Hyaluronic acid: Everything you need to know!
In recent years, hyaluronic acid has made a name for itself in the landscape of anti-aging and anti-wrinkle care. Injections of hyaluronic acid are even offered in cosmetic surgery to give the skin a new youthfulness. But what exactly is it and how do you incorporate hyaluronic acid into your beauty routine?
What is hyaluronic acid?
A molecule naturally present in the skin tissues, hyaluronic acid composes, with collagen, the support structure of the skin. Recognized for its extraordinary moisturizing properties, hyaluronic acid is what is called a humectant. It attracts moisture into the skin and retains it, thus ensuring that the level of hydration of the epidermis is maintained. A real sponge, it can retain up to 1,000 times its weight in water! Hyaluronic acid has multiple benefits on the skin: it contributes to its resilience and suppleness, it smoothes wrinkles and fine lines, and it ensures a fresh complexion. Hyaluronic acid also reinforces the shielding role of the hydrolipidic film and helps it to defend itself against external aggressions. Only problem, our capital of hyaluronic acid withers over the years.
Why does hyaluronic level decline with time?
Over time, the skin gradually loses its hyaluronic acid content. The reasons? Aging and environmental stress. Hyaluronic acid has a very short lifespan, less than 24 hours. Therefore, the body must constantly produce it. However, from the age of 20, the metabolic activity of the body slows down and the natural production of hyaluronic acid does the same. The phenomenon accelerates around age 30 and by age 50, nearly half of the initial stock has disappeared. We can say that from the age of 20, our skin loses 10% of its hyaluronic acid content every 10 years.
Environmental stress also accelerates the daily loss of hyaluronic acid from the dermis and epidermis. The pollution of our largely urban lives, the blue light from our laptop and computer screens, or even ultraviolet rays gradually reduce the skin's natural resources of hyaluronic acid.
Hyaluronic Acid and Skin Aging go together
The decrease in the production of hyaluronic acid weakens the hydrolipidic film. The latter retains water less well and dehydrates easily. It becomes more permeable to external aggressions and regenerates less well. The skin tissues also lose their substance. The skin tone deteriorates, and wrinkles appear on the face. As you will have understood, hyaluronic acid acts directly on the appearance of the signs of skin aging.
Good news, it is possible to reinject hyaluronic acid into the skin to compensate for its loss and support an “aging well” process. Cosmetics with hyaluronic acid are particularly effective. The lower the molecular weight of hyaluronic acid, the more it penetrates the layers of the skin and the more its biological activity increases. High molecular weight hyaluronic acid (greater than 1 MDa) thus acts outside the skin. It smooths its surface and strengthens cell cohesion to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Low molecular weight hyaluronic acid (10-20 kDa) acts from within. It provides the skin with a filling effect and stimulates growth factors to thicken the skin and boost cell proliferation.
How to maintain and compensate the level of hyaluronic acid in the skin
Payot has specially developed Lisse, a new skincare range enriched with a duo of low and high molecular weight hyaluronic acid. Its goal: to restore the skin's correct balance of hyaluronic acid. Discover the Plumping Booster Serum, a gel highly concentrated in hyaluronic acid for smoother, plumper skin. It can be applied alone as a mask or slipped under the Wrinkle Smoothing Cream. This daytime care protects the skin from daily aggressions that deplete the skin's stock of natural hyaluronic acid, including the famous blue light. For the night, the Resurfacing Sleeping Cream provides a real ‘new skin’ effect when you wake up. Made with hibiscus AHAs, this ultra-comfortable cream gently exfoliates the skin to help it regenerate overnight.
Finally, for busy beauties looking for quick results, the 10-day Radiance Express Cure takes up the challenge of leaving your skin visibly younger in just 10 short days. Alternating day and night two flagship anti-aging molecules – retinol and hyaluronic acid –, the renovating and plumping ampoules of this treatment stimulate cell renewal and compensate for the slowdown in the production of hyaluronic acid with age. Result: wrinkles are reduced, and your skin feels fuller, radiant and beautiful!
