If you aren’t using a hyaluronic acid serum in your skincare routine, it’s time to make some changes. Hyaluronic acid is a gentle yet highly effective humectant that addresses some of the most common skin concerns, making it a superstar skincare ingredient for all skin types. Let’s discuss the benefits of hyaluronic acid, and why you’ll want to work it into your daily routine.
What is Hyaluronic Acid & What are the Benefits?
Hyaluronic acid isn’t just a skincare ingredient – it’s also naturally found in the body. The molecule acts as a lubricant for tissues, joints, and ligaments, and also helps maintain plump, hydrated skin.
Here’s the problem: our hyaluronic acid levels steadily decline as we age. This causes our skin to lose hydration, and also makes our complexion more prone to fine lines and wrinkles, as well as a reduction in elasticity. By using hyaluronic acid in your skincare routine, you can counteract some of these effects to maintain healthy, plump skin.
So how exactly does hyaluronic acid affect the skin when used topically? Here are the benefits you’ll get from adding this multitasking ingredient to your skincare routine.
1. Deep Hydration
If soft, dewy skin is what you are after, a hyaluronic acid serum can help. This humectant is best known for its hydrating abilities. In fact, it’s one of the most powerful hydrators in the skincare world. It is able to hold nearly 1000 times its weight in water!
Since it attracts water molecules to the skin and locks them in, hyaluronic acid is able to dramatically enhance the skin’s hydration levels. With continued use, it can also improve the skin’s ability to retain water, ensuring it stays healthy and hydrated in the long term.
2. Plumps & Smooths Fine Lines
Fine lines are much more prominent when the skin is dehydrated – but hyaluronic acid can help. By pulling water into the skin and replenishing hydration levels, hyaluronic acid has a plumping effect on the complexion. As a result, fine lines become much less noticeable, and the skin appears supple, plump, and more youthful.
3. Boosts Collagen Production
Hyaluronic acid also supports collagen – a protein that works as one of the key building blocks for strong, youthful skin. The humectant creates an optimal environment for collagen to do its best work and hold the skin cells together. As a result, the hyaluronic acid and collagen work together to maintain elastic, firm skin.
4. Improves Skin Texture
If you’re dealing with uneven texture, hyaluronic acid may be able to help. By improving the skin’s hydration levels, the humectant has a softening effect on the complexion, targeting dry patches, dullness, and general unevenness. The result is smoother, plumper skin with less prominent texture irregularities.
5. Fast Absorption & Non-Greasy
Another one of the top hyaluronic acid benefits is that it is super lightweight. It absorbs quickly into the skin, leaving the complexion feeling soft and hydrated without any grease. This makes it an ideal ingredient for all skin types – even oily skin.
6. Soothes and Calms Irritated Skin
Hyaluronic acid can be great for promoting a more comfortable complexion. This is especially true when you’re dealing with aggravation caused by dehydration. The humectant will work to replenish water levels to relieve irritated skin, and at the same time supports skin barrier function for stronger, healthier skin.
Hyaluronic acid is also very gentle on the skin, and is typically well-tolerated by all skin types – so there’s very little risk of it contributing to irritation! That said, if you have particularly reactive skin, we still highly recommend doing a patch test before using a new hyaluronic acid serum on your face.
7. Enhances Other Skin Products
What makes hyaluronic acid particularly easy to work with is that it layers well with virtually all other skincare ingredients. In fact, it can even enhance the benefits of other products in your routine by creating a well-hydrated environment that is receptive to other ingredients.
Here’s a tip on how to use hyaluronic acid: apply it to damp skin! We love spraying a gentle, nourishing toner (like the Harmony Toner) onto the skin, and then following up with a hyaluronic acid serum. The hyaluronic acid will work with the water in the toner, drawing it deep into the skin for maximum hydration.
In addition to working well with a toner, you can also easily layer a hyaluronic acid serum with other serums. For example, for the perfect combination of hydrating, radiance boosting, and anti-aging benefits, pair it with Gleaming Brightener. Seal it all in with a moisturizer like the Freedom Moisturizer, and you have the ultimate routine for a glowing, plump complexion!
No matter your skin type or concerns, a hyaluronic acid serum deserves a spot in your routine. The multitasking ingredient will help you maintain hydrated, healthy skin that looks and feels its absolute best.
