Lab Muffin Beauty Science

The science of beauty, skincare, makeup and nails

  • Home
  • Science
  • Browse
    • Archives
    • Reviews by Brand
    • Random Post
  • About
    • About Michelle
    • Site Policies
    • Follow
  • Shop
    • Shop
    • Skincare eBook
  • FREE Exfoliation Guide!

What is hyaluronic acid and how does it work in skincare and makeup?

December 27, 2016 By Michelle 39 Comments

Affiliate Disclosure: I receive a small commission for purchases made via affiliate links.

What Is Hyaluronic Acid?

Hyaluronic acid (HA), along with its cousin sodium hyaluronate, is an immensely popular ingredient in skincare and makeup. It’s also naturally found in the body. Most of it dwells in the extracellular matrix, the scaffold which holds up the cells of your skin. Hyaluronic acid is found in both the epidermis and the deeper dermis, where it’s important in hydration, metabolic processes, skin repair, and protection against free radical and UV damage.

 

What is hyaluronic acid and how does it work?

 

Hyaluronic acid is a glycosaminoglycan, a class of chemicals that can hold onto water very efficiently, due to its very polar nature. 1 gram of hyaluronic acid can hold onto 6 litres of water – that’s 6000%! Hyaluronic acid keeps skin firm and plump this way. It’s been thought that decreased hyaluronic acid levels led to the thinner and drier look of aged skin. However, the research currently suggests that the amount of hyaluronic acid in the skin doesn’t actually decrease with age, but it does redistribute with both natural and environmentally-induced skin aging.

What Does Hyaluronic Acid Do in Skincare?

In skincare, hyaluronic acid is mostly used for its incredible ability to hold onto moisture: it’s included in moisturisers and serums as a humectant ingredient. Humectants hydrate the skin, and since one of the effects of dehydrated skin is fine lines and wrinkles, this can make your skin look dramatically younger and less tired. Another popular and cheaper humectant moisturiser is glycerin, but glycerin can feel sticky and heavy. Hyaluronic acid is frequently combined with glycerin to make it feel lighter on the skin.

The hyaluronic acid used in skincare isn’t all the same. It’s usually divided into different sizes: there’s high molecular weight hyaluronic acid, which has a larger molecular size, and low molecular weight hyaluronic acid, which is formed by chopping it into smaller fragments. “Sodium hyaluronate” usually indicates smaller fragments than “hyaluronic acid”, but even within those names there are a range of molecular sizes. The main significance of the different sizes is that smaller molecules are able to penetrate the skin better than larger molecules, which means that low molecular weight hyaluronic acid can hydrate deeper than high molecular weight hyaluronic acid, which holds onto water at the surface of the skin.

There’s some debate on how low molecular weight hyaluronic acid can act as an inflammatory signal and therefore be harmful, but it’s important to remember that inflammation isn’t always a bad thing. Studies on skin and skin cells have found that low molecular weight hyaluronic acid can improve the skin’s ability to repair itself, its defense against microbial attack and help with conditions like seborrheic dermatitis. Hopefully there’ll be more research into its effects on normal skin too.

However, don’t be fooled into thinking that applying hyaluronic acid on your skin can help replenish your natural stores! Unfortunately, even low molecular hyaluronic acid can only penetrate into the lower epidermis. It’s a fantastic hydrating ingredient, and hydration is fantastic for improving how well your skin functions. There’s also a bit of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity, but the vast majority of its benefits are to do with hydration.

Hyaluronic acid can also come from different sources. The two main sources are biofermentation (made by bacteria) and… rooster combs, which contain about 15 times as much hyaluronic acid as human skin. Yeah, those dangly things on chickens. If you’re vegetarian, you’ll want to look into the source of the hyaluronic acid in your products.

rooster-comb-hyaluronic-acid

Snail slime’s not so weird anymore, hey.

Other Uses of Hyaluronic Acid

Apart from skincare, you’ll find dehydrated hyaluronic acid spheres in makeup as well, particularly in skin-smoothing primers. The dry spheres are mixed into a water-free (anhydrous) formula. The product is applied on the skin and sinks into any fine lines and wrinkles. The hyaluronic acid spheres start grabbing onto any water molecules it touches from the skin and the air, and the swelling effect hides lines.

In other areas of skincare, chemically modified hyaluronic acid is also used in injectable fillers like Juvéderm Restylane and Voluma to plump up deep wrinkles. It’s also the basis of Macrolane, a controversial filler that’s been used for breast and buttock enhancement. Oral supplements of hyaluronic acid are sold in nutrition stores but there’s no demonstrated benefits yet (it’s questionable whether hyaluronic acid survives digestion, and can make it from the digestive tract to the skin).

Hyaluronic Acid Product Recommendations

So far, my favourite hyaluronic acid product has to be For Beloved One Hyaluronic Acid GHK-Cu Moisturising Serum (click for full review), which has made my skin unbelievably plump and bouncy. I can also vouch for Indeed Labs Hydraluron (review). I haven’t personally tried Hylamide Low-Molecular HA Rehydration Booster but I’ve heard good things about it. Other budget options with great reviews are Timeless Hyaluronic Acid and Hada Labo Rohto Gokujyn Hyaluronic Acid Lotion.

Further reading

S Gariboldi et al., Low molecular weight hyaluronic acid increases the self-defense of skin epithelium by induction of beta-defensin 2 via TLR2 and TLR4 (open access), J Immunol 2008, 181, 2103-2110.

M Essendoubi, C Gobinet, R Reynaud, JF Angiboust, M Manfait & O Piot, Human skin penetration of hyaluronic acid of different molecular weights as probed by Raman spectroscopy, Skin Res Technol 2016, 22, 55-62.

T Schlesinger & C Rowland Powell, Efficacy and safety of a low molecular weight hyaluronic acid topical gel in the treatment of facial seborrheic dermatitis final report (open access), J Clin Aesthet Dermatol 2014, 7, 15-18.


Related Posts

  • Tranexamic acid: a newer skincare ingredient for pigmentation
  • What’s in a Lipstick? (with video)
  • Ceramides in Skincare: QV Intensive with Ceramides Range
  • Debunking Exfoliation Myths (with video)

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Google
  • More
  • Tumblr

Filed Under: Make-Up, Science, Skincare Tagged With: active ingredients, chemical, make-up, science, skincare

« Hylamide review: HA Blur, SubQ, Pore Control & Delete and Photography Foundation
Which Natural Mosquito Repellents Actually Work? »

Comments

  1. toni says

    December 27, 2016 at 8:15 am

    I love how you simplify the science behind all these ingredients, Michelle. xx

    sheergloss

    Reply
  2. Roland - cosmetic chemist, CH says

    December 27, 2016 at 7:02 pm

    Hi Michelle, this is a very good summery you have put togehter, I like it!
    Maybe to add from my side: most probably 99% of all Hyaluronic Acid used in cosmetics are made by fermantation, as this is much cheaper than extraction from rooster combs. I used to work in a company were we made HA from rooster combs, but this has stopped since many years, due to the higher costs and due to the fact, that nobody in Europe wants to use ingredients that are made from animals.
    Another thing to add: on the epidermis we have enzymes, that destroy hyaluronic acid quite quickly and “cut” them into smaller pieces. Those enzymes are called hyaluronidases. However, there are companies they also sell cross-linked hyaluronic acid, which is not (or only slowly) cleaved by hyaluronidases and stay longer on the skin surface. Therefore they hydrate the upper layers of the skin for a longer periode.

    Reply
    • Andrea McCully says

      July 20, 2017 at 10:28 am

      Do you know what happens to the HA spheres after they’ve done their job in the skin?? I’m assuming the body just absorbs them…?

      Reply
      • Michelle says

        July 23, 2017 at 11:49 am

        They probably don’t get absorbed since they’re quite large – I’d guess that they either wear off, or they shed along with the skin cells they’re attached to.

        Reply
  3. Diane Wright says

    December 28, 2016 at 6:01 am

    I’ve book-marked it for later!

    Reply
  4. Kate says

    December 28, 2016 at 6:55 am

    I absolutely enjoy your posts so much. Informative and scientific without so much busy looking information!

    Reply
  5. Jackie says

    December 28, 2016 at 12:23 pm

    Hi Michelle!

    This was very helpful! Especially the part about the different sizes, it’s always interesting to read about the nitty gritty 🙂

    I’m able to use products that have it, but when I use products that seem to have a lot of it (like those hada labo toners) I’ve experienced dryness.

    I was wondering if you’ve ever heard about humectants like hyaluronic acid having the adverse affect and being capable of drawing moisture out of the skin?

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      January 9, 2018 at 4:41 pm

      I’ve heard of it, but I’ve failed to find many studies on this…

      Reply
  6. Ij says

    December 29, 2016 at 5:52 am

    Fantastic read as always Michelle.

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      December 29, 2016 at 3:41 pm

      Thanks so much!

      Reply
  7. Cynthia says

    December 30, 2016 at 9:11 am

    Do you recommend any good products with hyaluronic acid?

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      December 30, 2016 at 2:56 pm

      I’ve added recommendations to the bottom of the post 🙂

      Reply
  8. Diana says

    January 1, 2017 at 7:33 am

    i love your blog! do you have any recommendations for amounts of HA to use in DIY serums or creams? i have a batch of HA, but am not sure how to use it

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      January 22, 2017 at 7:22 pm

      I think the recommended amount is usually 0.1-2% of the dry powder – it’s a very powerful product and can goop up pretty quick!

      Reply
  9. Jacqueline Colman says

    January 1, 2017 at 10:29 am

    I had NO idea it could come from roosters! I am a vegetarian so I will be looking out for this! Thanks!
    Jacqueline Colman recently posted…Look Book: New Year’s Eve 2016My Profile

    Reply
  10. Kylie says

    January 2, 2017 at 8:32 am

    I’m hoping you can clear something up about HA. If it pulls moisture into the skin from the atmosphere, what happens to those of us getting hit with winter? With no moisture in the air is it drawing from deeper level of the epidermis?

    Reply
    • clulu says

      October 18, 2017 at 12:35 pm

      fro kylie: yes, so thats why sometimes too much hyaluronic acid can actually dry out ur skin, so u should moisten w/ water before putting on

      Reply
  11. Josh Perez says

    January 4, 2017 at 6:56 am

    If I’m looking to purchase a product containing hyaluronic acid, how am I to figure out if the HA product contains the high or low molecular mass composure? Would there be specific wording on a box or product’s ingredient list to look for that would allow me to distinguish the two?

    Thanks Michelle!

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      January 22, 2017 at 7:20 pm

      “Hyaluronic acid” usually means high molecular weight whereas “sodium hyaluronate” usually means lower, but you’d have to ask the company to make sure.

      Reply
      • Josh Perez says

        January 25, 2017 at 6:13 am

        Perfect! I’m stuck between Peter Thomas Roth and Perricone. So many choices any preference between the two?

        PTR:
        https://www.amazon.com/Peter-Thomas-Roth-250-V%C3%ADz-1000/dp/B001CBDJ4K

        http://www.ulta.com/water-drench-hyaluronic-cloud-serum?productId=xlsImpprod770038

        Perricone MD:
        http://www.ulta.com/hyalo-plasma?productId=xlsImpprod12521167

        Reply
        • Michelle says

          January 26, 2017 at 4:13 pm

          I’d personally go for PTR because I don’t like the feel of dimethicone-rich skincare.

          Reply
  12. Olena says

    January 13, 2017 at 2:36 pm

    I love hyaluronic acid – I use Now Hyaluronic Acid Firming Serum and it’s fantastic, also contains aloe and green tea. But I layer it over a hydrating spray to give it even more moisture to hold onto, and follow with a moisturizer to seal that moisture in and keep it from evaporating. Fantastic stuff 🙂

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      January 15, 2017 at 5:11 pm

      Thank you! 🙂

      Reply
  13. Maryam says

    July 26, 2017 at 6:36 am

    Can Hyaluronic acid be applied on the under eye area?

    Reply
  14. Matt says

    September 14, 2017 at 4:59 am

    Hi Michelle, I am trying to use rose water, thermal water and hyaluronic acid for my dehydrated skin, followed up with moisturiser, but I noticed after I bought the HA serum that it contains jojoba oil. I normally like to mist my face with thermal water right before I apply my moisturiser as my face dries out very quickly but does the jojoba oil in the HA serum mean I can’t apply thermal water between my serum and moisturiser? Thanks for your help!

    Reply
  15. pamela ap says

    October 8, 2017 at 1:58 am

    I’ve been using Hyaluronic Acid for a while. So far I am very pleased with the Lady Soma Renewal Serum (which contains hyaluronic acid) with it. No funky smell or stickiness. I have a combination skin type: dry and oily in t-zone area. My trick is to apply when my face is still wet when it feels really dry cause of the dry weather in California or apply right before.

    It helps my skin hydrated better this way without breaking-outs.

    Reply
  16. Dannii Darkness says

    January 2, 2018 at 9:09 pm

    DIY LMW Hyaluronic Acid Powder, anyone?

    I can’t remember where I found this product linked, or maybe I just stumbled across it.

    https://www.amazon.com/Hyaluronic-Acid-Super-Molecular-Weight/dp/B01GC2HTX0

    Thoughts Michelle? I know you’re not opposed to a little DIY from your DIY Vitamin C Serum.

    Reply
    • Dannii Darkness says

      January 2, 2018 at 9:58 pm

      Actually, you guys in the U.S. also have the option to by Ultra-Low MW powders.

      Lotioncrafter sells both < 6kDA and < 8kDA Hyaluronic acid at respectable prices.

      http://www.lotioncrafter.com/hyaluronic-acid-ulmw-less-than-6-000-daltons.html

      Having troubles finding similar products over here in Australia and it becomes a bit expensive shipping it over when the postage ends up being the same price as the purchase.

      Reply
      • Michelle says

        January 8, 2018 at 2:20 pm

        The worst thing about Australia! 🙁

        Reply
        • Dannii Darkness says

          January 9, 2018 at 4:03 pm

          FINALLY someone who doesn’t think it’s spiders or snakes

          Reply
    • Michelle says

      January 8, 2018 at 2:19 pm

      That sounds really interesting! I wonder how hard it is to keep it water-free?

      Reply
      • Dannii Darkness says

        January 9, 2018 at 4:21 pm

        hmm I’m not sure, tbh I never gave it much thought but I imagine so long as the container is airtight I can’t see what the problem would be. Considering the enormous amount of water it can bind with, it’s not as though it will reach saturation point anytime soon from the tiny number of molecules that become available from a jar’s volume of air every time you open it.

        Reply
  17. Hann says

    January 24, 2018 at 9:18 pm

    Hello Michelle, thanks for so many useful information given from your blog. I have recently came across Cassia Angustifolia Seed which claimed to be outperform HA. Since everyone will react differently to different ingredient i was thinking no harm rying out but the price is so high. May i know in your opinion what do you think about this ingredient? Also there are some noise about HA might draw out moisture from within instead if your environment is too dry for HA to attract moist, what do you think about that? Thanks in advance!

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      January 25, 2018 at 8:07 pm

      I don’t think I’ve come across that ingredient before unfortunately.

      I think it’s fine if you follow up with an occlusive 🙂

      Reply
  18. LoraLeigh says

    February 22, 2018 at 5:43 am

    I was wondering how you would know what source your HA came from? A lot of companies don’t state if it is from roosters or fermentation.

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      March 1, 2018 at 12:54 pm

      Unfortunately you’d have to ask the company.

      Reply
  19. Jill says

    September 18, 2018 at 3:25 am

    What’s your opinion on using HA in a serum, so without occlusives?

    It’s said that in dry climates it can suck moisture out of the dermis, which then evaporates.

    Kinda sucks, in humid climates I feel I don’t even need humectants lol, so what’s the point then>

    Reply
  20. Natalie Hikaru Lainus says

    September 16, 2019 at 10:34 am

    Hi Michelle, I’ve read your blog and watched Dr Devin Lim’s video, both of you informations are very useful..since you mentioned that HA can only penetrate to the lower epidermis does this mean the 7 skin method (layering toner 7 times) by K-Beauty is a big waste?

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Hylamide SubQ Anti-Age – Keisha's Beauty Blog says:
    April 3, 2018 at 11:35 am

    […] More info here about hyaluronic acid from LabMuffin: Her post […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Natalie Hikaru Lainus Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter RSS YouTube

Michelle
Hi! I'm Michelle, chemistry PhD and science educator, and I'm here to help you figure out which beauty products are worth buying, and which ones aren't using science!

New Posts Straight to Your Inbox!

https://labmuffin.com/signup-confirmation/

skincare guide skincare guide

Popular Posts

  • My Current Evening Skincare Routine
  • Purging vs Breakouts: When to Ditch Your Skincare
  • How Does Olaplex Hair Treatment Work?
  • Don't Use Lemon Juice on Your Skin
  • Easy (5 Minute) DIY Vitamin C Serum Recipe
  • My Routine for Starting on Tretinoin (Retin-A) Cream

Copyright © 2021 Lab Muffin
 · Foodie Pro Theme On Genesis Framework · Privacy Policy · WordPress · Log in

All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the author, except for brief quotations when accompanied by a citation and link.

Get Lab Muffin updates (comes with a FREE Essential Guide to Exfoliation!)
Your information will be stored to send you emails. For more information see Privacy Policy.