1. What is hyaluronic acid?

Hyaluronic acid (HA), an acidic mucopolysaccharide, plays an important role in bacteria, higher animals, and the human body. Three extraction methods of hyaluronic acid: animal tissue extraction; Microbial extraction; Fermentation of recombinant genetic engineering bacteria.

  1. Efficacy of hyaluronic acid

Hyaluronic acid can absorb 1000 times more water than its own weight, and the absorbed water is not easy to lose in a short time. Therefore, HA is an ideal moisturizing agent, also known as the “natural moisturizing factor”.

  1. Types of hyaluronic acid

Hyaluronic acid can be divided into macromolecular HA(180KDa-220KDa), medium-molecular HA, and small-molecular HA. Hyaluronic acid with different molecular weights has different abilities to penetrate the skin, and its effect is also different.

(1)Macromolecule HA can form a breathable hydration viscoelastic film on the skin. Lock in moisture.

(2)Medium molecular HA can moisturize for a long time.

(3)Small molecule HA can penetrate into the dermis of the skin, promote the expansion of capillaries, increase blood circulation, promote skin metabolism, and make the skin smooth and elastic.

  1. The role of hyaluronic acid in skincare

(1)Moisturizing and hydrating effect

Moisturizing and hydrating effect is the most important effect of hyaluronic acid in skin care products, compared with other moisturizing agents. The air humidity of the surrounding environment has little influence on its moisturizing and hydrating properties.

(2) Efficacy of nutritional ingredients

Hyaluronic acid is a microbial substance in the skin, and exogenous hyaluronic acid is an endogenous supplement to the skin. The smaller hyaluronic acid can penetrate into the skin surface, promote the balance of supply and demand of skin nutrients and the metabolism of waste, thus avoiding skin aging, and has the effect of beauty care and beauty.

(3)Repair and prevention of skin damage

Hyaluronic acid can promote the regeneration of the skin at the injured site according to the promotion of the proliferation and division of the skin cells and its effect of eliminating free radicals. The application before the injury also has a certain preventive effect.

(4)Wettability and demulsification

Hyaluronic acid is a kind of polymer material with strong wetting and emulsification properties. Skin care products containing hyaluronic acid have obvious moisturizing effects and excellent touch when wiping.  After wiping the skin, a layer of plastic film can be produced on the surface of the skin, which makes the skin a good sense of cleanliness and moisture, and has a maintenance effect on the skin.

(5) Thickening

Hyaluronic acid has a high viscosity in solution, and 1% of its solution is gel-like, which can be thickened and stabilized in skin care products

(6) anti-aging resistance

The moisture level of the skin is closely related to the hyaluronic acid content. With the growth of age, the hyaluronic acid content in the skin decreases, which weakens the water-locking effect of the skin and causes wrinkles. The hyaluronic acid solution has extremely strong adhesion and wettability to wipe the surface of the skin, which can produce a layer of moisturizing, moisturizing and breathable film, and maintain the skin nourishing, soft and bright. Small molecule HA can penetrate into the dermis, promote blood circulation, help the skin digest and absorb nutrients, and has the effect of beauty and skincare anti-aging healthcare.

Author: Cherry Zhao

Email: Cherry@plantextractssr.com