Another small study found that hyaluronic acid may improve skin elasticity and reduce skin roughness in as little as 2–8 weeks .
You can start seeing results within minutes of the first application, but peak results — such as anti-aging effects — don't appear until 12 weeks.
When you can use it: Hyaluronic acid can be applied twice a day topically, in the morning and at night during your skincare routine, but injected hyaluronic acid and ingestible hyaluronic acid should be administered by a doctor. Works well with: Vitamin C, vitamin B5, and glycolic acid.
There's a reason it's ubiquitous: Not only does hyaluronic acid do a killer job when it comes to moisturizing the skin, but it minimizes signs of aging, since plump, hydrated skin makes fine lines and wrinkles less visible. Here's a scientific guide that touches on the basics of hyaluronic acid.
The evidence suggests that hyaluronic acid helps with soft tissue growth, prompts your body to make more collagen and elastin, keeps your skin moisturized, prevents tightness, boots elasticity, and reduces scarring.
“Your products should absorb pretty quickly, around 30 to 60 seconds,” says Dr. Palep. “If it is taking a longer time, that means that the quality may not be good or you're not laying it in the right order with the other things you're using.”
Speaking to The Independent, board-certified dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon Dr Melanie Palm said: “It takes approximately 30 days for the epidermis or top layer of the skin to turnover once.”
Skin Cell Turnover and Aging
On average, it takes an estimated 40 to 56 days for your epidermis to completely turn over, but that timeline only lengthens as we age. This slowdown in your body's ability to replace skin cells has several effects on the appearance of your skin.
Simple lifestyle changes like exercise and increased hydration can keep the process working properly. Skin creams that include exfoliating ingredients can also help to get rid of excess dead skin. Some procedures can also encourage faster growth of new skin cells to speed up the regeneration process.
Generally speaking, dermatologists say purging should be over within four to six weeks of starting a new skin care regimen. If your purge lasts longer than six weeks, consult your dermatologist. It could be that you need to adjust the dosage and/or frequency of application.
These “can cause an increase in skin cell turnover which can lead to purging—a breakout of spots in areas where you would normally get acne. However, hyaluronic acid does not increase skin cell turnover; it's purely a hydrating skincare ingredient.” In short, hyaluronic acid isn't to blame for any breakouts.
Hyaluronic acid hydrates and plumps up skin, giving you a youthful and radiant glow. By brightening the skin, it can help mask darkness under the eyes. “Hyaluronic acid and glycerin help pull moisture into the epidermis from the environment above and dermis below,” Waldorf says.
When to Rub vs. When to Pat: Almost your entire skincare regimen — toners, essences, serums, moisturizers, and eye creams included — should be patted into the skin, since liquids, creams, lotions, and gel-based offerings absorb best with this technique.
Using a moisturizer is an essential step after applying hyaluronic acid. The moisturizer will help seal hydration into the skin and help hyaluronic acid absorb correctly if the air around you is dry.
Exfoliate regularly
Exfoliation helps shed this layer and clears out dirt, oil and clogged pores, giving you spotless glowing skin. Scrubbing regularly improves skin's health with time and ensures a healthy glow too. You can pick a scrub for your skin type and exfoliate according to your skin's requirement.
While hyaluronic acid can't fill in visible acne scars, it can help reduce redness and the visible appearance of acne. In addition, hyaluronic acid can help protect the skin, which is especially helpful for acne-prone skin, as it typically doesn't have a very strong lipid barrier.
Will Hyaluronic Acid help get rid of dark spots? "Unfortunately, Hyaluronic Acid does not prevent or brighten hyperpigmentation spots on the skin," says Hannah. "HA focuses more on hydrating and adding water/moisture to your skin. This helps plump, firm and smooth your skin.
Hyaluronic acid serum tightens skin and minimizes pores so they shrink and become invisible over time. Smaller pores mean fewer clogs and breakouts.
Skin purging typically looks like tiny red bumps on the skin that are painful to touch. They are often accompanied by whiteheads or blackheads. It can also cause your skin to become flaky. The flare ups caused by purging have a shorter lifespan than a breakout.