Hyaluronic Acid Cosmetics

I am a health and beauty junkie so the new fads that come into the American market don’t surprise me one bit. I constantly keep an eye on hot trends in cosmetics and skin care overseas and eagerly anticipate their incarnation on American soil.  Hyaluronic acid cosmetics and skincare products, much like the recent trend in organic skincare (more commonly called “whitening” outside of the U.S.), have been the rage in many Asian countries such as Japan and South Korea for many years. Having garnered a loyal fanbase (including yours truly), hyaluronic acid is touted as the anti-aging breakthrough. So what’s so special about this hard to pronounce chemical?

More about hyaluronic acid…

hyaluronic acid serum

Contrary to what you might think about acids, this product does not strip away skin. Hyaluronic acid, or hyaluronan as it is scientifically called, is a naturally occurring non-sulfated glycosaminoglycan found throughout the layers of our epidermis. Because of its extremely high cell proliferation properties, it is one of the main components in skin tissue regeneration. So when applied topically in the form of cleansers, lotions, or serums, hyaluronic acid acts like a sponge to pull moisture from the air into your skin which aids in plumping up the skin and filling in superficial wrinkles. Overtime, the skin will regain it’s firmness and elasticity. For younger skin (such as mine), hyaluronic is deeply moisturizing and is suitable for very dry skin. If you are a little bit more serious about looking younger, there is a huge trend in having hyaluronic acid facial injections to aid in, you guessed it, plumping up wrinkles.

So whatever your choice, just remember to always do a skin patch test with ANY new skin care product. No matter how miraculous a certain wonder product is, it is no use if you are allergic to it! And of course all products come with a downside. Hyaluronic acid should not be injected or used on older skin as it can potentially cause memory loss (!).

-Linda