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Last updated on January 11th, 2025 at 03:34 pm

THE INTERVIEW

Hyaluronic Acid 101: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

The Real Truth About Hyaluronic Acid

After the interview, I did my research to find the real truth about hyaluronic acid, only to find out our prince charming (hyaluronic acid) is not being totally honest after all.

I have seen a lot of creams, gels, and so many other products with hyaluronic acid. If it is such an amazing ingredient in the cosmetic industry, why then do some people still suffer from dryness after topical application of HA? I got curious to learn more about hyaluronic acid and to my surprise; our Prince Charming got weaknesses after all. I will mention 3 flaws that I found across the web which I find very interesting.

You may also be interested in how to use hyaluronic acid as a beginner.

hyaluronic acid downside, the good, the bad, the ugly of hyaluronic acid

Hyaluronic Acid Is Moody

It is a pretty moody substance. For example, In high-humidity weather conditions such as winter or during the rainy season, HA will take water from the air and add it to your skin making you look plump and supple. However, during a low-humidity weather condition, HA will absorb water from the deepest layer of your skin (dermis) making you look extremely dry and flaky.

So if you really want to get the most out of hyaluronic acid during the dry season, I suggest you get a humidifier or apply occlusive agents to your skin after using HA, this will help seal in moisture to your skin.

Hyaluronic Acid Is Very Big

Saying it is very big is an understatement. In fact, it is a HUGE molecule. This is a great limitation if you are applying hyaluronic acid serum topically. It just would not penetrate the skin. There are different sizes of hyaluronic acid:

  • High molecular weight HA or HMWHA: It consists of molecules that are 1500 kD and larger and cannot penetrate the skin. Instead, they sit on top of the skin barrier where they improve skin moisture and elasticity making you look plump and radiant. However, the effects are short-lived. They have no real long-term effects
  • Low molecular weight HA or LMWHA: It consists of molecules that are 50kD or lesser and this ensures water is stored deep within the connective tissues. This is more advantageous as they work with collagen to minimize the signs of aging and the effect is long-lasting. However, this also leads to inflammation when used in high doses.
High molecular weight HA
High molecular weight HA sits on the epidermal layer, the middle molecular HA penetrates but does not get to the dermis, the low molecular HA deeply penetrates into the dermal layer

The high molecular weight is found in creams and serums, they do not penetrate the skin, they sit on top and are short-lived while low molecular weight leads to inflammation of the skin in high doses.

Hyaluronic Acid Can Be Easily Degraded

Hyaluronic acid in our blood lasts up to 3 to 5 minutes while the one in our skin does not last up to a single day. Meaning that even if you apply it topically or intradermally, the turnover rate is high. In other words, Hyaluronic acid gets flushed down the drain.

I have seen lots of Hyaluronic acid serum that claim “100% hyaluronic acid” This claim is quite misleading. Remember 1g of Hyaluronic acid holds up to 1000 times water. So why add any more to a substance that gets easily degraded? I find it a bit unnecessary.

Did The Cosmetic Industry Solve The Hyaluronic Acid Problem?

The cosmetic industry knows the real truth about hyaluronic acid. Therefore, the cosmetic industry looked for ways to solve problems between high and low molecular weight hyaluronic acid. They solve this problem by breaking down hyaluronic acid into simple molecules such that we now have; high molecular, middle molecular and low molecular weight Hyaluronic acid. This ensures it penetrates all layers for optimal moisture across all skin layers for a smoother, radiant glow.

An example of such products is The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 30ml and SkinMedica HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator.

What can you do to get the most out of hyaluronic acid?

Whether you live in a humid or non-humid environment, you should always have an occlusive moisturizer. These two work hand in hand to prevent moisture loss and dry skin. You can get occlusive agents from cocoa butter, mineral oil, and lanolin. It helps seal in moisture drawn by hyaluronic acid. These two ensure the moisture stays that way and is not degraded.

Conclusion

This has really been lengthy and I appreciate you for staying with me to find the real truth about hyaluronic acid. It is not a bad ingredient after all but the cosmetic industry overdoes the appraisal sometimes. If we use it properly, we can get its beneficial effects, especially for people with dry skin. It is actually one of my top favourite ingredients.

Please share, like and comment if you found this information helpful. Thank you 🙂

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40 Comments

  1. This was SO helpful! I’ve heard the hype and wondered if I should get more of this. It’s an ingredient in something I am using but I wondered if it was “enough”. Thanks so much for breaking it down in an easy to understand format!

  2. Thanks for this post!
    I’ve wondered about whether or not it’s safe and actually useful or not!

  3. Wow, I’m really glad I found and read this post! I starting to reach the age where I need to care more about my skin outside of cleansing, moisturizing, and applying sunscreen. I’ve been looking into HA as a way to retain moisture in my skin, and I’m surprised to read here that there are things I need to keep an eye out for. I have incredibly dry skin naturally, so reading that there are some types of HA that will dehydrate my skin is good to know! Thanks for this incredibly informative post!

    1. HA are incredible at hydrating the skin because they collect moisture in the air and add to your skin but it just depends on the weather. If you are looking in HA, I would suggest you look in HA creams with glycerin in it or with occlusive agent like cocoa butter That will help hydrate and seal in moisture. I’m so glad you found it helpful

  4. Wow! This is incredible informative. I’ve tried products with HA but never really seen any big difference. Maybe it was degraded or not being absorbed properly. It’s an expensive ingredient too so unless I get it for free, I might not buy anymore.

    1. I absolutely agree with you, it is expensive and the hype is overboard. Regardless it is a very strong humectant, I suggest you have a hyaluronic acid cream with glycerin in it. Glycerin is a very good moisturizer that helps seals in moisture or add any other occlusive agent

    1. Yes, a lot of people don’t talk about the environment. It does help to know the environment has a direct effect on HA. Thank you for reading

  5. I’ve always thought it was like the best, but after reading this I see I need to do more research! This was super interesting! Thanks for sharing!

  6. This was probably the most creative way I’ve ever seen hyaluronic acid explained, and it also made so much sense! I appreciate how you broke it down and made it entertaining. Thank you for being so informative.

  7. I’ve already got some products which actually have it in then but I’ve never really known what it does before so Thankyou for this really informative post it’s so helpful !! Great post 💗

  8. It is interesting to learn about hyaluronic acid. It has been a name that’s been brought up so many times in the skincare industry. It is good that there are lots of benefits to them. Thanks for sharing all of these facts!

    Nancy ♥ exquisitely.me

    1. This was really interesting! Hyaluronic exists almost in every product I use for my skin care. It was great vto know also the cons related to it. Thank you for sharing!

  9. Wow, your article explains so much, now I know why my skin can go dry after using hyaluronic. I just thought it was me but now I know, this has turned my skincare regime upside down, in a good way. Thank you.

  10. Such a good read! I always see HA being mentioned, but have steered clear as post accutane I avoid anything too harsh and….well, it’s got acid in the name! It sounds absolutely brilliant though! I have humidifiers in my office for my plants – I’ll definitely be adding this to my skincare routine 🙂 xx

  11. I love how you break down how hyaluronic acid works, as it looks like something with benefits and drawbacks if not used correctly. I think it is important to understand the basics of the ingredients that go into skincare products to better understand how they work to improve and nourish our skin.
    Thanks so much for sharing!

  12. This post covers everything to know about HA and I liked it!! I also make sure it’s in my products. And I’ve been using them for sometime soon. Insightful one.

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