3 Hyaluronic Acid Benefits for Your Skin

Hyaluronic acid isn’t exactly the easiest ingredient to say, but it is easy on the skin. Sometimes referred to as HA for short, it’s one of the most hydrating compounds you can introduce into your beauty routine for a few reasons. First and foremost, it can hold up to a thousand times its weight in water, acting like a magnet and drawing H20 deep down into the lower layers of skin where moisture retention is the most beneficial.

But what is it really? And why are we only just learning of the amazing benefits of hyaluronic acid? We tapped Gretchen Frieling, M.D., a triple board-certified dermatopathologist, to answer all of our pressing questions. Let’s start with the basics.

“Hyaluronic acid is a type of sugar that naturally occurs in the skin’s connective tissue. Because its main function is to retain water, it helps seal in moisture, which keeps skin hydrated and healthy,” Dr. Frieling explains. “Our natural supply of HA depletes as we age and we need to supplement its production, which explains why the substance is so popular in skincare products.”

“One of the great things about hyaluronic acid is that it can improve any type of skin. It works well if you have ultra-sensitive, dry, combination or oily skin,” says Dr. Frieling. “Research has also found that hyaluronic acid helps increase the speed with which our skin heals and repairs itself.”

“Patients who have dry skin or who are seeing early signs of aging may find a helpful ally in hyaluronic acid because it helps address fine lines and wrinkles and reduces redness and inflammation,” says Dr. Frieling. “For patients who are acne-prone, hyaluronic acid is often included in their treatment for its noncomedogenic (which means it won’t clog pores)hydrating power as well as its antibacterial properties. It typically cannot clear acne on its own, but it can be part of a comprehensive treatment.”

To sum it up, this simple hydrating component—which is already found within our own bodies—isn’t just a one-trick pony. We’re more than intrigued, so we looked into the three main ways hyaluronic acid benefits different types of skin, below.

1. Hyaluronic Acid Brings Moisture To Dry Skin

While hyaluronic acid is found everywhere in the body (between muscle fibers and joints), it’s most heavily concentrated in the skin. When applied topically, it acts as a humectant (or a water magnet), holding as much as six liters of water per one gram of HA, according to a scientific study. In layman’s terms, that’s a hell of a lot of hydration. If your skin is extremely dry, it’s beneficial to use HA in addition to moisturizer, which can help further lock in hydration. But if your skin is on the oily or combination side, using an HA serum alone will offer the same benefits without any potentially blemish-causing greasy residue.

2. Hyaluronic Acid Helps Acne-prone Skin Heal

As Dr. Frieling mentioned, HA is extremely beneficial to those with acneic skin, because it helps to replenish the moisture often lost with use of antibacterial products and clarifying acids (like AHAs and BHAs) while still allowing the skin to breathe. HA has also been proved to help speed the healing process of skin wounds, including those from acne lesions and scarring left behind from old blemishes.

3. Hyaluronic Acid Improves the Appearance of Wrinkles

Now for the main event: anti-aging. While daily application of topical hyaluronic acid will make the skin appear dewier and younger—thanks to its elasticity-boosting benefits—the real results come from injecting it under the skin. Injectables like Juvéderm and Restylane use a gel form of hyaluronic acid, which draws in water to create volume to visibly improve aging concerns like sunken areas, fine lines and under-eye bags—plus it wears off gradually over the course of one year. Topical HA is also a perfect addition to any anti-aging routine, as it plays nice with peels, retinol and vitamins C and E.

Interested? Here are eight of our favorite HA-infused products to shop and reap all the hydrating benefits.