Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic acid (HA) seems to have been the buzz word of 2018 when it came to skincare and I don't reckon you'll stop hearing anytime soon.

So What Is It??

Hyaluroic acid, or HA, is a carbohydrate. It is gooey and clear in colour, and is formed naturally in the body. It is used for many different ailments, in many different forms. For example, it can be taken orally for various joint problems, due to its ability to hold moisture.

What Does it Do?

​. Our skin holds 50% of the body's HA. It increases elasticity, helps to maintain healthy connective tissue, plumps out the skin, helps inflammation, is healing and is super moisturising. Hyaluronic Acid is in a league of it's own because of it's unique cpability to hold 1000 times it's own weight in moisture! Yes, you read that correctly, 1000 times its weight!!
It attracts moisture to itself like a magnet and holds it there, which is why it's such a staple in the skin.

Here's a tip ->

HA, or sodium hyaluronate, is the purest form of hyaluronic acid and what you're looking for on the ingredient list. Many products advertise HA as an ingredient included, but if you check the ingredient list you can see how much of it is actually used. The ingredients at the top of the list are used in a higher percentage and the ones near the end of the list are of a lower percentage.

Ok So, How Does It Work And Why Do I Need It??

Right, so in regards to skincare, which is why we're here, the HA molecule is too big to be absorbed into the skin, and so it stays at the surface pulling moisture to it. This is how it moisturises, hydrates and protects. Some products claim to have 'low molecular weight hyaluronic acid' or LMWHA, which does absorb deeper into the skin. However, this HA's molecular structure has been changed using enzymes, so basically it's zapped to make it smaller, so it's no longer in it's purest form. There's also no proof that to say there is any more benefit to the skin, if any, and normally comes with a higher price tag.

If our bodies make this stuff itself, why do we need to apply it in cosmetic form, I hear you ask! Well, like everything in our bodies, as we age these things are not as plentiful or productive. We also put our bodies through an awful lot more than we did 1000s of years ago when the likes of makeup and central heating were a, rare commodity, also they had the added bonus of a thicker ozone layer back then!! So, we need to give our skin all the help it needs and when 99.9% of grown ups these days have dehydrated skin, this stuff is like a drink of water from the fountain of youth. Ok, that's dramatic but it's almost just as effective.

There is ways to get hyaluronic acid, in it's purest and natural form, deeper into the skin and that is through; HA fillers which are injected into the skin by a trained doctor, and microneedling/collagen induction therapy, which is a minimal invasive facial.

My Opinion ->

I loooove HA. I use it everyday in 100% pure serum form and in my mist too. HA only lasts a day on the skin, so it needs to be applied everyday, morning and night.
My advice? Lash this bad boy onto to your face, you will thank me later!!