At a time when so much emphasis is placed on physical beauty, women are forever searching for the best skin product to keep themselves looking young and healthy. It is no great surprise then that Hyaluronic Acid, which has been nicknamed a “fountain of youth” (because the longevity of residents in a Japanese village is thought to be down to the high levels of Hyaluronic Acid in their diet), has become increasingly popular in skincare. But does it really work as an anti-ageing product? What are the pros and cons of hyaluronic acid?
The Pros
The first positive thing about Hyaluronic Acid has to be that it’s totally natural. This makes it incredibly hydrating and moisturising, because it has a low molecular weight that penetrates the skin quickly easily absorbed by cells. Skin cells will recognize it as a natural protein so they use it to improve their own health. In short, Hyaluronic Acid cream does not simply cover up the problem, but actually improves the health of the cells that are already there. You don’t have to worry about any side effects because it’s fully tried and tested, and there are no nasty chemicals that could have any adverse effects on your skin either in the short term or the long term.
Hyaluronic Acid cream will help to reduce lines and wrinkles if used over time because it acts as a dermal filler. This means that it fills the gaps between cells, and the reason Hyaluronic Acid does this so well is that when cells become hydrated they increase in size, closing the gaps. The level of hydration the product gives also regenerates your collagen and makes it healthy and active, which will reduce the appearance of any wrinkles you already have and help prevent the formation of new ones.
The other main advantage of Hyaluronic Acid is that it doesn’t have to be used in the form of a cream. It can be injected directly into problematic skin areas to act as a wrinkle filler. Additionally, Hyaluronic Acid isn’t only a useful tool as part of your skincare routine. It can also be taken orally or as injections into different parts of your body, and studies suggest that it has the ability to relieve chronic pain. It’s a product that really can do everything.
The Cons
While the Hyaluronic Acid itself may be natural, it is often mixed with a range of undesirable chemicals to make skin-care products. And this may be a little hard to get around because Hyaluronic Acid alone will probably not have the desired effect on your skin. To improve the look and health of your skin, you need a product that incorporates Hyaluronic Acid into its ingredients. Then you have two challenges with this product: the other ingredients have to actually work, and they need to be natural, or it really defeats the object of using Hyaluronic Acid. This can be quite a challenge and requires spending lots of time reading ingredients lists and researching the individual ingredients.
Another downside of Hyaluronic Acid is that is it possible to overdo it, and having too much of it in your system may actually be damaging to your body, raising your risk of certain diseases. The life-long effects of the product (and overusing it) aren’t really known as of yet, so you should be cautious about how much you use on a regular basis. On the other hand, using the cream daily is probably a safe bet: it is the people who use vast quantities of the cream, take oral supplements and have regular injections who could have something to worry about.
The final, small, negative point is that you have to keep using it once you start. Using it for a few months and then stopping will just be a waste as the effects will be reversed, so you have to commit to using it for as long as you want to keep looking young, which is a big commitment.
All in all, Hyaluronic Acid is good stuff. Find a good product that combines it with natural but proven wrinkle-fighting ingredients, and you’ll be looking your youthful best again in no time. Just watch that price tag, because it’s something you’re going to be using for a long time to come.
