The Benefits of Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is one of the hottest ingredients in skincare right now — and for good reason. It has the power to thoroughly hydrate, making skin look instantly dewy and plump, while decreasing the appearance of roughness, fine lines, and wrinkles. But what is hyaluronic acid exactly? And what sort of hyaluronic acid skincare product will work best for you? Read on to understand this hydrating superstar and find out how to incorporate it into your daily regimen.

What is Hyaluronic Acid?

Regardless of whether you use a hyaluronic acid skincare product currently, you are enjoying the benefits of this powerful hydrator right now. That’s because hyaluronic acid is a humectant (a substance with the ability to retain moisture) that occurs naturally in the body.

Hyaluronic Acid Serum on hand

The majority of hyaluronic acid in your body is located in your skin, while the rest can be found in other areas, including the eyes, joint fluid, and GI tract. Your skin’s natural HA is responsible for volume, moisture, and plumpness—that intrinsic glow and bounce that’s especially common when we’re young.

What Happens As We Age?

Over the years, we make less and less hyaluronic acid — and our skin starts to lose its baby-smooth plumpness. (The same thing happens to other components that help make our skin look young, like collagen and elastin). Along with age, external factors like sun damage, smoking, and diet can accelerate the decline in hyaluronic acid.2 When we lose HA, we lose that lovely moisture and radiant glow that comes with it, and we end up with dryness, rough texture, and a more sunken look to our skin.

What Does Hyaluronic Acid Do?

When used in skincare, hyaluronic acid is considered an extremely powerful hydrator that’s great for all skin types. It acts as a humectant - a substance that helps your skin hold on to water - which helps with the appearance of hydrated, glowing skin. And who doesn’t want glowing skin?

Who Should Use Hyaluronic Acid?

Generally speaking, formulas on the market today (especially those created with high-molecular weight hyaluronic acid) are largely non-irritating, so even those with more sensitive skin can reap the benefits of adding hyaluronic acid into their daily regimen.

While hyaluronic acid is a great fit for almost all skin types, those with mature or dry skin will see the most visible benefits. That’s because as we get older, our skin needs more help getting the hyaluronic acid and the moisture it used to create on its own. With the ability to hold 1,000 times its weight in water, HA is one of the most effective hydrators out there.

What Are the Benefits of Hyaluronic Acid?

Hyaluronic acid’s benefits include:

Boosting hydration for more radiant-looking skin.
Minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Improving the look of skin texture.
Helping skin appear plumper, dewier, and fuller.
Helping skin to hold on to moisture to remain hydrated longer.

What Should You Look for in a Hyaluronic Acid Skincare Product?

There are dozens of hyaluronic acid serums on the market—but not all hyaluronic acid products are created equal. Generally speaking, when you compare HA products, you’ll find two central differences: the molecular size of HA used and the other ingredients the product contains.

Hyaluronic Acid Serum with moisture droplets

The new ALASTIN HA IMMERSE Serum™ was meticulously formulated to deliver the best of both worlds. The luxurious serum is formulated only with high-molecular weight hyaluronic acid. This form of HA is the same molecular weight as the HA naturally found deep within your skin. That means it delivers the form of HA that your body needs, helping to promote plumper, more hydrated skin in a natural way.

ALASTIN’s HA IMMERSE Serum™ also includes ingredients to promote skin hydration — both from the outside in and the inside out. The proprietary Octapeptide-45 helps the skin’s ability to naturally increase its own high-molecular hyaluronic acid production deep within the skin for long-term, skin-plumping, anti-aging, and hydration benefits. Large molecule Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer is also included to support the skin’s ability to retain moisture, while Silver Mushroom Extract provides and encourages additional skin hydration., This clinically proven formula promotes more hydrated skin around the clock to deliver a glowing, lustrous appearance, while decreasing the look of fine lines and wrinkles.

Where Does Hyaluronic Acid Fit Into My Daily Regimen?

Typically when you layer on products, you start with the thinnest formula and end with the thickest formula. In the case of HA IMMERSE, this also rings true! You can apply HA IMMERSE immediately after washing and drying your face, then continue on with the rest of your daily regimen.

Where to fit Hyaluronic Acid into your skincare routine
Dermatologist, Deanne Mraz Robinson, MD, recommends using HA each morning. "You can replenish fine lines and lost volume with a hyaluronic acid serum" — her current favorite is the Alastin HA Immerse Serum — "and gently pat a brightening eye cream around your orbital bone. Seek out a product with caffeine to reduce puffiness."

The recommended order to apply your skincare:

Wash your face with Gentle Cleanser
Apply your solution serum HA IMMERSE Serum™
Restore skin with Restorative Skin Complex
Treat your eye area with Restorative Eye Treatment
PM ONLY: Renew skin with Renewal Retinol
Nourish your skin with Ultra Nourishing Moisturizer
AM ONLY: Protect your skin with HydraTint Pro Mineral Sunscreen

References

1 Lui, Kristina & Nassim, Jannelle. “The Hype on Hyaluronic Acid.” Harvard Health Blog. Jan 23, 2020.

2 Papakonstantinou E, Roth M, Karakiulakis G. Hyaluronic acid: A key molecule in skin aging. Dermatoendocrinol. 2012;4(3):253-258. doi:10.4161/derm.21923

3 Eske, Jamie. “Everything You Need to Know About Hyaluronic Acid.” Medical News Today. Sept 19, 2019. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326385

4 Chistyakov DV, Astakhova AA, Azbukina NV, Goriainov SV, Chistyakov VV, Sergeeva MG. High and Low Molecular Weight Hyaluronic Acid Differentially Influences Oxylipins Synthesis in Course of Neuroinflammation. Int J Mol Sci. 2019;20(16):3894. Published 2019 Aug 9. doi:10.3390/ijms20163894

5 Garre A, Martinez-Masana G, Piquero-Casals J, Granger C. Redefining face contour with a novel anti-aging cosmetic product: an open-label, prospective clinical study. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2017;10:473-482. Published 2017 Nov 13. doi:10.2147/CCID.S148597

6 Shen T, Duan C, Chen B, et al. Tremella fuciformis polysaccharide suppresses hydrogen peroxide-triggered injury of human skin fibroblasts via upregulation of SIRT1. Mol Med Rep. 2017;16(2):1340-1346. doi:10.3892/mmr.2017.6754

Article Reviewed by Wendy Johnson

Vice President, Marketing

Wendy Johnson brings to Alastin Skincare over 22 years of pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and aesthetics industry experience in various sales, training, marketing and thought leader development roles.

After spending 10 years in gastroenterology at Tap Pharmaceuticals and Prometheus Laboratories, with sales and marketing oversight for in-line and pre-launch products, Mrs. Johnson transitioned to an aesthetic career at SkinMedica in 2004. While there, she was responsible for marketing one of the top 2 branded prescription hydroquinones, launching a leading branded low potency steroid, and oversight of the acne franchise line extensions.

In 2010, Wendy joined Merz North America where she developed and managed the Physician Relations department in support of injectable, topical and device business units under Medical Affairs, before transitioning into managing a Regional Aesthetics Marketing team.