Twenty Days of Healthy Skin: Hyaluronic acid (Day 10)

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This reasonably large (as far as molecules go) carbohydrate molecule is critical for binding water to keep your skin plump and hydrated. It is also able to share water with all the cells and structures in your skin so it is essential for good healthy functioning of the skin.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a large carbohydrate that your body produces, not only in the skin but all over your body. This very important molecule binds water. In the skin, this is important as it is the plumping effect of this molecule that we can see on our skins. What we tend to forget, or not know, is that this molecule is also able to share the water it contains with cells and cell structures. This makes it essential for healthy well-functioning skin. The HA in the skin gets broken down through normal processes of metabolism where a specific enzyme, hyaluronidase, breakdown the larger molecules into smaller particles of HA. One of these particles, the HAFi-fragments, activate cells that are able to make HA.

In aging and damaged skins, this process does not work well as the body does not make enough HA, to begin with. This is made worse when your skin is exposed to lots of sunlight. Exposure to sunlight decreases cell activity even more and it increases the amount of hyaluronidase in the skin. You end up having less normal healthy-sized HA molecule and lots of very small particles of HA (called HAFs- particles). These HAFs particles do not bind enough water and they are unable to activate skin cells to make more HA. This leads to dry, wrinkly, dull skin.

So how to remedy this – add HA to products that are applied onto your skin and if you are doing micro-needling or mesotherapy treatments you will have them added into your skin. Many fillers, injected by aesthetic doctors, contain very large molecules of HA – cross-linked HA. These are used to replace volume in the face lost through the processes of aging.

HA is also an important molecule when the skin is healing as it helps cells migrate over wounds to close them quickly. This means that HA is a very important ingredient for all skin. 

What changes will you see on your skin when using products high in HA?

  • Dull skin becomes smoother and brighter – healthy glow returns

  • Lines and wrinkles soften – skin looks younger

  • Fine lines are plumped out – skin looks smoother

  • Skin binds water – healthier skin that responds better to other skincare ingredients

Lamelle’s Correctives HA+  serum:

Correctives HA+ serum: contains 5 forms of HA to provide fast (seen within an hour), medium and long term hydration and plumping. Added to this product are two hyaluronidase inhibitors that will decrease the overproduction of HA and in this way keep the skin plump, hydrated and healthy.

Karen Tip: It happens that my skin becomes dryer and the fine lines, especially under my eyes, are more pronounced. I then apply a large drop of the HA+ serum to the area – sometimes as much as I would use on my full face. I wait for the product to penetrate and then I apply my other serums, day or night cream, SPF and make-up. The results are nearly immediate. Plumped up, younger-looking eyes. 

Written by:
Training Specialist Karen Bester

Joao De Freitas