Hyaluronic Acid Skincare

What Is Hyaluronic Acid?

Fun fact: Hyaluronic acid is naturally found in our own bodies. It’s a sugar and a humectant whose main job is to keep the body hydrated by drawing in and retaining moisture. In fact, it can hold 1000x its weight in water. When hyaluronic is present, skin appears soft, plump, firm, and supple. Like many other parts of our bodies, such as collagen and elastin, our natural supply of hyaluronic acid degrades as skin ages, which can result in dryness, crepey texture, and wrinkles. You can get sources of hyaluronic acid through diet or supplements, but it’s most commonly applied topically through skincare. 

Hyaluronic Acid Benefits

Hyaluronic acid products are incredibly versatile; they play well with all ingredients and all skin types. It’s pregnancy-safe, too. It provides moisture and hydration, meaning hyaluronic acid is one of the few ingredients that can treat both dry and dehydrated skin. Besides moisturizing dry skin, hyaluronic acid can also firm and plump, smooth uneven texture, soften the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, repair and strengthen the skin’s barrier, and give lackluster complexions a healthy glow. You’ll find sources of hyaluronic acid in our Dew Point Moisturizing-Gel Cream. 

How to Apply Hyaluronic Acid

You’ll most commonly find sources of hyaluronic acid for skin in serums, boosters, moisturizers, face masks, and facial oils. It can be applied daily during your AM and/or PM routine, as it does not make skin more sensitive to the sun. Because hyaluronic is a humectant, it must pull moisture from somewhere to draw it into the skin. If you live somewhere with a lack of humidity, always apply hyaluronic acid while the skin is still slightly damp for added moisture.

Hyaluronic acid skincare mixes well with all other ingredients but works especially well when paired with retinol. That’s because strong retinol can have a drying effect on skin and hyaluronic helps combat that flakiness. 

Hyaluronic Acid Vs. Sodium Hyaluronate

You’ll often see the terms hyaluronic acid and sodium hyaluronate used hand in hand. Even in the skincare world, such as on packaging, products listed as having hyaluronic acid may actually be formulated with sodium hyaluronate. Sodium hyaluronate is a salt taken from hyaluronic acid. It can also hold 1000x its weight in water and has the same hydrating, skin-smoothing benefits that hyaluronic acid has. So what’s the difference? Sodium hyaluronate is slightly more stable than hyaluronic acid; it lasts longer because it doesn’t oxidize as easily. It also penetrates deeper than hyaluronic acid because it has a smaller molecule size. Reap the benefits of sodium hyaluronate in our Sunday Morning Antioxidant Oil-Serum.

Is Hyaluronic Acid Vegan?

By definition, hyaluronic acid is not vegan. It’s naturally found in our bodies and can sometimes be extracted from the joints of animals. The good news is that it can be synthetically made like ours is in hyaluronic acid serum booster, Hydration Station.