Most skincare experts love what hyaluronic acid can do for skin! It promises to help remedy dehydration and dryness without oil, but how does it really work and what are the different types you hear or see on ingredient labels? Is there a real difference and if so, what is best? These are the questions I often hear from my private clientele and from LIV + GRACE SKINCARE devotees.
Well, here is what you need to know!
What is Hyaluronic Acid?
In our bodies, we have a naturally occurring sugar called Hyaluronic Acid. It is found largely in our skin, lips, connective tissues and even our joints. The purpose of Hyaluronic Acid in our bodies is to draw moisture from other areas of the body to areas that need to stay hydrated, lubricated and maintain its function. So here you can see how important this would be for skin as it ages or become imbalanced.
As our bodies age, our skin degrades in many ways. The collagen and elastin start to be less abundant and so does the the natural hyaluronic acid, which helps to give skin a soft, plump and youthful feel and appearance. All of these cascading issues can result in fine lines, wrinkles, dehydration and crepey looking skin.
How can you support your body when this natural aging happens?
You can improve your diet with skin supplements and better food choices, like adding green leafy vegetables and starchy vegetables, which may help naturally stimulate our own hyaluronic production. You can also assist with skincare products that have the humectant ingredients like hyaluronic acid and sodium hyaluronate, which both have the ability to hold up to 1000 times its weight in water! Pretty awesome right?
What are the real differences of these two ingredients?
One has a smaller molecular weight therefore allowing it to penetrate the skin more deeply. It is also considered more stable because it is less prone to oxidation- that is Sodium Hyaluronate. In the skincare world these two ingredient are often referred to as the same, but even though they both have similar benefits, sodium hyaluronate is actually by definition a salt extracted from hyaluronic acid giving it these unique properties. Hyaluronic Acid, on the other hand, penetrates less deeply and works for almost anyone, including oily skin.
Hyaluronic Acid and Sodium Hyaluronate are both non-comedogenic and can add a boost of hydration to any skincare routine.
If you are on the oilier side and concerned about too much hydration, you may want to choose a hyaluronic acid serum because it doesn’t penetrate so deeply. If you are focused on addressing aging and dryness, you may want products with sodium hyaluronate because it penetrates more deeply. The great news is that you can combine both these ingredients and get more hydration, deeper penetration and more balance looking skin. Hooray!
Since hyaluronic acid and sodium hyaluronate play well together, we make it easy for you to get all the benefits your skin needs by combining, layering or using solo— LIV + GRACE SKINCARE’S Vital Complete Hydrating Essence and Marine Peptide Hyaluronic Serum.
LIV + GRACE SKINCARE realizes each person has their own needs and preferences, so we created these two multipurpose products, one with the sodium hyaluronate and one with hyaluronic acid. This gives people the ability to customize and benefit from their skincare routine regardless of age, gender, lifestyle, climate and skin condition.
Our Vital Complete Hydrating Essence is rich in sodium hyaluronate, and other hydrating and plumping ingredients like watermelon extract, aloe vera juice and coconut extract. It also has added skin nutrients like probiotics, rose hydrosol and calendula flower extract to support skin’s natural microbiome, fight free radical damage and help maintain the skin’s pH levels for proper barrier function. Think of this as a super charged liquid serum that gets the skin happy and ready for facial oils or other hydrating serums like out Marine Peptide Hyaluronic Serum. (Little secret here—you can even use over make up or at anytime of day for a hydration boost and glow.)
The Marine Peptide Hyaluronic Serum has Hyaluronic Acid along with anti-redness (15% Arnica Flower Extract), anti-bacterial and other moisture boosting ingredients like, Micro Red Algae, which is known to be rich in polysaccharide to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, plus, help protect against environmental damage from UV exposure.
SO, stay in charge and choose what matters to you most! Its your skin and now you can truly love the skin you are in by having choices and better knowledge.
Cindy Merrill O'Brien, LE
Founder + Holistic Aesthetician
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