Two of the most common products used to keep skin in excellent condition are hyaluronic acid and retinol. What should a person use between hyaluronic acid or retinol? Hyaluronic acid is best if they're looking to moisturize dry skin, while retinol works better by encouraging better skin by boosting collagen production.
It's perfectly safe and okay to use hyaluronic acid and retinol together. Using skin care products that contain these ingredients together shouldn't cause any interactions or side effects. Hyaluronic acid and retinol are one of the most popular skin care combinations.
STEP 4: APPLY YOUR HYALURONIC ACID
If you are using it in serum form, you'll apply it immediately after your retinol. If it is part of your moisturizer, it will be your last step. That allows it to truly harness its power as an emollient and seal in both your other products and moisture.
Topical hyaluronic acid may not reverse superficial signs of aging, but the injectable forms of hyaluronic acid can. Hyaluronic acid can be injected directly into the skin to help fill deep lines and wrinkles. It also is used to recontour the face, adding a youthful fullness back to the cheeks or to fill out the lips.
If not used correctly, HA can cause dryness, which will make the appearance of wrinkles more pronounced. If used alone in a dry climate, it will draw moisture from the skin if there is none in the air to grab hold of. This will evaporate if not sealed in, causing even deeper dryness than what you had to begin with.
When this happens, hyaluronic acid has the opposite effect of its intended purpose, leaving skin drier, thirstier, and more prone to showing signs of aging.
Hyaluronic acid is safe and effective for just about all skin types, and it has special benefits for mature skin.
In a 2017 study of healthy Japanese men and women between ages 22 and 59, researchers found that oral hyaluronic acid helps to inhibit skin wrinkles, with users showing a reduction in wrinkle volume ratio after eight weeks of use.
Hyaluronic acid is a skin care staple for plump, hydrated skin, dermatologists say. Hyaluronic acid is a “great hydrator for pretty much all skin types,” one expert said.
Moisturizers and serums are two of the most common forms of hyaluronic acid. Moisturizers. Use a moisturizer infused with hyaluronic acid at the time when you'd usually moisturize. Ideally, this would be 2 times a day and always after cleansing, exfoliating, or applying serums.
Summary – Hyaluronic acid vs retinol
The difference between hyaluronic acid vs retinol is mainly down to how they act on your skin. Hyaluronic acid hydrates your skin while retinol increases the rate that your skin produces new skin cells.
Don't Mix: Retinol with vitamin C, benzoyl peroxide, and AHA/BHA acids. AHA and BHA acids are exfoliating, which can dry out skin and cause further irritation if your skincare routine already includes retinol.
Can I use hyaluronic acid every day? Yup! And you can even use it twice a day as long as you're applying it to clean, damp skin, then locking it in with a moisturizer and face oil.
For prescription retinols, you'll typically apply this step onto dry skin before your moisturizer—but always check with your dermatologist. You may be advised to use it after a moisturizer, which buffers the retinol and lessens risk of irritation.
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.
Hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is hyaluronic acid that has been broken down into elements small enough to penetrate the skin, Gasquet says. It's moisturizing, but not the most moisturizing option, so it's best for people who have oily or combination skin, since these skin types want to avoid over-moisturizing.
While there's not a lot to go on when it comes to research on how hyaluronic acid works as a topical cosmetic, dermatologists often recommend it to patients since it can hydrate and plump skin while also softening the look of fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging—all without added oiliness.
Hyaluronic acid supplements can help increase skin moisture and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Topical treatments can soothe redness and dermatitis, while injections can make skin appear firmer.
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.
Retains moisture: Hyaluronic acid helps replenish and hold cell moisture, leading to hydrated, plump skin. Reduces the appearance of wrinkles: Since dehydrated skin is one of the main causes of wrinkles, hyaluronic acid replenishes lost moisture and helps reduce the appearance of any fine lines.
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.
Retinoids reduce fine lines and wrinkles by increasing the production of collagen. They also stimulate the production of new blood vessels in the skin, which improves skin color. Additional benefits include fading age spots and softening rough patches of skin.
Collagen and hyaluronic acid are organic components, found in the human body. Collagen is the main protein in human connective tissue. Hyaluronic acid is a linear insoluble polymer – mucopolysaccharide. In nature, collagen is found mainly in mammals, exclusively in animals.
“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.”