If you follow skin care news, you’ve no doubt heard of hyaluronic acid—a superb moisturizing agent that comes to us from nature itself. Moisture is a key factor in maintaining healthy skin and combating the signs of aging. And hyaluronic acid is a key component to moisturized skin.
So what exactly is this miraculous moisturizing molecule? Here are some hyaluronic acid facts:
- Hyaluronic acid is a polysaccharide, or carbohydrate, that exists in our bodies—primarily in connective tissues—to hold moisture. It offers a pillowing effect, helping to plump and firm skin, and lubricating joints and eyeballs.
- Hyaluronic acid molecules are incredible moisture magnets as they have the ability to retain 1,000 times their weight in water. This is what makes hyaluronic acid such a powerful skin care weapon in the fight against the signs of aging.
- Early in life, we have high levels of hyaluronic acid in our systems, giving us the soft, dewy, healthy skin we enjoy as children. Our production of hyaluronic acid decreases with time, however, particularly after the age of 40. Environmental stressors, such as sun exposure, stress, pollutants, and bad eating, drinking, or smoking habits, compound this decrease.
Higher Hyaluronic Acid Levels
Replenishing our body’s supply of hyaluronic acid has been shown to offer significant beauty benefits. You can boost your hyaluronic acid levels by implementing a two-step approach. First, look for topical skin care and cosmetic products that contain low-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid. It easily penetrates the skin and helps collagen and elastin, the skin’s firming frameworks, to retain their moisture. Ultimately, this produces more hydrated, more youthful-looking skin.
In addition, simply ingesting hyaluronic acid in oral supplement form or in foods such as root vegetables and soy can help to bolster the body’s production of this moisturizing miracle, thus promoting hydrated, healthy skin.
