Who hasn’t heard about hyaluronic acid in their life? Out of all the active ingredients that we’ve been covering, it is undoubtedly one of the most popular ingredients in the skincare world, widely used in serums, moisturizers and fillers.

Oio Lab – AQUASPHERE Multi-Dimensional Hydrating Facial Serum

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a water-binding molecule, and a naturally occurring substance in the body. It is a powerful humectant, which means it has the ability to attract and retain moisture. This property makes it a crucial component for maintaining skin hydration and elasticity. As we age, the amount of HA in our skin decreases, therefore our skin gets dry and less elastic. So now that we’ve had this short introduction, let’s dive deeper and try to understand HA a bit better. 

M Picaut – Ruby Passion Probiotic Lifting Serum

As I mentioned above, HA is a humectant – which means that it has moisturizing and hydrating properties. It retains water to keep our skin tissues well lubricated, and it has the ability to hold 1000 times its weight in water. You will often encounter HA, since it is marketed all over the place, and can be found in many many skincare products. And of course in fillers. It comes in different molecules sizes and bears many names, at different occasions found under the names Glycosaminoglycan, Hyaluron, Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronan, or the most commonly used Sodium Hyaluronate.

Pai Skincare – Feather Canyon – Hyaluronic Acid Eye Cream

Now, if you read the active ingredients article, you might remember that some Hyaluronic Acid on the market are animal-derived, and some are fully vegan. The vegan HA derived from bacterial fermentation. The brand will market the product as vegan. Additionally, you can go on the Amazingy web and choose only the vegan products!

Wait a sec… what is Sodium Hyaluronate?

Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of HA. It is a smaller molecule and also more cost-efficient. Why do you need to know that? Simply put, having a smaller molecular structure means it has the capacity to get deeper into your skin, providing even more hydration, and it is promoted as such. Another reason for its permanence in the anti-aging field is its ability to improve firmness and smooth fine lines. You will find your beloved Sodium Hyaluronate in many products, since it is also more feasible to use in product formulations.

Ruhi – The Probiotic Hyaluronic Serum

Got you! Now forget about the weird names – what are the benefits?

HA helps to keep the skin firm due to its ability to absorb and retain moisture. Your skin will look plumper directly after application, faster than 3-second glue. That also has the side effect of repairing the skin barrier. It will reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles, plus all that moisture retention will prevent wrinkles from developing in the first place. Moreover, HA is proven to help wounds heal faster, since it supports skin repair and regeneration – and by doing so, it can reduce scarring. And yes, even acne scars. In fact, many acne fighters would enjoy the aid of hyaluronic acid since it can help prevent future breakouts because it keeps the skin hydrated. Moreover, some research claim that HA has the potential to protect our skin from pollution and environmental damages.

However the major benefit of HA is the fact that it suits almost any skin type and skin condition and, on top of that, it can be mixed with other ingredients.

Twelve Beauty – Hyaluroil Lip Treatment

Okay, so far sounds great… then what’s the issue?

Well, hyaluronic acid has a high molecular weight, and simply put, it wouldn’t normally be able to be absorbed through the skin. For that reason, scientists broke it down into smaller particles that weigh a lot less, known as low molecular weight HA. But again, the problem persisted that the low molecular weight HA couldn’t be absorbed into the skin.

Another problem we encounter with our beloved HA is that it’s a humectant acid, which means that it will suck out the moisture from our skin, leaving us dehydrated, and leading to other side effects of course, such as redness and irritation. And if we have already mentioned the downside, you should take note that higher HA percentage could irritate the skin, leaving it dry and inflamed.  

All of that does not mean that HA is a bad choice, not at all; it just reflects the fact that you should not use it in every step of your routine. One product containing this active ingredient is more than enough. For best results, it is always recommended to combine your HA with other active ingredients which your skin tolerates. If your skin sensitivity is inflamed, you could combined this ingredient with BHA/PHA and of course with many other less harsh active and inactive ingredients. 

Susanne Kaufmann – Hyaluron Serum

What else do I need to know?

You still have to meet his partner, Glycerin. Together they are a power couple. We will talk more about glycerin in the future, but we do love it too. Very much. Together, they will support your skin’s moisture retention, and because glycerin is a small molecule, it can penetrate the skin more easily, plump it and keep you hydrated.  

Mádara Cosmetics – PEEL Hyaluron Intense Peel Serum

To sum it up…

HA is a great addition to your skincare routine, since it suits all skin types, and various skin conditions. It will plump your skin and provide hydration, reduce the fine lines and wrinkles and of course will make you look fresh. When you purchase a product, look for one that has different HA molecules, larger and smaller, which will penetrate deeper into your skin. Remember, this ingredient can not get too deep, it will hydrate your outer layers of the skin. 

Hyaluronic acid got its fame for a good reason, and when it comes to using it, more and higher is not necessarily better ; you’ll definitely start to notice when you’re overdoing it with HA, which is anyway hidden in so many products. The best advice we could give you when integrating HA into your skincare routine (although we are sure that it already has been integrated whether you did so intentionally or not), is to limit the use of it to one product. Do not fall for marketing brands that will pump you with HA in every step of your skincare routine. Other than that, you could use its partner in skincare crime, glycerin, for further hydration, plumping and firming. With that said, also please do not overdo it when using glycerin either. In general, too much of any one thing can’t be very good for us – it’s all about moderation 😉 

Hyaluronic acid can be found in the INCI database on our web shop, where you’ll be able to look through all the specific Amazingy products which contain them 🙂 And that’s all for now! We hope that after reading this, you have a bit more of an understanding about this ingredient and products you’re putting on your skin every day.

Cover Photo by Julia Kuzenkov on Pexels