Hyaluronic acid (H.A) is a vital component that’s acts as a cushioning and lubricant agent for our joint, nerves, skin and eyes. It plays a key role in our epidermis and dermis. It also assists in the passage of nutrients throughout the skin and in the skins healing particularly after UV damage and free radical damage. Naturally occurring Hyaluronic acid Just like collagen and elastin decreases as we get older. So we need to add this key ingredient into our regimes at home. H.A is a sugar found naturally in our skin that holds water to keep it hydrated and nice and plump.
H.A holds a thousand times its weight in water!
H.A is so powerful at pulling moisture to the surface layers of your skin. It can draw moisture from the air and keep your skin moist. The reason why we love this ingredient so much is its magically ability to retain moisture. Lack of moisture is one of the skins culprits to ageing skin.
When choosing HA it is so important to choose a good one. If the molecule is too big it will not penetrate into the skin, it will only sit on the surface layers. Always apply to damp skin if you can.
Who is it for?
It is safe to use on all skin types, especially those who are dry.
When should I use it?
Use twice a day am and pm. H.A can be paired with a lot of ingredients in your skin such as retinol and Vitamin C. Always be conscious of the grade of PH of glycolic acid and salicylic acid as this can the HA ineffective.
As long as its in the correct formulation It will make your skin feel dewy, younger, improves skin elasticity reduce wrinkles. Replenishes cell moisture, speeds wound healing.
For H.A to really penetrate the skins surface when applied topically, it actually has to be bioengineered to have a much lower molecular weight.
A lot brands say 2% is the highest concentrate of H.A you can apply to your skin without drying effects. If you see the word Sodium hyaluronate on your ingredients list, this is ok, this is a counterpart of H.A. but in a salt form and has really small moleclar size. Both Hyaluronic acid and Sodium Hyaluronate when formulated correctly have amazing result to your skin.
With all brands and percentages been mentioned, sometimes you actually don’t know what you are getting unless you bring it to a lab. What we do know is that you do need to reduce the size of H.A in order to penetrate into the skin because it is just too large a molecule (3000nm) to pass through. The skin intercellular space is between 15-50nm. So it would be like trying to get a basket ball through the eye of a needle. So the lower the size the more that will pass through. Japanese scientists have managed to develop low molecular size as low as 5nm. All depending in what you want to treat, here is a breakout of the different weights.
The smaller molecular weights deeply penetrate to fully hydrate the dermis, visibly plumping out fine lines and wrinkles.
Medium weights will hold moisture below the stratum corneum but will not be as deep into the dermal layers.
The larger weights sit on the surface of the skins cells providing a barrier, attracting moisture from the atmosphere so keeping the skins surface hydrated. Only the skins surface. A large weight will not penetrate past the surface.
Benefits:
- Plumps Fine Line and wrinkles
- Super Hydrating
- Healing Properties
- Powerful Antioxidant
Check your products at home, there is a chance you have this magically ingredient in one of them. If not here are my top 5 Hyaluronic Acid Products to add to your regime. All available on Millies.ie
To finish Hyaluronic acid is such a key ingredient to have in your regime. Look closely at what you are buying and the formulation of every ingredient because it is actually going to make the difference in how long it takes to get results or if you will even get results. Always check with your skin consultant for advise on what products to get.
