The Benefits of Hyaluronic Acid for Skin
Hydration is the bedrock of radiant, healthy-looking skin – and if there is one ingredient that’s always up to the task, it’s hyaluronic acid. From serums to moisturisers, there are many uses of hyaluronic acid in skincare to help you achieve plump, supple skin.
As one of our go-to ingredients, hyaluronic acid is renowned for its ability to boost hydration, improve skin elasticity, and fortify the skin moisture barrier. In this guide, we’ll walk you through five key hyaluronic acid benefits for your skin and explore how you can incorporate this star hydrator into your skincare regime.
What is hyaluronic acid?
Hyaluronic acid is a water-loving molecule naturally produced by the body. It is categorised as a humectant, which means that it attracts water to the skin’s surface. As a skincare ingredient, hyaluronic acid works by drawing moisture into the skin to further amplify hydration levels and leave your skin feeling smooth and plump.
By boosting the skin’s moisture retention, hyaluronic acid benefits every skin type and increases the overall suppleness of skin over time.
Top 5 hyaluronic acid benefits
Often heralded as a key to skin hydration, hyaluronic acid has cemented its rightful place in the world of skincare. So, how does hyaluronic acid benefit the skin?
Below are the top five advantages of integrating this hydrating powerhouse into your skincare ritual. Hyaluronic acid:
- Hydrates the skin’s surface
- Strengthens the skin moisture barrier
- Reduces the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and other visible ageing concerns
- Complements all skin types
- Plays well with other skincare ingredients
Read on as we unpack these benefits of hyaluronic acid.
1. Boosts hydration at the skin’s surface
Dehydrated skin is a common concern that can affect all skin types at some point or another. Not to be confused with dry skin, dehydrated skin isn’t lacking in natural lipids, but shows signs of depleted water levels, such as:
- Dullness
- Dry or rough patches
- Pronounced under-eye circles
- Itching sensations
- More noticeable fine lines and wrinkles
Hyaluronic acid attracts water to the skin, drawing in moisture from the atmosphere as well as other skincare ingredients. What’s more, it has the ability to hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water. As a result, hyaluronic acid benefits dehydrated skin by plumping and smoothing the skin surface.
2. Supports the skin moisture barrier
The outermost layer of the skin – the epidermis – is home to the skin moisture barrier, which acts as your skin’s protective shield. The function of the skin moisture barrier is to both preserve moisture and keep out external stressors: such as UV rays, extreme temperatures, allergens and pollutants.
A damaged skin moisture barrier can occur for a number of reasons: including exposure to harsh products, over-exfoliating, over-cleansing, or inclement weather (winter can be a major culprit). When you have a compromised skin moisture barrier, you experience trans epidermal water loss (TEWL). Hyaluronic acid benefits the skin moisture barrier by binding water to the skin surface and mitigating the effects of TEWL.
3. Helps diminish visible signs of ageing
As we age, our skin produces less hyaluronic acid (as well as collagen), which leads to skin dehydration. With increased dehydration, the signs of aging – such as fine lines, wrinkles, dull skin, and rough areas – become more visible.
Applying products with hyaluronic acid benefits the skin by improving the fine lines and wrinkles that appear with age, which is why frequent use of hydrating formulas are crucial to recapturing the look of plumper, smoother and more radiant skin.
4. Suitable for all skin types
While hyaluronic acid is renowned for its capacity to hydrate dry skin types and dehydrated mature skin, its prowess extends to all skin types.
If you have oily skin or combination skin, for example, you may think that adding hydration will increase oil production. However, oil-prone skin types are essentially unbalanced, and, when the skin is deprived of moisture, it can overcompensate and produce more oil to counteract the problem. This is where hyaluronic acid benefits oily and combination skin types, since it can provide lightweight hydration and regulate oil levels.
5. Compatible with most skincare ingredients
One of the major benefits of hyaluronic acid is its compatibility with other important anti-ageing and blemish-fighting ingredients. These potent partnerships include:
- Vitamin C and hyaluronic acid: as an anti-ageing pair, these ingredients complement each other perfectly. Hyaluronic acid plumps and hydrates, while vitamin C brightens and protects the skin from external stressors. Our Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate utilises both ingredients in a single iconic formula to visibly boost radiance, and promote smoother-looking skin.
- Retinol and hyaluronic acid: on its own, retinol is a powerful anti-ageing ingredient that stimulates skin cell turnover – but it can be very drying on the skin. Introducing hyaluronic acid alongside our Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum can help minimise retinol’s side effects such as dryness and redness.
- Salicylic acid and hyaluronic acid: thanks to its ability to exfoliate the skin surface and unclog pores, salicylic acid is one of the most effective anti-blemish skincare ingredients. However, it can dry out certain skin types – so using hyaluronic acid alongside its salicylic counterpart works to keep the skin hydrated and balanced. You can follow up a salicylic acid-based serum like the Clearly Corrective™ Daily Re-Texturizing Triple Acid Peel with hyaluronic acid to comfort the skin.
- Glycerin and hyaluronic acid: this combination of ingredients is ideal for hydrating dry, mature and sensitive skin types. The Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate is formulated with both hyaluronic acid and glycerin to create a ‘filling effect’ on the complexion and boost skin elasticity.
How to use hyaluronic acid in your routine
To maximise the benefits of hyaluronic acid, you can incorporate this ingredient into your morning and evening skincare routine.
The order in which you apply a hyaluronic acid serum depends on the other ingredients in your skincare regime. We’ve curated a sample skincare routine below for you to follow:
- Wash your face with a cleanser that’s formulated for your skin type.
- Apply your ‘heaviest serum’ next. If it’s the morning, you may use vitamin C on clean dry skin. If you’re using retinol, only apply to clean, dry skin at night and allow it to fully absorb.
- Apply two to three drops of Ultra Pure High-Potency 1.5% Hyaluronic Acid Serum to slightly damp skin.
- Lock in hydration with a moisturiser like our beloved Ultra Facial Cream.
- Finish with SPF (only if it’s the morning).
There are plenty of hyaluronic acid benefits for skin, but we can also turn to other nourishing ingredients for added hydration. Next, discover the skincare benefits of squalane.
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Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate
A potent L-Ascorbic Vitamin C serum formulated with 12.5 percent Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid.
Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum
The Kiehl's Skin-Renewing Retinol Serum is a potent retinol face serum that targets the visible signs of ageing skin. After continuous use, Kiehl's anti-ageing retinol serum visibly reduces the appearence of wrinkles, firms skin and refines the feeling of skin’s texture. Formulated with peptides, ceramides and retinol, this daily retinol serum is suitable for all skin types, making it the perfect retinol serum for sensitive skin and beginners
Clearly Corrective™ Daily Re-Texturizing Triple Acid Peel
A gentle Triple Acid chemical peeling serum specifically formulated with AHA, BHA and PHA to reduce pores, smooth skin texture, and boost radiance.
Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate
An efficacious skin plumping serum that hydrates to help skin maintain its bouncy appearance.
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