The beauty industry’s favorite active ingredient is called hyaluronic acid, it is an all-rounder and is therefore no longer just used in skin care. But how should you use it to really benefit from its abilities?
1. Hyaluronic acid for creaming
What do Meghan Markle, actress and newlywed of British Prince Harry, and hyaluronic acid have in common? Both made it to number one on the Google charts 2017. Markle as the most searched woman in the world, hyaluronan was ahead in terms of active ingredients. The disaccharide is also a small sensation: it is mainly found in the skin and joints, or more precisely in the spaces between the cells. There it binds so much fluid that it acts like a shock absorber for the bones, makes the skin plump, keeps tissue elastic and stimulates wound healing.
Six liters of water can store one gram of hyaluronic acid
Unfortunately, starting in our mid-20s, we lose around six percent of our hyaluronic acid every ten years due to natural enemies: enzymes that break it down. “This process cannot be reversed, but it can be slowed down with good care.”says Dr. Andreas Fitzner, Head of Research and Development at Eubos.
And what goes into such care, which comes as creams, in ampoules, as a serum or in soaked sheet masks? Best of all, hyaluronic acid long and short molecular chains consists. In simple terms you can imagine it like this:
- The long hyaluronic chains are too large to penetrate the skin, but provide an immediate effect. “They lie on the surface of the skin and store moisture there until they are washed off again,” says Dr. Fitzner. You immediately look noticeably smoother and fresher. In addition, the salts of hyaluronic acid strengthen the skin barrier, the “protective wall” that keeps germs and other troublemakers out and at the same time protects against loss of fluids.
- Medium chain hyaluronic acid On the other hand, it slowly penetrates the skin and primarily moisturizes the upper layers.
- Short chain (and much more expensive) should also make it into the depths and even have an influence on cell metabolism there.
How do you get hyaluronic acid?
Until the end of the 90s, hyaluronic acid was extracted from cocks’ combs, but today it is obtained through fermentation from yeast or grain – this vegan version is less likely to cause allergies. But back to creaming.
The only drawback is that the plumping effect of hyaluronic acid is only short-lived.
You should apply the disaccharide daily and consistently and ideally in combination with vitamin B or C. We need the vitamins to produce collagen, the supporting structure of the skin. And only well-supported tissue can “hold” water and then appear nice and plump.
2. Hyaluronic acid to drink
What ends up in the jar for some people prefers to be sipped by others.
““I drink my hyaluronic acid,” says Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow, 45. “With a cream you only reach certain parts of the body. The whole skin benefits from the drinks.”
Particularly long chain hyaluronic acid, which otherwise only sits on the surface of the skin, should also reach its depths. And from there it could even have a positive effect on our health. Researchers made an astonishing discovery: Naked mole rats – small, rat-like animals without fur – know neither cancer nor dementia.It is believed that long-chain hyaluronic acid keeps the tissue of moles, which are among the longest-lived rodents, healthy. The human body, on the other hand, only produces short-chain forms on its own.
But does consumed hyaluronic acid actually reach the skin?
Isn’t it digested and broken down before it can enter the blood? “Normally only ten percent of the molecules overcome the intestinal barrier,” says US nutritionist Dr. Frank Lipman. In order to protect hyaluronic acid from its attackers, the enzymes, manufacturers like to encapsulate it with hesperidin. The antioxidant from the white skin of citrus fruits is said to ensure that the active ingredient is not broken down so quickly. “So eat the white stuff with you, it protects your hyaluronic acid deposits,” advises Lipman.
And another thing: Drinking ampoules or Capsules should be taken for at least four weeksonly then has the skin renewed itself and you can see differences (such as “Regulatpro Hyaluron” from Dr. Niedermaier; collagen drinking ampoules “Elasten” from Quiris Healthcare; available exclusively in pharmacies).
3. Inject hyaluronic acid
Injections, especially in the cheeks, but also in the lip area, are a classic area of application for hyaluronic acid. To ensure that the result looks as natural as possible instead of like a padded pillow face, doctors like Dr. Thomas Hartmann, specialist in plastic surgery at Goldbek Medical in Hamburg, on the “8-point lift”, which is available from 450 euros, in which small amounts of a very stable hyaluronic acid are specifically placed deep in the skin at eight points from the cheekbone to the chin region become. “This relieves the pressure on the nasolabial fold and it recedes.”
Not every form of hyaluronic acid is suitable for facial treatment
Manufacturers like Teoxane have recently been advertising hyaluronic acid, which was developed specifically for mobile facial areas such as cheeks and mouth: Resilient Hyaluronic Acid (RHA) like “Teosyhal” is said to be even more stretchy and thus adapt better to the movements of the muscles. Dr. Hartmann is rather skeptical about this. “It depends on the amount. With the ‘8-point lift’ I only use one milliliter on each side of the face, such an amount does everything. What is more important is how strongly networked, i.e. how stable, the hyaluronic acid is.
“Quality really trumps quantity here.”
This is also why it should Lifting that lasts about twelve to 18 months, only be carried out by well-trained doctors. Mesotherapy can help with dry, wrinkled skin. Micro-injuries are inflicted on the epidermis, i.e. the upper skin, with small needles in order to incorporate a cocktail with hyaluronic acid, vitamins and minerals. “The most effective way to get the skin to produce more hyaluronic acid and collagen,” says London dermatologist Dr. Frances Prenna Jones, who also treats model Kate Moss.
For those who don’t like needles, she recommends a “jet peel”, in which a water-gas-saline mixture is shot at the skin at speeds of up to 720 kilometers per hour. The peeling, which cosmetic studios also offer, removes dead skin cells and is then intended to allow the hyaluronic acid to sink even deeper into the skin.
4. Make-up – there is hyaluronic acid in make-up
Hyaluron is now even found in make-up. Nivea, for example, has now brought a sponge onto the market that is care, make-up and tool in one. The primer provides more coverage than a “BB cream”, but is intended to provide more intensive care. And it contains Creatine, a substance produced in the skin that is said to stimulate hyaluronic acid production. Just like saponin: obtained from soybeans, it is said to give the hyaluronic cells in the skin, the so-called fibroblasts, the command to shift into gear. Or maybe even two courses. An in-vitro study by Eucerin showed that saponin was able to increase the release of acid by 256 percent (for example in Eucerin’s “Hyaluron Filler CC Cream SPF 15”).
5. Spray – Hyaluronic acid for hair
Also new are shampoos, conditioners and sprays with hyaluronic acid, which are intended to ensure smooth, silky hair and a fuller head of hair.
“Uncrosslinked hyaluronic acid can diffuse to a small extent into the horny material of the hair and bind water molecules there, so that the hair becomes a little more supple. But it is definitely also a fad,” says Dr. Frank-Matthias Schaart, dermatologist and hair specialist from Hamburg.
Does the disaccharide perhaps even bind too much water, which then weighs down the hair? “I doubt that,” said Schaart. “The hyaluronic acid on the hair is almost completely rinsed out when you wash it.” And that may be the problem with anything that needs to be washed out. If the hyaluronic acid is to remain on the hair or even be absorbed into the stratum corneum in order to have a long-term effect, products such as light leave-in sprays make sense.
It’s all a question of connective tissue: Hyaluronic acid is not only responsible for firm skin, it also strengthens the connective tissue of the entire body. We have even more practical tips on how to strengthen your connective tissue.