Properties, benefits and effects on the skin of hyaluronic acid
The human body continuously produces, consumes and synthesizes hyaluronic acid molecules. They are predominantly found in skin tissues.
Around the age of 30, the hyaluronic acid amount produced and synthesized by the body gradually begins to decrease. This decreases the skin’s ability to maintain an optimal hydration level.
Hyaluronic acid properties and effects: what is hyaluronic acid good for?
Hyaluronic acid has strong moisturizing properties. It acts on maintaining the skin’s water balance, as well as having repairing and regenerating properties of the tissues. Given its remarkable ability to retain water, it’s able to swell, increasing its volume, thus filling small wrinkles for an anti-aging effect.
Molecular weight and functionality of hyaluronic acid
The functionality of hyaluronic acid depends on its molecular weight.
An extremely low molecular weight (20-100 kDa) is able to penetrate into the deeper layers of the epidermis, allowing it to perform a restorative, regenerating and anti-aging activity, increasing the elasticity of the skin and reducing the depth of wrinkles.
High molecular weight hyaluronic acid (1800-3000 kDa), on the other hand, has a filming and moisturizing action thanks to its high capacity to retain water. Creates a protective film on the stratum corneum which allows a decrease in TEWL (Trans Epidermidal Water Loss) of the skin.
Hyaluronic acid properties, what does hyaluronic acid come from?
Hyaluronic acid has moisturizing, repairing and regenerative properties depending on the molecular weight. It allows to maintain the water balance of the skin thanks to the hydrophilic characteristics of its molecules, which are able to bind up to 10,000 water molecules. It belongs to the family of glycosaminoglycans, the so-called GAGs, and is a biopolymer made up of repeated units of glucuronic acid and N-acetyl-glucosamine. It binds to the water molecules forming a gelatinous structure.
There are different hyaluronic acid forms applied in cosmetic field: they range from fragmented forms with different molecular weights, to those conveyed in lipid or dehydrated microparticles.
In products containing hyaluronic acid it is possible to find as INCI:
- “Sodium Hyaluronate” (20-100 kDa), which manages to penetrate into the deeper layers of the epidermis, allowing it to perform a repairing, regenerating and anti-aging activity. It is the most used in cosmetics as it allows greater dispersibility in water than pure hyaluronic acid;
- “Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid” or “Hyaluronic Acid”.
These are all valid, recognized and usable names in the cosmetic industry.
The most recent hyaluronic acid forms are produced through bacterial bio fermentation mechanisms starting from sugars of vegetable origin, thus making the raw material usable and compliant with the standards of natural products.
What are the benefits of hyaluronic acid
The main hyaluronic acid benefits are of an endogenous nature. Given the particular ability to retain water, the hyaluronic acid molecules swell with water, increasing their volume, thus filling the small wrinkles of the skin. By pushing the hollow of the wrinkle towards the surface, the skin is smoother and more homogeneous, giving an immediate anti-aging effect.
When combined with water, hyaluronic acid forms a gelatinous structure that gives the skin elasticity and firmness. In the most superficial layer of the skin, called the stratum corneum, the permanence of hyaluronic acid is limited in time. It plays an essential role in maintaining water homeostasis, optimally regulating the hydration balance of the most superficial layers of the skin.
Hyaluronic acid for face
Hyaluronic acid is a highly appreciated ingredient in cosmetic use for its moisturizing and anti-wrinkle properties.
It pleasantly improves the skin feel of the products that contain it, leaving an extremely silky touch. The benefits of using cosmetic products containing hyaluronic acid are especially noticeable on the skin of the face, showing its effects in the expression lines created by facial expressions.
The skin of the face is the body part that is constantly exposed to sunlight and environmental conditions, which considerably affect the skin’s water balance: hyaluronic acid allows to rebalance the skin’s hydration, increasing elasticity and the structure of the dermal tissue of the face.
Why is hyaluronic acid good for skin
Hyaluronic acid has benefits on the skin of the whole body and is used in a very transversal way. It can be applied in products for the face, from younger skins seeking hydration and silkiness to more mature skins on which it has benefits on the elasticity and turgor of the skin. In body care products, hyaluronic acid helps keep the skin hydrated, making it compact and pleasant to the touch.
The most recent applications of hyaluronic acid see the development of hair products with benefits both on the health of the scalp and on the elasticity and hydration of the hair.