"Hyaluronic acid can draw moisture from the air and keep your skin moist, holding almost 1000 times its weight in water," she says. "So, it's not only a moisturizer, it has the ability to hold extra moisture." You can even take hyaluronic acid as a supplement, but we recommend consulting a doctor before you do so.
HA has the incredible capacity to attract and hold onto 1000x its weight in moisture. And here lies the key: Hyaluronic acid should be used in a moisturizer in order for it to work—when you add moisture to the skin, you're giving the HA added water to absorb and hold onto, rather than pulling moisture out of dry skin.
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.
Yup! "Hyaluronic acid is safe and beneficial to use everyday for maintaining skin hydration," says Dr. Russak. You just need to make sure you're applying it correctly.
“Hyaluronic acid plays well with most ingredients, while caution must be taken when using retinol in combination with alpha hydroxy and beta hydroxy acids, benzoyl peroxide, and some types of vitamin C.” Linkner echoes the tip about avoiding vitamin C.
Hyaluronic acid by itself is non-comedogenic (doesn't clog pores), but you should be careful when choosing a hyaluronic acid serum that the ingredient list doesn't contain any sneaky pore-clogging ingredients you're not expecting.
Hyaluronic acid can dry out the skin as it draws moisture from its surroundings and leaves skin exposed if the moisture is not sealed in. The background: The moisture that hyaluronic acid products attract comes from our external environment.
If you have a moisturizer that works for your skin already, simply add hyaluronic acid to this to utilize its benefits. Research the ingredients in your product to ensure you'll achieve the correct concentration of hyaluronic acid.
According to the experts, the hero ingredient actually needs to be applied to damp skin in order to work. In fact, applying it to a dry face can have the opposite effect of what is intended, and actually leave skin more dehydrated. "Hyaluronic acid is a moisture magnet," says Allies of Skin founder Nicolas Travis.
While some skincare ingredients, like retinol, are best used at night and others, like vitamin C, work their magic in the daytime, hyaluronic acid can be used both morning and night. “I recommend use of an HA serum up to twice daily, depending on your skin's needs,” says Abdulla.
Hyaluronic acid will draw moisture from wherever it can find it to hydrate the surface of your face, including the deeper layers of your skin if there is no humidity in the air." Which is to say, too much hyaluronic acid can leave skin thirstier, and dehydration lines more prominent.
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.
HA between 50 to 1,000 kDa is the most beneficial for skin, with about 130 kDa being the best, according to the most recent human studies. Anything higher won't make too much of a difference. Anything lower might cause inflammation.
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.
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.
Products formulated with hyaluronic acid can also brighten skin's appearance. Skin will appear smoother and plumped with hydration after using.
Most drugstore or department store brands containing hyaluronic acid contain between 0.25 to 2.5 percent. Weiser suggests products with at least 1 percent for more a notable benefit. "Any product promising deep penetration of hyaluronic acid is likely not living up to its promise," she says.
Hyaluronic acid is a type of dermal filler ingredient that may be used for the lips. If you're interested in using HA injections to add volume to the lips and decrease the appearance of wrinkles, consider speaking with a board-certified cosmetic surgeon.
Whether you're a victim of smile-lines or sun damage, under eye wrinkles are a fact of life. Applying an eye serum formulated with hyaluronic acid helps plump up the skin's appearance, and make wrinkles less noticeable.
In patients looking for improvement in under eye dark circles, one of the predominant clinical findings is tear trough deformity (TTD). Soft tissue hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers are an ideal treatment to restore the volume loss in the tear trough area and relieve instantly the sunken tired appearance.
Hyaluronic acid is best if they're looking to moisturize dry skin, while retinol works better by encouraging better skin by boosting collagen production. They have several benefits that can work in tandem for better results, though patients need to be careful with the exact formulations they use.
Can You Use Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin C Together? Not all powerful skincare ingredients can be mixed, but hyaluronic acid and vitamin C are two that become even stronger when paired with one another. These ingredients can provide both immediate and lasting results when used together in anti-aging formulations.
If you are applying a Vitamin C serum and hyaluronic acid separately, it's suggested that you apply the Vitamin C first, and then add the hyaluronic acid afterward in order to help fortify the skin barrier and lock in the moisture.
The main difference between Vitamin C Serum and Hyaluronic Acid Serum is the basic functionality of the compounds. Vitamin C shall protect you from skin damage, while Hyaluronic Acid Serum helps your skin retain moisture. For effective results, these both are combined to give desired results for your skin.
You can use your serum(s) both morning and night. They do not necessarily replace your moisturizer but can boost the hydrating effects of your moisturizer. Moisturizers have a simpler job; they are meant to hydrate the skin and prevent water loss.