Being able to hold up 1,000 times its weight in water, hyaluronic acid is widely praised as the gold standard for skin hydration, and can be practically seen in almost every single beauty product. But did you know, using it wrongly can actually lead to drier skin, and even inflammations and blemishes?
AGENT NATEUR
holi(water) Pearl & Rose Toner <- Click to shop
Fortified with Bulgarian Rose Water, Lavender Water, Pitaya, Cucumber, Pearl Powder, Jasmine Oil, Honey, Sandalwood Oil and Sodium Hyaluronate, this ultra hydrating toner intensely hydrates, softens, soothes, plumps, tightens and brightens the skin. Its rich content of antioxidants and phytonutrients also provide anti-inflammation and anti-bacterial benefits, thereby reducing and improving acne and redness.
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What is Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring glycosaminoglycan found throughout the body’s connective tissue. It is typically found in quantities of approximately 10 to 20 grams in the body, and about half of which is stored in the skin to provide support to the structural proteins of the skin, collagen and elastin for that firm, plumped look.
The body can make hyaluronic acid on its own, but with age, the production of it naturally declines, whilst external factors like pollution and ultraviolet radiation further decrease its level. When the epidermis loses the principle molecule responsible for binding and retaining water molecules, you will experience apparent dehydration, atrophy and loss of elasticity.
Now, hyaluronic acid is known to have a large molecular weight and therefore does not easily penetrate the skin. In skincare products, therefore, you may often find it appear as hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid or sodium hyaluronate, that are lower-molecular weight in size, with the former working at the surface-level to smooth and hydrate, and the latter doing the same on a deeper level.
KLUR
Immersion Serum Concentrate <- Click to shop
Besides having a wide range of ultra hydrating ingredients, including Green Tea Water, Aloe Vera Leaf Juice, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate & Sodium Hyaluronate, the serum is also packed with 3 forms of Peptides to stimulate collagen synthesis and micro-circulation, improve skin barrier and hydration, reduce wrinkles and inflammation, regenerate collagen fibers, and rejuvenate skin. Whilst, Niacinamide, Reishi, Gotu Kola, White Tea and Chamomile etc. are added to brighten, fight free radicals, hydrate and soothe.
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Hyaluronic Acid Benefits For The Skin
Thanks to its properties in holding up to 1,000 times its weight in water, hyaluronic acid, a humectant, can pull water from the environment to the surface of the skin. It also strengthens and fortifies the hydrolipic barrier to keep water locked in.
The best part is, because hyaluronic acid (in its natural form) is part of the human body to begin with, it is very well tolerated by the skin and body.
Because it essentially works on the surface level, you will see improvements in skin hydration, elasticity and even fine lines and wrinkles, rather instantaneously. Yet since it does not directly affecting cellular activities, its effects are temporary and short-lived.
TWELVE BEAUTY
Ideal Moisture Level Serum <- Click to shop
Formulated with various hydrating ingredients, such as Saccharide Isomerate, Panthenol and long-chain Sodium Hyaluronate, as well as prized organic botanicals like White Genepì and Mallow, it helps to provide long-lasting hydration while forming a protective layer on the skin surface to lock in moisture. It also improves the skin's barrier function, soothes irritations, fights free radicals, reduces inflammations, protects against UV rays, and repairs the skin.
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Problems With Hyaluronic Acid
Being a humectant, hyaluronic acid needs outside water to actually work——when applied to skin in dry conditions where humidity is low, it will instead draw water from the deeper layers of the skin and bring it to the surface of the epidermis, leaving the skin drier than it was.
As mentioned above, natural hyaluronic acid has rather large molecules that mainly sit on top of the skin, which is why you often feel some sort of tackiness with a hyaluronic acid serum, or even experience piling when used with other products. On the other hand, when they are broken down into very low molecular weight ( ≤ 25 kDA), it can potentially carry bacteria and other unwanted ingredients more deeply into the skin. If you have compromised skin, this might be bad news, as that could mean blemishes, redness, irritations, and inflammations.
Furthermore, with hyaluronic acid, it’s definitely not the more the better, especially since it is present in almost all the skincare products these days. Let’s say your toner, serum, and moisturiser all contain hyaluronic acid, it then adds up very quickly. 0.5 - 1 percent in a product is enough for it to effectively hydrate and plump the skin, and generally speaking, 1 - 2 percent in a routine is already extremely effective. In fact, according studies have shown hydration tends to teeter off after 2%, and anything more than that can actually be drying to the skin.
MARIE REYNOLDS LONDON
Skin Quencher <- Click to shop
Enriched with 16% olive-derived Squalane, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, as well as Aloe Vera, this serum / lightweight moisturizer hydrates, soothes inflammations, and calms, whilst sending signals to cells to produce more collagen, plump skin, and smooth wrinkles, thus restoring and maintaining the skin’s youthful appearance.
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Best Ways To Use Hyaluronic Acid
- Remember to apply a hyaluronic acid product to damp skin, never dry skin, then seal it in with an oil or moisturizer.
- Make sure the products containing hyaluronic acid contain other water ingredients, such as hydrosols, green tea, aloe vera leaf juice, or glycerin, to prevent it from pulling water from the deeper layers of the skin to the surface, making it drier.
- Avoid products that contain more than 2 percent hyaluronic acid, otherwise you might run the risk of actually drying the skin.
- Avoid products that promote itself as having nano or ultra low molecular weight sized hyaluronic acid, as they are inflammatory and do more harm than good.
KLUR
Symmetry Fluid <- Click to shop
Rich in rare ingredients Astaxanthin and Fulvic Acid, as well as resveratrol-rich Cranberry, White Tea Extract, Red Algae, Dandelion, Gotu Kola and Ginkgo, and hydrating ingredients like Green Tea Water and Sodium Hyaluronate etc., Symmetry Fluid fights off inflammations and free radicals, detoxifies, removes heavy metals in the skin, brightens, reduces acne, promotes skin cell regeneration, strengthens and repairs the skin, and increases skin elasticity.
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