Does your skin need hyaluronic acid?
Oh yeah!
What is hyaluronic acid?
Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring polysaccharide (try saying that after a few margaritas!) found in our body and acts as a cushioning and lubrication agent for our joints, nerves, hair, skin and eyes. 50% of this supply is located in skin tissue so it plays a huge part in skin appearance helping to keep it nice n plump, soft and supple.
Hyaluronic acid is also the main ingredient in injectable dermal fillers. We’re focusing on its benefits in topical skincare right now, however if that kind of thing is up your alley, there is a lot to love about it according to dermatologists and cosmetic practitioners. Hyaluronic acid has replaced collagen as the ingredient of choice for restoring lost volume since the body does not recognize it as a foreign substance.
Why do I need it in my moisturiser?
As our age goes up our hyaluronic acid goes down leading to fine lines, dryness and loose skin. Hyaluronic acid molecules have a unique ability to attract and retain more than 1,000 times their weight in water. That’s more than any other biological substance. Shut the front door?!
But that’s not all… sun damage, acne, sensitive skin, rosacea and inflammation can lead to a damaged skin barrier, so repairing it with skin-identical ingredients, like hyaluronic acid can really benefit and help minimising these issues.
NB: This does not mean that everyone’s skin becomes dry with age. So it’s possible to still have oily skin in your 50s but it’s probably not as oily as it was in your 20s.
A great thing about hyaluronic acid is that it’s super-light weight so the texture isn’t an issue for oily skin, and it’s gentle enough that it isn’t a problem for sensitive skin either. Winning!
Sodium hyaluronate? I thought you said hyaluronic acid?!
Hyaluronic acid cannot be absorbed when applied topically this is where sodium hyaluronate steps in. Sodium hyaluronate is the salt from hyaluronic acid and it has a much smaller molecule size enabling it to penetrate skin. That's why we use sodium hyaluronate in These Days Active Moisturiser.
If you prefer a heavier weight moisturiser or the one you're using doesn’t contain sodium hyaluronate, to prevent missing out on the benefits you can add a squirt of our powerful These Days Active Moisturiser to yours for an extra boost of wrinkle-smoothing hydration and fine line plumping!
Make it werk...
werk, werk, werk, werk. To get the most out of sodium hyaluronate, avoid perfume or irritating fragrance ingredients and other harsh chemicals that will undo your moisturiser’s (and your) good work.
What do you think? We'd love to know
Have you tried hyaluronic acid? Do you think topical use makes a difference in your skin? What's your favourite moisturiser? Please let us know in the comments section.
