Nutrition Edit

The skin benefits you need to know about this moisturising molecule

Hyaluronic acid is your skin’s anti-ageing Superhero...

• Can hold 1000 times its own weight in water
• Hydrates the skin from the inside out
• Reduces wrinkles, boosts elasticity and plumps the skin
• Aids wound healing, reducing scar formation
• Lubricates the joints, eyes and heart valves

Revered by dermatologists and skin care professionals, hyaluronic acid has risen up the beauty agenda in recent years, fast becoming a skincare staple. From hyaluronic acid serums, moisturisers, masks and eye creams to injectables and fillers – the ingredient is beloved for its powerful moisturising and strengthening properties, and its hydrating anti-aging skin benefits.

Incorporating the ingredient into a routine is an important step to maintaining healthy, dewy and glowing skin, and is often an answer to the question of how to combat dry, dehydrated skin. Not only that, but the so-called miracle molecule has impressive, scientifically backed anti-aging credentials.

Now, the skin care world is looking beyond topical solutions, and hyaluronic acid supplements are an exciting new landscape: showing the potential to supercharge the ingredient’s anti-aging benefits for skin.

Here we share everything you need to know about hyaluronic acid, with tips, tricks and advice from our Advanced Nutrition Programme™ experts.

A closer look

Hyaluronic acid, also known as hyaluron or HA, is a substance found naturally in the skin. It maintains collagen and elastin (the foundations of youthful looking skin) by helping them to retain moisture. Each molecule has the capacity to hold an astonishing 1000 times its own weight in water, making it a powerful hydrator: plumping skin from within to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

Over 70% of our body is made of water, so keeping moisture levels balanced is key to beautiful skin and general wellbeing.

Plump, youthful skin

Hyaluronic acid is a crucial substance for numerous functions in the body and is naturally present in areas including joints, tendons and eyes. The majority of the substance – around 50% – is found in the skin. Here, it works in the space between skin cells: filling out gaps between the skin’s collagen and elastin ‘scaffolding’, working like mortar between bricks.

It also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, so as well helping to turn back the clock with hydration, it can help protect skin from the aging impacts of free radical damage and calm stressed skin.

Replenish

Hyaluronic acid has a high turnover rate: it lasts 2-3 days in the skin and we break down about a third of our hyaluronic acid every day. Although our bodies replenish it naturally, the amount made declines as we age. Levels typically start to drop after the age of 40, and some people over 60 may have no hyaluronic acid left in their skin at all. External factors can also deplete levels: pollution, smoking and alcohol can all lead to a drop in hyaluronic acid.

To counteract these aging impacts, supporting the skin’s hyaluronic acid levels with topical applications or oral supplements is crucial to maintain youthful, plump and glowing skin

Size does matter

Lotions, potions, serums and other topical products are all powerful tools to help maintain hyaluronic acid levels – but there is more to the molecule than simply ticking it off on the ingredient list.

While many brands shout about products containing hyaluronic acid, the secret to tangible results comes down to the size of the hyaluronic acid molecule. In many products the HA molecules are simply too large to penetrate the deeper layers skin, and so provide only surface level benefits. Hyaluronic acid is naturally a large molecule, so it takes some sophisticated science to ensure that the molecules are small enough to get through the top, superficial layers of the skin to make a real impact on hydration levels.

Look for products containing hyaluronic acid with a “low molecular weight” – sometimes this appears on ingredient lists as sodium hyaluronate. These smaller sized molecules have been demonstrated to reach the lower layers of the skin, delivering moisturising, anti-aging properties where they can make a real impact. One study* showed that nano-molecules of HA decreased wrinkle depth 40%, upped skin hydration 96% and increased firmness and elasticity 55% in eight weeks. Potent stuff.

There are plenty of topical products out there containing hyaluronic acid that can really make an impact, but make sure to do your research before investing in a “miracle cream” that won’t live up to its promises.

Inside out

Wellness starts from within, and those in pursuit of dewy, youthful skin should look beyond the beauty cabinet to supercharge results.

There is emerging evidence from several scientific studies attesting to the anti-aging potential of oral supplements. In a Japanese study, 60 subjects were given 120mg of hyaluronic acid as a supplement for three months. After the trial, all participants showed significant improvement to wrinkle depth, skin luminosity and suppleness compared to the placebo group.**

Research has also indicated that ingesting hyaluronic acid not only dramatically improves dry skin, but also helps the body replenish its own hyaluronic acid supplies.*** Bon appetite indeed!

In addition to these controlled studies, eating a diet with naturally high levels of hyaluronic acid has been linked to longevity and skin health in certain populations. In Japan, a small settlement near Tokyo called Yuzurihara has become known anecdotally as the ‘Village of Long Life’, thanks to the impressive longevity and health of its older population.

More than 10% of the inhabitants of Yuzurihara are aged over 85: which is 10 times the proportion to reach the same age in the USA. Most are fit and healthy with supple, youthful skin and thick glossy hair.

When researching the reason for this unique youthfulness, scientists discovered that the typical village diet was dominated by unique local varieties of root vegetables, all of which were shown to be extremely rich in hyaluronic acid. Could this be the secret to the locals’ elegant aging?

Ingredient Intelligence

With persuasive evidence of its potent anti-aging benefits for skin, hyaluronic acid was a natural focus for the Advanced Nutrition Programme™ experts when it came to creating a supplement for skin health and hydration.

“We’re always excited about new ingredient combinations for oral skincare and the wealth of research behind hyaluronic acid means it’s of particular interest to us,” says Lorraine Perretta, head of nutrition for the Advanced Nutrition Programme™.

“Oral supplementation with hyaluronic acid benefits skin all over the body, not just where the creams are applied, and it also provides extra lubrication for eyes, joints and tendons as well as the skin. To get the best anti-ageing results you should be combining oral and topical hyaluronic acid.”

Skin Moisture Lock™ features an expert synergy of non-animal sourced hyaluronic acid with ceramides – another powerful moisture boosting ingredient (read more about it here). Find out more about Skin Moisture Lock™ .This supplement forms part of our Skin Moisture IQ box with a daily dose of five supplements for super-charged hydration.

SKIN MOISTURE LOCK™

SKIN MOISTURE IQ

Sources

* Jegasothy, S Manjula et al. “Efficacy of a New Topical Nano-hyaluronic Acid in Humans.” The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology vol. 7,3 (2014): 27-9.

** Oral hyaluronan relieves wrinkles: a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study over a 12-week period

Mariko Oe,1 Seigo Sakai,1 Hideto Yoshida,1 Nao Okado,1 Haruna Kaneda,1 Yasunobu Masuda,1 andOsamu Urushibata2

*** Ingested hyaluronan moisturizes dry skin.

Kawada C, Yoshida T, Yoshida H, Matsuoka R1, Sakamoto W, Odanaka W, Sato T, Yamasaki T, Kanemitsu T, Masuda Y, Urushibata O.