Hyaluronic Acid – The Queen of Skincare

If we could pick just one natural active ingredient that is beneficial for skin, it would be hyaluronic acid. It’s the hero of good skin, a 100% natural active that packs a powerful punch when it comes to helping skin to look good. We love hyaluronic acid because it’s superb for hydrating skin, and in turn this helps to plump skin, which reduces lines and wrinkles. It also has many additional wonder properties which include being anti-bacterial, fighting inflammation and assisting in wound healing. With a resume like this, it’s easy to see why this is one of our favourite natural skincare active ingredients of all time.

Hyaluronic acid actually occurs naturally in our bodies, occurring predominantly in connective tissue, which is the part of our body that covers and supports organs and tissues. Half of our naturally occurring hyaluronic acid is found throughout our bodies, and the other half is present in our skin. However, it naturally decreases in our systems as we get older, from ageing and from being subjected to environmental stress. The natural aging process and environmental exposures significantly effects the amount of hyaluronic acid within the body. This reduction in hyaluronic acid leads to common signs of ageing in the skin, such as lines, redness, dehydration and age spots. This is one of the reasons why young people have baby soft plump skin, and also why applying hyaluronic acid on the face topically can have huge benefits.

At Nakin it is essential for us to have as much hyaluronic acid in our products as possible, and that’s why it appears in all of our face creams. We have a hyaluronic acid serum, hyaluronic acid face creams/ moisturisers, hyaluronic acid eye cream and hyaluronic face cleansers. All of Nakin’s skincare is also filled with many other amazing natural plant actives, and you can find out more about these on our products page. One of the lovely things about hyaluronic acid is that it works really well with most other skincare ingredients.

We also love hyaluronic acid as it is so gentle and kind to skin, suitable for even the most delicate of complexions. Unlike harsher anti-ageing ingredients like retinol, it actually helps with skin irritation and skin sensitivity. It’s so kind that even if you happened to put pure hyaluronic acid onto your face, it would be fine and beneficial. In the topical cosmetic form, it’s like a clear sticky gel. It’s a humectant and therefore attracts water to the skin, keeping skin supple and providing a protective barrier. The only time we do not recommend to use hyaluronic acid in large quantities is in low humidity areas such as in a very dry and extremely hot climate, as this could be drying to skin. In any environment though, we always recommend applying a product such as a hyaluronic acid serum instead. This is because a good serum will also have many other actives, which benefit skin in other ways. Skin also needs other essential vitamins and minerals to be super healthy, which many good face products will supply, as well as being able to benefit specific skin issues. In today’s advanced scientific aesthetics, a good face product will contain hyaluronic acid, as well as actives to nourish, protect, brighten and calm skin. At Nakin we always recommend using a hyaluronic face cream like ours. We know that some of our customers like to use a simple skin care routine using just a cleanser and moisturiser, so always check that sodium hyaluronate appears on the ingredients list for these.

The science behind the benefits of hyaluronic acid for skin is well known and substantial. Even the National Centre for Biotechnology Information in America describe it as a key molecule in skin ageing. They note that skin ageing has two elements, the intrinsic processes which happen from our mid-twenties from hormonal changes and show up from collagen reduction, dehydration, lower elasticity, epidermal degradation and lines on the skin. Then the extrinsic ageing which in contrast is a result of the external factors that we expose ourselves too, such as smoking and drinking, but especially from exposing skin to the sun, as this UV light causes photoaging. Despite the differences from intrinsic and extrinsic skin aging, they actually have a lot in common when looking at their molecular mechanisms. In short, the reduction and ability of collagen is the same in both intrinsically and extrinsically aged skin.

Skin ageing is associated with loss of skin moisture and the key molecule involved in skin moisture is hyaluronan/ hyaluronic acid; due to its special ability to bind and attract water molecules. Hyaluronic acid is part of the extracellular matrix which lies between cells, this matrix provides a supportive framework, as well as having an effect on cell function. This matrix also contains other elements, but the main part is hyaluronic acid. So this is why it is so beneficial to skin.

A study on 40 females that had mild to mid signs of skin ageing carried out in and published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, showed that using products containing hyaluronic acid for the face decreased the appearance of wrinkle size and sagging skin after 30 days of regular use. There was also reports of fuller cheeks and lips. The topical form hyaluronic acid in skincare is also known as sodium hyaluronate and hyaluronan, all of ours is made ethically in a laboratory. Some people even inject it as a cosmetic filler procedure, other uses include eye drops and supplements. There is a lot of speculation into the future uses of hyaluronic acid and it’s benefits for many important health issues, such as healing skin and joint pain. We do not recommend using it internally and topical application in the form of a cleanser or cream is our preferred delivery method. 

If you like the sound of hyaluronic acid skincare, then take a look at Nakin’s range of stunning natural face care products including a hyaluronic acid serum for the face, and the best hyaluronic acid face moisturisers and creams, as well as hyaluronic acid eye creams and face cleansers. The only products of ours that do not contain Hyaluronic Acid are our lip balm and face oil, as the gel like properties do not work well in these two types of products. The natural Nakin Skincare range is all ethically produced in the UK, as well as being cruelty free and vegan where possible. All products have been carefully developed to improve and enhance skin naturally.