Spotlight on... Hyaluronic acid

Hyaluronic acid is one of the most accessible skincare ingredients on the market, and many professional and consumer products are formulated with it. Ellen Cummings quizzes the experts on its benefits and how to use it in treatments

How does hyaluronic acid work?

Hyaluronic acid is a carbohydrate compound that occurs naturally in the body. It has several important functions including aiding in wound repair, cell adhesion and joint lubrication. Although hyaluronic acid is present in the skin, it is often supplemented topically with skincare products.

Hyaluronic acid acts as a humectant – ahydrophilic substance that attracts water – and it helps to keep skin hydrated. “It works like a sponge – pulling moisture from the air into your skin,” explains CACI trainer Sarah-Jane Morris. In fact, hyaluronic acid is capable of holding over 1,000 times its weight in water.

The ability to supplement the body’s natural hyaluronic acid is important because the body’s creation of the substance starts to slow down from the age of 25. The hyaluronic acid used in skincare is synthetic – it can be created in a lab through the fermentation of glucose and yeast extract.

Topical hyaluronic acid does have limitations. It tends to have a large molecular size, which prevents it from penetrating through to the dermis, meaning it can’t usually provide more than superficial hydration on the skin’s surface. However, some higher end products contain hyaluronic acid of a few different molecular weights which “will affect the delivery and depth of the absorption” through skin’s layers, says Rebecca Jones, trainer and ambassador for Noon Aesthetics.

What can hyaluronic acid help with?

• Hydration: Its ability to attract moisture from the air to the skin means it’s great for treating dehydration. “Hyaluronic acid is a vital water source for the skin,” explains Jones. However, “dry or sensitive skin will also require oils to nourish and replenish lost lipids”, according to Lesielle UK lead educator Jon-Paul Hoy.

• Protection: Hyaluronic acid can help repair a compromised skin barrier, or stratum corneum, by pulling water towards the epidermis. “It can calm skin reaction with its barrier-balancing effects, as well as regulating oil production and reducing shine and smoothing the surface,” says Jones.

• Plumping: “Hyaluronic acid is native to the dermis of the skin, helping to balance water content, but it also has structural properties – it helps the skin look plump and bouncy,” adds Dr Catharine Denning, who runs a regular clinic from The Light Centre, London.

“HYALURONIC ACID is native to the DERMIS OF THE SKIN, helping to balance WATER CONTENT, but it also has STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES – it helps the skin look PLUMP AND BOUNCY”

How should it be used?

Hyaluronic acid can be used topically in serums and moisturisers to help with superficial hydration. It’s best used on slightly damp skin to aid moisture absorption, so clients might want to use it directly after cleansing.

It’s a stable ingredient so it can often be found in combination with other ingredients in many products – either as hyaluronic acid or sodium hyaluronate, its salt form. “Hyaluronic acid is suitable for all skin types and is a relatively benign, unreactive ingredient. For pure humectant hydration, it is often mixed with sodium pyroglutamic acid (PCA), which works synergistically to draw even more water into the skin’s layers. It’s also a great vehicle to be used alongside peptides and vitamins in skincare, which can supercharge skin health,” says Denning.

It can also be worked into a more extensive skincare routine. Denning explains, “I always advise its use in a daily routine following cleansing, exfoliating and any active ingredients such as vitamin C or retinoids because the molecule is relatively large, so if you apply it before active ingredients it often blocks other ingredient absorption. If you are using a standalone, pure hyaluronic acid serum, I would follow with a heavier ceramide-rich moisturiser for dry or sensitive skin.”

As well as homecare, hyaluronic acid is a favourite in treatments. Jones says, “It supports everything from gentle wellbeing facials to the most ablative treatments, such as peeling, laser and light therapies because hyaluronic acid and water are much-needed ingredients in the wound-healing process.”

Are there any contraindications?

Hyaluronic acid is suitable for all skin types and concerns, but Morris says it’s “particularly beneficial for drier and more mature skins” where extra hydration is needed.

Sensitivity and reactivity are far more of a concern for the likes of vitamin C and retinoids, but it is still a possibility with hyaluronic acid. “Very rarely, someone may be allergic to topical hyaluronic acid, but this is highly unlikely,” says Denning.

“The injectable or ingested forms would require a discussion with a medical professional before using.”