A maxim of skincare is to keep your skin hydrated. Moisturized skin is a better environment for new collagen to thrive, and is less likely to crack into fine lines and wrinkles. Moisturizing your skin is the most important thing you can do — alongside washing your face and using SPF every day — which is why it’s a $12 billion industry.
But not all moisturizers are created equally. Hyaluronic acid is an all-star in a crowded field. Let’s see why.
In this article you'll learn:
- What hyaluronic acid does.
- Why hyaluronic acid is good for your face.
- The skin benefits of hyaluronic acid.
- Whether hyaluronic acid and salicylic acid work together.
- How Geologie can help your dry skin.
What does hyaluronic acid do?
Sodium hyaluronate, a powerhouse hydrator and the best form of hyaluronic acid, is a sugar molecule that occurs naturally in the skin cells. As we age we produce less of it, so that’s why we see the synthetic version in so many skincare products.
“Hyaluronic acid is part of our extracellular matrix — a fancy scientific term for the stuff that our cells make outside of the cell,” said Dr. Steve, Gelogie’s founding dermatologist. “It acts as a natural lubricant in the joints, the eyes, and the skin.”
How does it work? For the skin, it forms breathable, water-rich films that slow the evaporation of water from your skin's barrier and makes stores of hydration available. Its superpower is the fact that it can bind up to 1,000 times its weight in water, the definition of a humectant (holds water molecules onto the surface of your skin). You can think of hyaluronic acid as time-release moisture, which has tremendous upside: When skin stays nice and plump and hydrated, the chances of it cracking into fine lines and wrinkles decreases.
Is Hyaluronic acid good for your face?
Yes. Anytime we’re talking about skin that’s well-moisturized, it has a lot of water content. When there’s a lack of water, you get dry skin. (A common misconception is that dry skin occurs due to a lack of oil, but sebum production doesn’t start until puberty, and children’s skin is generally smooth).
In short, proper hydration restores your skin to a healthy state, no matter if you have dry, oily or acne-prone skin. When your skin looks good and feels good, this can be a huge boost to your self-esteem.
What are the skin benefits of hyaluronic acid?
Moisturized skin has several benefits. They include:
Anti-aging: One long-term benefit of moisturizing your skin is the anti-aging effect. Hyaluronic acid supports collagen production. “Hyaluronic acid can absolutely help smooth fine lines and wrinkles by moisturizing the skin and plumping it up,” said Dr. Steve. “But I think it's important to note that moisturizers, while they’re going to be helpful, they're not miracle cures for wrinkles and fine lines. Ultimately, the best benefit in terms of preventing those is good sun protection.”
Protection: Moisturizing your face helps to protect the skin's barrier from irritation that’s often caused by dryness. It also creates a barrier between your skin and the climate, including cold, dry air that can further dry out skin.
“Harsh outer environments like cold wind strips away the natural oils and moisturizing factors your skin naturally produces,” said Dr. Steve. “So it doesn't affect your skin's ability to produce hyaluronic acid naturally, it just takes it away faster than expected. And sometimes our bodies can't keep up, and then you're left with cracked dry, itchy or painful skin.”
Do hyaluronic acid and salicylic acid work together?
Dr. Steve said: Even though they share the word “acid,” hyaluronic acid and salicylic acid are totally different mechanisms. “Acid” just means a pH less than seven. Salicylic acid is a surface level acid that gently removes dead layers of skin and is antibacterial in nature, so it's kind of like a cleaning agent.
Hyaluronic acid, even though it's an acid, is hydrophilic and attracts a lot of water.
When formulating both the Everyday Face Wash and the Vital Morning Face Cream, we chose a hyaluronate compatible with both the face wash and cream formulas and chose chains of a molecular weight that would best enable the hyaluronate to be mobile in the cream (giving the product a smooth and non-greasy skin feel), yet able to stay on your skin’s surface.
How Geologie can help your dry skin
Go personalized! Take our skincare quiz for a personalized skincare routine just for you and your dry skin.
Not ready for a full routine? Try our Hydrating Face Cream with SPF10. This moisturizer is perfect for dry skin. It contains hyaluronic acid - the ultimate hydrating ingredient - to provide all day moisture to dry skin.
Still not sure? Browse our entire catalog of face creams and moisturizers for dry skin.
