Written by: Melissa Miller
Hyaluronic Acid
The What and the Why
You have probably heard about hyaluronic acid from your skin care provider. Everyone is talking about HA(hyaluronic acid) these days and the benefits of it for your skin. But what is it and how does it work?
HA is a substance that is naturally found in the body. It attracts and holds on to moisture in skin cells, which allows the skin to feel more plump and hydrated. Think of HA like a big glass of water for your skin. It is able to hold up to 1000 times it’s molecular weight in water. The result of using HA is healthy looking and feeling skin.
The downside of skin is that as we age things change. As we get into our thirties, the amount of HA that we produce goes down, especially for those of us that have had excessive exposure to the sun. Our skin starts to lose elasticity and feel dry and fine lines and wrinkles begin to appear.
But when found in skin care products like serums and creams, HA brings moisture to the surface of the skin. Reducing the effects of aging and bringing hydration back into lifeless skin.
Most creams or serums containing HA have molecules that are too large to penetrate the skin. We need a product where the molecule has been micronized or in a product that is a proper vehicle to deliver the molecule. It’s hard to decide which products to use so let’s talk about my favorite, HA5 by SkinMedica.
SkinMedica’s HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator is a serum designed to hydrate the skin from the inside out. It’s the first serum of its kind that supports the skin’s overall health by not only helping the skin stay hydrated, but also by aiding the skin to replenish its very own supply of hyaluronic acid. It supports the skin’s natural ability to retain moisture resulting in radiant, rejuvenated tone and texture. SkinMedica’s HA5 is good for all skin types and Fitzpatrick levels. See the blog called Fitzpatrick Skin Scale to determine your own skin level.