Ingredient Spotlight: Hyaluronic Acid

Health & Wellness - September 15, 2021

By Kat Furness 4-Minute Read

Happy skin is hydrated skin, and when your complexion isn’t getting what it needs, it starts to show. Enter hyaluronic acid—a natural humectant, meaning it is a literal magnet for moisture. Your body normally produces it all on its own, but as you age it starts to drop off. Add perimenopause and menopause to the mix and you’re likely to notice your skin is feeling thirstier than usual.

Why So Dry?

There are a lot of things going on during this period of your life and sometimes it can be tricky to figure out the real cause of a symptom. If you’re noticing changes to your skin, both aging and menopause play their part—as if those hot flashes weren’t enough to deal with! During perimenopause and menopause, estrogen levels drop, and these hormonal changes often mean dryness all over the face and body. So blaming those scaly knees on winter hibernation may not be entirely accurate.

At the same time, as we age our oil glands aren’t as active, leading to dehydration and more pronounced wrinkles. Collagen levels drop too, and can be responsible for the dreaded sag. All in all, it can be a really challenging time for your skin.

“Healthy, radiant skin can help you look and feel your best, which is what we’re all about. Because let’s be honest: menopause can have a dry sense of humor.”

We don’t think skincare should be about turning back the clock—but healthy, radiant skin can help you look and feel your best, which is what we’re all about. Because let’s be honest: menopause can have a dry sense of humor.

How Hyaluronic Acid Helps

Hyaluronic acid is a molecule that’s naturally found in the body, both in the skin and in connective tissues. This polysaccharide, or sugar, is responsible for cushioning and lubricating joints, nerves, hair, eyes, and most importantly, our skin. It’s also the key molecule involved in skin moisture, as well as being shown to visibly reduce wrinkles by up to 40% in clinical studies. You can thank hyaluronic acid for the youthful complexion you had in your 20s.

When hyaluronic acid binds to water, it helps your skin retain moisture. So not only is there an instant effect, but you’ll start to notice longer-term benefits as well. Topically, this powerhouse ingredient can help skin look plump and bouncy, as well as helping reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles. If it’s a natural glow you’re after, this acid is a great place to start.

Unlike some rich oils and moisturizers, hyaluronic acid does the heavy lifting without clogging your pores. It also plays well with friends, so if you’re a fan of niacinamide for brightening or algae for tightening, you can find a combination of these ingredients working well together in one formula. And anything that makes multitasking easier is a win in our books, because we’re busy ladies!

“Topically, this powerhouse ingredient can help skin look plump and bouncy, as well as helping reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles.”

If you’re ready to take things up another notch with your skincare, the latest innovation in hyaluronic acid is an ingredient called HyaClear® 7. Traditionally, this acid can easily oxidize, meaning it becomes less effective over time. In HyaClear® 7, an advanced, optimized ratio of seven different molecular weights of stable hyaluronic acid are used, meaning you’re getting all the benefits with maximum potency and shelf life.

Look For Advanced Hyaluronic Acid In…

There’s no need to take on an entirely new skincare regimen, but a few tweaks to your existing skincare routine might make all the difference. A great place to start is a luxurious night cream like Overnight Magic, packed with HyaClear® 7 as well as bakuchiol, a gentler plant-based alternative to retinols. Slather this baby over your visage and awaken to smoother, more supple skin.

If your neck is more your problem area, Let’s Neck glides on to lift, hydrate, and smooth an often neglected spot. Pro tip: Keep it in the fridge for ultimate cooling relief.

And don’t forget everything else below your neck! Your skin is your largest organ and deserves love from head to toe. The Works is our body moisturizer for menopausal skin that breaks all the rules, using ingredients usually reserved for facial creams, including HyaClear® 7. And if you’re feeling dry down there, Daily V Soothe is a vaginal moisturizer with hyaluronic acid, because your nether regions deserve instant comfort, too.

"Oral supplementation of hyaluronic acid is also becoming popular, especially as it’s proving to be just as effective as topical treatments."

What About Taking Hyaluronic Acid as a Supplement?

Good news is, getting your dose of hyaluronic acid doesn’t have to just come via skincare. Oral supplementation is also becoming popular, especially as it’s proving to be just as effective as topical treatments. In fact, this study showed that the oral intake of hyaluronic acid “inhibits skin wrinkles and improves skin condition.” Additionally, this robust study—which called oral hyaluronic acid supplements a “promising candidate”—found its ingestion to demonstrate “statistically significant increase in skin hydration and elasticity” and a “significant decrease in skin roughness and wrinkle depth” with no side effects or unwanted skin changes. “Overall,” the report concluded, “intake of hyaluronic acid over a longer period of time seems to have a positive impact on skin health.”

Ready to add hyaluronic acid to your routine? Our dietary supplement Active Glow will do the trick: with its 120mg dosage of hyaluronic acid, it’s an easy add to your every day.