Hyaluronic acid is one of the most trending skincare ingredients in the cosmetics industry. Vast majority of beauty products contain this acid. Starting from skin care products and ending with decorative cosmetics, you can hear that hyaluronic acid is there. However, have you ever thought what is it and whether your skin needs it?
Before using products with such ingredient, we advise to get more information about it. Here, you can read whether it is suitable for you and how to use it to get maximum benefits.
What is Hyaluronic Acid?
Surprisingly, you will discover that hyaluronic acid differs from other acids, which usually exfoliate dead skin cells. This acid is a natural substance or a complex sugar found between collagen bundles in the skin. It plays a role of lubricant for joints, hair, nerves, and eyes in our bodies. Due to its characteristics, it keeps the skin stable, moist, refreshed, and promotes the renewal of skin cells.
Though, level of hyaluronic acid decreases as we age. Consequently, it loses its ability to retain water, becoming drier. The drier skin results in fine lines and loss of firmness. Therefore, we lose our youthful luster as we grow old.
Collagen, which is responsible for the youthful skin look, is mainly made of water. When applied to your skin, hyaluronic acid rehydrates your skin. Therefore, this acid gives your skin a plumper appearance and minimizes wrinkles and fine lines.
Apart from hydration, this acid has antioxidant properties. In fact, it helps to protect your skin from harsh chemicals and sun exposure. Besides, there are other environmental factors, that may negatively affect the appearance of the skin. For example, cold weather in the winter, dry air indoors in cold seasons, etc.
Drawbacks and Side Effects
Since it’s natural component of human’s body, there is no proven side effect of applying it on the skin. Actually, applying it on your skin gives you only temporary effect. That is because its molecules are too large to penetrate through the topmost layer of the skin. What it does is to add water to the top layer of the skin. However, if your aim is to get rid of existing wrinkles and fulfill the disappearing level of hyaluronic acid in your skin, then you’re gonna regret. Unfortunately, it does not provide such results when you use it like any other ordinary skin care product. When applied on top layer of the skin, it gives temporary benefits.
On the other hand, if your aim is to get permanent benefits, you have to inject it to fill a line or a wrinkle. In fact, hyaluronic acid is good substitute for other types of injections. First of all, it has less side effects. Because our skin already contains this acid, the organism does not negatively react on the injection. Moreover, the skin absorbs it in about 12 months, which means pretty long lasting effect.
Thus, hyaluronic acid doesn’t completely eliminate wrinkles if not injected. All it does is to form a skin barrier and give your skin moisturizing effects that make it feel smooth. Many brands claim that it gives permanent hydration benefits, but it only sits on the skin giving you temporary benefits. However, to provide full hydration some brands are now providing it with varying molecular weights to support skin absorption for full hydration.
Who Should Use Hyaluronic Acid?
Undoubtedly, it is good for moisturizing. However, you need to take into account that in some cases it’s better to substitute it with other products. Thus, if you live in a place with dry climate, then it’s not advisable to use products with this ingredient. That is because usually hyaluronic acid retains water from the environment.
Though, if the climate is dry, then it starts retaining water from deeper layers of your own skin. As a result, you’ll feel dryness and make the situation worse. On the other hand, people with oily skin need hyaluronic acid for hydration to provide the much-needed moisture. Hyaluronic acid is also good for the acne-prone skin, because it’s light and not oily.
Besides, if you really want to use it, then follow several steps. First of all, try to avoid using it in cold seasons, when the air indoors is dry and warm. Before applying hyaluronic acid, it’s better to make your skin wet. Moreover, do not forget to apply additional moisturizer on top following hyaluronic acid.
Does Hyaluronic Acid Work With Other Skincare Ingredients?
Hyaluronic acid works well with other skin care ingredients, such as the hydroxyl acids. Hydroxyl acid helps to exfoliate the skin to give it an even and a brighter look. Skincare ingredients, that promote skin exfoliation, usually dehydrate the skin. Using hydroxyl acids together with hyaluronic acid is the best way to get the benefits of hydroxyl acids without dehydrating the skin.
It also works well with other anti-aging ingredients, such as pure Vitamin C forms. The pure Vitamin C forms help brighten the skin and also promotes the production of collagen. Pairing hyaluronic acid with the pure forms of Vitamin C helps to protect and encourage collagen production, while hydrating and brightening the aging skin.
How to Use Hyaluronic Acid?
Like other skin care products and ingredients, you should start slow with this product, too. Start with applying it once a day to see how your skin will react to it. If you realize that your skin is benefiting from the surplus of hydration, start applying it twice a day (once in the morning and in the evening).
Most of the hyaluronic acid brands are water based and you should, therefore, apply it all over your face before applying heavy creams and oils. Injecting hyaluronic acid into the skin wrinkles and lines should be done by a dermatologist to avoid complications that can arise serious skin related problems.
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