Hyaluronic Usage

Looking back at even just the past few years of skincare, our beauty basics have changed so much, and hyaluronic acid has made a permanent home in our beauty arsenals. Only a few other trending ingredients over recent years have proved they deserve such a lasting role in our routines. As many haven’t stuck around (remember the argan oil surge in the early 2010’s?) some shifts have endured the test of time. Even a great deal about how we approach skincare in general has shifted.

We see how the surge in the use of hyaluronic acid transformed skincare routines around the world. But even with the power of a simple but effective ingredient like hyaluronic acid, there are still people every day Googling, “what is hyaluronic acid” and “how to use hyaluronic acid for the skin.” With a technique like slugging currently sweeping the beauty world, we think a refresher on this new classic is a bit overdue. With all of us often tweaking and improving how we take care of our skin, we know there are still many who aren’t sure how to use hyaluronic acid and how it can transform our skin for the better.

The name hyaluronic acid really is a bit misleading to how to use hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid sounds like a chemical exfoliant promising to deliver brighter, toned skin; when in reality, it is really more of a humectant than anything else.

For those who have never heard of this ingredient or haven’t gotten a chance to try it, hyaluronic acid is essentially a moisture booster for the skin. It is in and of itself moisturizing, but also helps to preserve existing moisture and draw in additional moisture. All this while improving our skin’s tone, texture, and clarity, supporting collagen and elasticity, and fortifying our skin’s moisture barrier as well.

While the name can sound scary or intimidating, this gentle and mild ingredient is as safe and comforting for our skin as roses or aloe vera. And while the most common attention about this product and how it’s used is targeted at those looking for more intense hydration, it really is an ingredient that most of us should be incorporating into our skin routine in some fashion. For those that have already discovered and fallen in love with this ingredient, how are you using hyaluronic acid?

We’ve already mentioned what hyaluronic acid is known and used for. As a humectant hydrating component of many moisturizers and serums, many of us are or could be using hyaluronic acid all the time and not know it if we aren’t well versed with our product formulas. And even for those of us that seek this ingredient out, let’s review how to use hyaluronic acid so we’re getting the most out of this versatile and beneficial ingredient.

First, unless it’s included in our skin cleanser’s formula, this is an ingredient that packs the most punch in the following steps of our skincare routine, such as in our toner, serum, or moisturizer. The reason being that a cleanser is designed to flush the pores, remove buildup on our skin and reset our skin’s surface. As hyaluronic acid aids in hydration, skin texture, and longer-lasting moisture, it’s something that can be used every day - even in both our morning and night routines! It isn’t light sensitive like retinoids and isn’t clarifying like AHAs, so it’s really a crowd-pleasing ingredient that, for even combination and oily skin, has valuable benefits.

We really can’t see anyone who wouldn’t be a good match for hyaluronic acid. Not only does it provide a few very important benefits that most of us are looking for in our skincare, but it also makes simplifying our skincare routine an easy job. The most universal and valuable benefits we know hyaluronic acid contains include:

• Deep skin hydration resulting in glowing, plump skin

• Acting as a humectant to preserve hydration

• Improving skin texture by supporting collagen and elastin in the skin

• Improves skin tone to boost clarity by aiding in skin cell repair

• Soothe skin inflammation to decrease redness and reactivity

As we just mentioned, hyaluronic acid is beneficial even for skin types that wouldn’t usually seek out a moisturizing ingredient, but let’s rate how to use hyaluronic acid by skin type and what benefits it holds for all of us.

• Mature | deeply hydrates and reduces the appearance of texture.

• Dry | provides deeper, longer-lasting hydration.

• Sensitive | Gently improves skin texture and tone.

• Normal | aids in supple, glowy, hydrated skin.

• Acneic | impacts hydration and softness for improved texture and aids in complexion repair.

• Combination | provides and preserves moisture where it’s needed to improve skin balance.

• Oily | lightweight and hydrating, as well as, beneficial for maintaining smooth, clear skin.

Now that we’re all up to speed on what hyaluronic acid is and what it does, how do we incorporate hyaluronic acid into a skincare routine? We know that pairing products is the science that can help us reach our skin goals (or prevent them) and so it’s important to be pretty well-versed on what our ingredients do so that we can pair appropriately and maximize their benefits. As a water-based ingredient, other water-based ingredients will complement hyaluronic acid well along with ingredients that drive similar results, like brightening, calming, or smoothing. Let’s start with some of our skincare goals and then back into the pairings that build beautiful skincare routines.

If our goal is overall glow...
Use hyaluronic acid + AHAs. This looks like incorporating an enzymatic exfoliant like lactic acid or citric acid. The enzymes in the AHA boost skin cell turnover and brightness. This combo will improve the evenness of complexion and skin texture. Try a pairing like the 100% PURE Vitamin C Mask which contains brightening lactic acid, followed by the calming Rose Hyaluronic Acid Serum.

If our goal is anti-aging or complexion repair...
Use hyaluronic acid + a retinoid. This combo together is a skin texture savior working to polish away fine lines and create smoothness on a cell level. Retinol magnifies skin cell turnover to maintain the most youthful-looking skin. How to use hyaluronic acid, in this case, is to preserve the moisture in the skin to maintain that smoothness and suppleness while keeping our moisture barrier intact. This is also a powerful duo for diminishing acne or breakouts. Layering a hyaluronic acid serum under our Retinol Restorative Overnight Balm before bed can create dream-like skin that we get to keep when we’re awake. Be sure to follow up with consistent SPF use.

If our goal is to improve skin hydration and reduce acne...
Use hyaluronic acid + niacinamide. A great combo for this is our Niacinamide Boost, which functions as a serum, following up with a moisturizer that contains hyaluronic acid. The reason this combo is so iconic is that niacinamide is really working to rebuild the skin which diminishes environmental damage. Using this with a deeply hydrating and barrier-protecting ingredient like hyaluronic acid means we can better maintain skin health and beauty.

Looking for more products that contain hyaluronic acid? Try these:

• Retinol PM Eye Cream

• Green Tea Water Bomb Mask

• Rose Water Hydrating Milk

• Matcha Oat Milk Nourishing Mask

• Ginseng Collagen Boost Mask

• Wrinkle Smooth Sheet Mask