some awesome benefits for the skin!
Benefits of Hyaluronic Acid
When applied topically, this powerful hydration magnet “helps to hydrate the skin and maintain this hydration as a humectant” Aesthetic Doctor, Dr. Maryam Zamani.
Google Dictionary: HA is a humectant; a substance, especially a skin lotion or a food additive, used to reduce the loss of moisture
Here are just a few of HA’s infamous benefits:
Soothe dehydrated skin
Hydrated skin shows diminished appearance of fine lines, uneven skin-tone, dullness and texture
Reduces skin sensitivity
HA is good for all skin types. “Even sensitive or breakout-prone skin, as well as those with an oily complexion,” Dia Foley of Indeed Labratories.
Antioxidant
According to recent studies, it is suggested that HA has antioxidant properties that can help protect the skin against free radical damage.
But Isn’t It An Acid?
Recent fear mongering about cosmetic ingredients, acids and chemicals may scare you into thinking that all acids are bad. But HA isn’t one of them. It is a naturally occurring compound that is found in our very bodies. Think of it as skin food. It doesn’t topically exfoliate, or strip the skin of its natural moisture. Quite the opposite. And there is no downtime or sun sensitivity after use.
Okay, But Who Should Be Using HA?
You can benefit from HA if:
your skin feels dry
your skin is oily on the surface but feels tight
you have acneic (acne prone) skin
you have fine lines and wrinkles
Sounds like you? Well then you should be using it. Unlike other ingredients, everyone can benefit from HA which is one of the things that makes it so great.
3 Ways To Figure Out Your Skin Type
How To Use HA
A word of caution. Hyaluronic acid does great things for the skin if used correctly. When not, it can have some drying effects. You’ll find information, products, and reviews raving about its hydrating properties, but in truth, HA is not a moisturizer. It is a humectant. It is not hydrating in and of itself, but it uses its environment. This means you need to create a moist environment for it to work as desired.
HA works like a moisture magnet that moves water molecules from a moist area to a drier area. Hence, using HA on dry skin will pull moisture from the deeper layers of the skin to hydrate the top layer. This will leave your skin feeling tight and dry. Instead, use apply HA to already hydrated skin.
See How To Do An At-Home Hyaluronic Facial
The best time to use it is right after you step out of the shower when your skin is soft and plump. It will help draw the steam further into the skin and keep skin cells happy and hydrated. Try steaming your skin or spritzing your skin with your favourite facial mist or toner before applying and make sure to seal the hydration in with a good facial lotion.