HY Hyaluron: Part II

Magic from the test tube

We are on the trail of hyaluronic acid and, in order to fully understand its effectiveness, we must take a narrow look at the structure of the molecule. The longer these molecules are cross-linked, the greater their molecular weight. This is expressed in Daltons (Da). From a weight of 1000 kDa, we speak of high molecular weight hyaluronic acids. This hyaluronic acid is too large to penetrate the skin. It remains on the surface and moisturizes there, at least for a short time. Low-molecular hyaluronic acid with less than 5o kDa penetrates the skin and can develop its effectiveness there. So-called oligohyaluronic acid is even smaller and can therefore reach the deeper layers of the skin. However, this is the crux of the matter, or in our case, a few problems that are not yet clear.

A look at the nitty gritty

The large number of hyaluronic products can really make it difficult to choose. It’s worth taking a look at the guts, or rather, the INCIology. First, just by looking at the INCIs (that’s the table of contents on skin care products), we don’t know what molecular size of hyaluronic acid is used. If Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed or Sodium Hyaluronate are listed, then you know hyaluronic acid is present in your product. However, it is up to the manufacturer to declare in what quantity and with what molecular size the valuable ingredient has entered the product. And then we are confronted with a second problem. It is true that hyaluronic acid brings us moisture on or even better in the skin. However, there is also evidence that with the wonderful penetration of the skin of the smaller molecules and the good water binding, other foreign substances, such as preservatives, can also get into the skin.

What does science say?

A look at the science now helps to understand the limitation of topically applied hyaluronic acid (topical, by the way, is such a nice dermatologist word to describe something being applied to the skin). To slow skin aging and effectively address it below, we need a basic understanding of what causes our skin to age. To a large extent, external factors have an impact and UV light is a major part of that. Smoking, metabolic changes and ultimately genetics determine the pace of our skin aging. Without going too deeply into the details, everything ultimately results in a loss of collagen and hyaluronic acid. Even though the hyaluronic acid in a well-formulated lotion may ultimately reduce wrinkles by better hydrating the skin, it does not prevent or even reverse the actual structural damage to the body’s own hyaluronic acid. I will describe what actually helps in this case in another article. But this much is already revealed: Retinol and laser therapy are part of it, as well as the thread lift. To dissolve you now, however, why we are nevertheless big fans of hyaluronic acid: With the right filler, such as a skin booster, hyaluronic acid can be carefully injected under the skin, where its water-absorbing effect can gently and aesthetically plump up the skin. With the correct injection technique, this can even promote the body’s own production of collagen. Therefore, I see hyaluronic preparations to be applied to the skin as a kind of cure to reduce feelings of dryness. However, it is not a therapy to actually reverse skin aging.