HYALURON
SCIENTIFIC TERM FOR HYALURONIC ACID: SODIUM HYALURONATE
Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance found in the body as a gel-like component of connective tissue. It has the ability to bind many times its own weight in fluid (approximately six times) and serves, for example, as a lubricant in our joints to keep them flexible. It does not trigger allergies or side effects, as the body recognizes it as its own component. These two factors make hyaluronic acid so valuable and appealing for use in medicine and cosmetics, because unfortunately, as we age, the body gradually depletes its hyaluronic acid reserves and is unable to produce it anew on its own. As a result, the skin loses its moisture content, elasticity, and fullness.
Joints slowly become less flexible and stiffer. In cosmetics, hyaluronic acid is used as a serum or an ingredient in anti-aging products that provide the skin with moisture, renewed fullness, and a smooth complexion. Medicine uses hyaluronic acid for wrinkle fillers and injections into joint spaces to compensate for the loss.
KEY FACTS ABOUT HYALURONIC ACID:
- There are different types of hyaluronic acid, which are classified as long-chain and short-chain (high-molecular and low-molecular) based on their molecular size. Both have beneficial effects on the skin; short-chain hyaluronic acid (low-molecular) penetrates deeper into the skin layers, is stored there, and has a proven long-term anti-aging effect. Long-chain hyaluronic acid (high molecular weight) provides short-term smoothing and an immediate effect by producing a moisturizing film on the skin’s surface.
- In other words, the smaller the molecule, the deeper it penetrates the skin and the longer-lasting its effect. A combination of both molecule sizes therefore offers the best anti-aging benefits due to increased hydration and moisture retention in the skin.
- A 1% concentration of pure hyaluronic acid, consisting mainly of short-chain molecules, is the ideal amount to keep the serum or cream smooth and prevent it from feeling sticky on the skin's surface.
- For products labeled with a concentration of 10% or more, this percentage refers to the water-hyaluronic acid mixture, not to the hyaluronic acid alone.
- Hyaluronic acid is available in natural cosmetic-grade quality, which can be vegan and cruelty-free; however, not all manufacturers use it.
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