Hyaluronic Acid - Worth the Hype?

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a naturally occurring humectant, generally found in tofu, soy, and citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruits. Your body produces HA naturally in the skin, eyes, and joints. But over time, our natural production slows down and we need a little boost from products to stay hydrated.

We are BIG fans of topical HA for keeping the skin hydrated. But note…”keeping” the skin hydrated means that it needs hydration to start with. If you put HA on seriously dry skin, it will only pull whatever moisture it can out of the skin, drying you out even more. And because HA can hold a thousand times its weight in water, it is a thirsty acid! There needs to be hydration in your skin in order for HA to do the work it is intended for.

Topical HA has many positive attributes: it is generally well tolerated; it does not frequently cause allergic reactions or irritate sensitive skin; and it is safe to use on the skin during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. - Harvard Health

HA is generally good for all skin types, because it works with water. It’s non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores), and is easily found in a ton of over the counter skincare products, from drug stores to posh boutiques.

If you struggle with dry skin, or you find your skin drying out over time, we encourage you to give HA a try. In store, we have Tuel’s very easy to use Hydrate serum, which contains hyaluronic acid suspended in a gel formula along with sodium PCA (an amino acid that also attracts hydration) and green tea. But other brands of HA are very easy to find.

We recommend incorporating HA into your routine after cleansing, and before moisturizing. It can be used day and night, or several times per week, or however often your skin seems to benefit from it.

If you have any questions about how to use HA, why you would need it, or anything else regarding the skin, just shoot us an email at hello@ilovehaven.com!