Hyaluronic acid is one of the most accessible skincare ingredients on the market, and many professional and consumer products are formulated with it.

What is hyaluronic acid?

Hyaluronic acid is a carbohydrate compound (more specifically, a glycosaminoglycan) which occurs naturally in the body – the average person has 15 grams of it, a third of which is degraded and replaced daily.

It has several important functions including aiding in wound repair, cell adhesion and joint lubrication. Although hyaluronic acid is present in the skin, it is often supplemented topically with skincare products.

While you might associate the word “acid” with stronger ingredients like glycolic  and salicylic acid hyaluronic acid’s name actually comes from the “hyaluronic acid synthase” enzyme which produces hyaluronic acid.

Unlike its harsher acidic cousins, hyaluronic acid doesn’t exfoliate the skin, instead acting as a humectant – a hydrophilic, or water-loving, substance which attracts water. Hyaluronic acid’s presence in the skin helps to keep it hydrated.

“It works like a sponge – pulling moisture from the air into your skin,” In fact, hyaluronic acid is capable of holding over 1,000 times its weight in water.

The ability to supplement the body’s natural hyaluronic acid is important because, as with most skin components (looking at you, collagen), the body’s creation of hyaluronic acid starts to slow down from the age of 25. The hyaluronic acid used in skincare is synthetic – it can be created in a lab through the fermentation of glucose and yeast extract.

Although this all sounds promising, topical hyaluronic acid does have its limitations. It tends to have a large molecular size which prevents it from penetrating through to the dermis, meaning it can’t usually provide more than superficial hydration on the skin’s surface.

However, some higher end products contain hyaluronic acid of a few different molecular weights which “will affect the delivery and depth of the absorption” through the skin’s layers,

How does hyaluronic acid help the skin?

Hyaluronic acid has a number of benefits, including:

• Hydration: Hyaluronic acid’s ability to attract moisture from the air to the skin means it’s great for treating dehydrated skin “We are all prone to dehydration from internal and external factors, so hyaluronic acid is a vital water source for the skin.”
• Protecting the skin: Hyaluronic acid can to help repair a compromised skin barrier, or stratum corneum, by pulling water from the air and dermis towards the epidermis. “It can calm skin reaction with its barrier-balancing effects, as well as regulating oil production and reducing shine, supporting youthful skin function and smoothing the surface instantly.”
• Plumping effects: “Hyaluronic acid is native to the dermis of the skin, helping to balance water content, but it also has structural properties – it helps the skin look plump and bouncy,” hyaluronic acid would actually need to penetrate through to the dermis to have a real plumping effect.

Is hyaluronic acid good for all skin types?

Hyaluronic acid is suitable for all skin types and where extra hydration is needed.

Sensitivity and reactivity are far more of a concern for the likes of VitC & Retinoids but it is still a possibility with hyaluronic acid. “Very rarely, someone may be allergic to topical hyaluronic acid, but this is highly unlikely.”

How should you use hyaluronic acid?

Hyaluronic acid is available in standalone serums, but because it’s a stable ingredient it can also be found in combination with other ingredients in many products – either as hyaluronic acid or sodium hyaluronate, its salt form.

“Hyaluronic acid is suitable for all skin types and is a relatively benign, unreactive ingredient. “For pure humectant hydration, it is often mixed with sodium pyroglutamic acid (PCA), which works synergistically to draw even more water into the skin's layers.

“It’s also a great vehicle to be used alongside peptides in skincare, which can supercharge your skin health.”

Hyaluronic acid can be used topically in skin serums and moisturisers to help with superficial hydration. It’s best used on slightly damp skin to aid moisture absorption, so clients might want to use it directly after cleansing.

Hyaluronic acid can also be worked into a more extensive skincare routine. “I always advise its use in a daily routine following cleansing, exfoliating and any active ingredients such as vitamin C or retinoids.

“& of course, don't forget to apply sunscreen at the end of your routine every morning, come rain or shine,”

Along with being a common ingredient for clients to use at home, hyaluronic acid is an industry favourite in professional beauty treatments. “It supports all facial treatments from gentle wellbeing facials to the most ablative skin treatments, such as RF Microneedling peeling, laser and light therapies.”

“It helps to promote skin healing after treatments because hyaluronic acid and water are much-needed ingredients in the wound-healing process, helping to support collagen fibre networks post injury to prevent scarring.”

Hyaluronic acid has become really popular among Aesthetic World in the last few years because it can be injected deeper into the skin in the form of skin boosters to help restore the structural component of the dermis. There are also ingested forms of hyaluronic acid, which are used primarily by those with joint pains or injury.”