The skincare groupies can admit that everyone and their grandmothers seem to be swallowing gallons of Hyaluronic acid in a day, and you honestly cannot blame them. Hyaluronic acid, or HA as it tends to be called, hit the skincare market with a bang.
By the time the skincare brands pulled out their marketing, claiming that HA not only hydrates the skin but fights ageing (fine lines and wrinkles), HA became the most beloved and wanted product out there.
Admittedly, HA can do most of these things. Yes, it hydrates the skin, and it can, minimally, fight against ageing, but there are some loopholes to the whole process which you should know about.
Source: Dr. Swati Kannan
Can Hyaluronic acid penetrate the skin?
There is no doubt that Hyaluronic acid is a good product, and it does hydrate the skin. It is a humectant, which works by latching onto any available moisture (water) present and plumping up the skin. However, when it comes to penetration, hyaluronic acid works a tad bit differently. To answer this question, let us go over a few basics first.
Hyaluronic acid is a gentle acid found naturally within our skin’s dermis (second layer). They can be found in the GAGs, which support collagen and Elastin.
To summarise, these three entities, GAGs (where HA can be found), collagen and Elastin, work together to ensure the skin retains its plump, dewy, youthful look. However, over time, this HA within the skin reduces, which is when collagen and Elastin also lose their effectiveness, leading to wrinkles and fine lines ageing.
So, when the skincare industry introduced HA into the market as a fix for ageing, you could understand how it could work in theory. However, the loophole lies in the molecular size of HA and the various HAs available in the market.
There are various types of HA, all of which have varying molecular sizes and penetrate the skin to various degrees.
So, if the question is simply about penetration, the answer is yes. Some forms of Hyaluronic acid can penetrate the skin, but they do so in varying degrees based on the type of HA in question and its molecular size.
However, a form of Hyaluronic acid called “High Molecular Weight HA” cannot penetrate the skin. When used topically, it simply sits on the surface of the skin and binds to water found within it.
This will only cause your skin to look hydrated and plump for a short amount of time. In the long run, you will find that this only further dehydrates your skin.
To get the penetration and hydration you need, you must use either of these forms of HA;
– Hydrolyzed HA: This is HA broken into smaller molecular sizes. They can penetrate the epidermal layer and, if used correctly, can hydrate your skin. However, there is no conclusive study to show how deeply it can penetrate the dermis and if it is effective in fighting aging.
– Sodium Hyaluronate and Potassium Hyaluronate: These are found in most skin care products and can work the same way as the Hydrolyzed HA since they are all low molecular HA’s.
Therefore, to correctly answer your question, some forms of hyaluronic acid can penetrate the skin; however, they penetrate the skin in varying degrees.
The only way Hyaluronic acid can penetrate the skin down to the dermis and fight against aging is through Hyaluronic acid fillers. No serum or moisturizer can do that trick.
Hydrolyzed HA, Sodium hyaluronate, and Potassium hyaluronate can penetrate the skin to varying degrees, and they all work to hydrate it.
