Is Hyaluronic Acid Good for Acne? Improve Your Skin With Hyaluronic Acid Serum
Renew For You
With so many different skincare products to choose from, creating a new lineup of oils, serums, and moisturizers is exciting, almost like an adventure. There are so many glittering bottles and enchanting aromas that I sometimes just want to grab them all.
After I have my skincare supplies, I make sure to dedicate my regimen to self-care.
We spend our lives tirelessly working and committing our time to others: parents, friends, children, and partners. I encourage you to take a moment to slow down and, for once, to choose you.
Self-care comes in many forms. Spending a little extra time on your skincare routine can be an easy way to boost your own health and shower your body that works so hard with love. With a little emotional lift (and a dash of perfume), I can return the favor and help my body flourish and thrive.
Most often, it’s worth it to reach for new products that provide a healthy glow and nurture your sensitive skin. My skin has seen me through all-nighters working away, I forgot to lather on the sunscreen, and when I forget to take off my makeup the night before. I owe my skin a nice “Thank you” card.
There are many products to choose from as you work to reach your healthy, radiate skin goals. But one product that requires no second-guessing is hyaluronic acid. One of the most naturally uplifting products to incorporate, hyaluronic acid can provide a range of beautiful benefits for your delicate skin.
Join me as I reveal the not-so-secret benefits of this beloved product:
The Most Powerful Moisturizer
I am a life-long believer in the magic of hyaluronic acid, but before I let you know why hyaluronic acid can be so beneficial for your skin, I want to tell you what it is.
Hyaluronic acid, also known as hyaluronan or hyaluronate, is a clear, gooey substance that our bodies produce naturally. As you may know, I strongly promote using natural methods and materials in your skincare and lifestyle practices, and this is no exception.
Hyaluronic acid is spectacularly good at retaining moisture, holding up to 1,000 times its weight in water. In fact, a quarter teaspoon of hyaluronic acid can hold up to a gallon and a half of water which is pretty impressive!
Hyaluronic acid’s main function is to help specific areas of your body retain moisture and stay well-hydrated. For this very reason, our bodies naturally tend to send it right to our eyes, joints, and skin. You may already know where I am going with this… this makes hyaluronic acid a key component in keeping your skin vibrant and glowing.
Since hyaluronic acid is naturally occurring and an exceptional hydrating agent, it can help a wide range of skin types: from oily, acne-prone skin to dry skin. And it gets even better.
Read on, and I’ll share why I love hyaluronic acid so much.
Here are some of the other incredible benefits it has beyond just hydration:
Supplement for Moisture Loss
As I mentioned, almost anyone can benefit from incorporating hyaluronic acid into their skincare routine — one of the most common reasons is to replenish depleted stores of hyaluronic acid over time. Although we do naturally produce hyaluronic acid, a variety of factors contribute to a gradual decline in hyaluronic acid levels as we age.
What Depletes Moisture in Skin?
In an ideal world, our bodies produce plenty of hyaluronic acid to keep us self-regulating and nourished throughout our lifetimes. However, exposure to UVA and UVB rays, application of topical chemicals and acids, and natural aging can all contribute to lower levels of hyaluronic acid in our skin over the years.
Similarly, epidermal lipids, which create a barrier from water loss and against microorganism invasion, are a vital component of our skin’s makeup that also breaks down over time. Irritants, pollution, and environmental toxins can destroy our natural lipid levels. This is especially true for those who accidentally over-use harsh products, stripping the skin barrier of its strength and hydration.
All of this results in skin that is noticeably rougher and duller and can even lead to clogged pores. Fortunately, I’m going to discuss some incredible products available that allow me to replenish these stores of hyaluronic acid. With a carefully-curated collection, it’s simple to support the skin barrier against the wear and tear that the environment and time have on skin.
Soothe Your Acne With Hyaluronic Acid
One myth surrounding acne is that over-hydrating acne-prone skin will make it worse. People who have oily skin or cystic acne tend to hear this more so than others. However, this old tale isn’t quite the fact it pretends to be.
Some products are overly drying, even for those with oily skin. In that case, the skin panics and creates more oil to compensate for the immediate and excessive dryness. This creates a cycle where the skin fluctuates between oily and too dry/flaky. Talk about irony, am I right?
How To Hydrate Acne-Prone Skin
Proper skin hydration is necessary for every skin type, especially acne-prone skin. Providing your skin with proper hydration creates the necessary conditions to heal a damaged skin barrier.
Extra hydration is particularly helpful if you are simultaneously treating your acne with other products. Most acne-targeting products dry out the skin to remove the excess sebum causing the blemishes, often leaving the rest of the skin extra dehydrated. Hyaluronic acid can help your skin retain that much-needed moisture.
Much in the same way that we naturally produce hyaluronic acid, our skin wants to stay hydrated. So when we dry out our skin too much, it leads to an over-production of oil. This can lead to oil-clogged pores and increased acne blemishes.
All of this is to say, hyaluronic acid does not directly target acne but instead provides the perfect conditions to aid the skin in natural healing while also preventing future skin agitations.
Enjoy All the Added Benefits of Hyaluronic Acid
I love telling others how special and powerful hyaluronic acid is for your skin. Besides moisture retention, hyaluronic acid promotes a wonderful assortment of additional perks. With such a wide variety of skin benefits, it is hard to resist reaching for it right away.
Improve Skin Texture
One benefit of hyaluronic acid that I absolutely love is the immediate softness and renewed skin texture. You might be able to feel the silky, smooth finish on your skin from hyaluronic acid after a few uses. While it can not fill in any previous scarring from prior acne or blemishes, it can help develop smoother skin overall when combined with routine exfoliation.
Wrinkle Reduction
Because hyaluronic acid’s primary function is water retention, it is a perfect product to encourage supple skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. As we age, dry skin tends to reveal the lines around our mouth and eyes, indicating many wonderful years of laughter and smiles. While this is nothing to be ashamed of, more hydrated skin will appear plump and soft and can give a more youthful glow, and we age with confidence.
Even Skin Tone
Excessive sun exposure throughout our life can lead to damaged skin and hyperpigmentation or dark spots.
Hyaluronic acid is powerful, but like with everything in life, it thrives with the support of a teammate. For example, the luxurious Vitamin c Serum combines the best of both worlds. It contains 20% vitamin C, vitamin E, hyaluronic acid, and ferulic acid.
Apply a few drops after gently washing your face with your favorite facial cleanser at night. You can even pair it with a Hyaluronic Acid Serum to maximize the anti-aging and tone-evening capabilities.
Ultimately, the easiest way to minimize the possibility of hyperpigmentation is to minimize sun exposure. I never leave the house on a sunny — or cloudy — day without a Natural Sun Block.
Protect Your Lipid Barrier
As I mentioned before, your lipid barrier is an integral layer of your skin that forms a protective wall preventing water loss and repelling environmental chemicals and biological irritants. Think of your skin cells like bricks and the lipids as the mortar holding your skin cells together.
Over time, this barrier can become compromised, but hyaluronic acid can slow this deterioration and may even treat damaged lipid layers, giving you years of healthy collagen, moisture, and barrier protection from the elements.
How To Incorporate Hyaluronic Acid Into Your Routine
As with any new product, it is important to understand how to seamlessly weave it into your pre-existing skincare routine. While hyaluronic acid may be taken orally as a supplement, you will receive the most immediate and direct skin benefits by purchasing a serum that can be applied topically.
Wash Your Face
Before you apply your hyaluronic acid serum, prepare your skin to absorb all its amazing benefits. If I’m wearing any makeup, I first remove it with cleansing oil and then get ready to wash my face.
The most crucial step in any skincare routine is a thorough cleanse — but a gentle one. Your skin is delicate and will benefit best from a gentle wash with a fresh cleanser.
Apply Toner
After you cleanse your face, apply your favorite toner. This is an excellent opportunity to incorporate a hydrating toner for a base layer of hydration if you have dry skin. Alternatively, if you have acne-prone skin, you can prep your skin for your hyaluronic acid serum by ridding it of excess dead skin and debris with an exfoliating toner.
Finally, it is time to use the magical hyaluronic serum of your choosing. One of my best tips for phenomenal results with the hyaluronic acid serum is to apply it to slightly damp skin. Simply spray or splash a little water on your skin before applying your serum.
This will give some additional moisture for your hyaluronic acid serum to cling to and pull into your skin barrier throughout the day or night while protecting you from any water loss.
Moisturize
Although hyaluronic acid is a hydrating product, don’t forget to seal your routine with your preferred moisturizer.
Choosing the Right Hyaluronic Acid For You
For those with acne-prone skin, it’s important to be mindful about which hyaluronic acid products you incorporate into your skincare routine. You need a product that provides deep hydration without further clogging your pores or irritating already sensitive skin. This is why it is always important to read your ingredient list and labels to ensure the product you invest in is clean.
Two ingredients that can sometimes cause irritation are lanolin and silicones. Lanolin is extracted from sheep’s wool and has a thick waxy texture. Lanolin is often mixed with synthetic chemicals that can cause irritation and aggravate sensitive or acne-prone skin.
I simply avoid silicones every time as they can trap debris and dirt in your pores by casting a thin film over the outermost layer of skin. The silk-like texture of silicones may offer the illusion of hydration, but it is really just trapping sweat, dirt, sebum, and other unwanted bacteria in your skin. This could possibly further disrupt your skin barrier healing in the long term.
Hyaluronic Acid From Terra Mistica
If you’re on the search for clean skincare powered by Mother Nature, may I recommend this Hyaluronic Acid Serum from Terra Mistica? This one-ounce bottle contains only rose water, glycerin, and biofermented hyaluronic acid. It’s organic, non-GMO, and vegan.
A Powerful and Healing Product
Hyaluronic acid is a beautiful tool for renewing and revitalizing dry or tired skin. I am simply in love with its expansive capabilities and simple application. What better way to promote skin health than by replenishing our natural stores of hyaluronic acid?
Adding hydration and strengthening your skin barrier will provide your delicate skin with the healing conditions it needs to repair any damage or blemishes. For continued resilience and rejuvenation for years to come, I always nurture through nature.
Sources:
Hyaluronic Acid | Cleveland Clinic
Epidermal Surface Lipids | National Library of Medicine
What To Know About Using Silicones For Skin | Medical News Today
Hyaluronic Acid: Skin Benefits, Products to Use, and More | Healthline
Hyperpigmentation | American Osteopathic College of Dermatology