There are many, many things upon which skincare experts disagree, but hyaluronic acid isn’t one of them. Your skin needs it to look bouncy and juicy because it nourishes the skin, keeping its matrix strong, and acts as a humectant, carrying up to 1000 times its own weight in water. It also plays a role in healing and keeping the production of other youth-ifying components like collagen and elastin high. In short, hyaluronic acid acts as your skin’s cushion.
The problem with hyaluronic acid (HA henceforth) is that it – like all the good stuff in your body – starts to deplete as you age. Cosmetics companies have latched onto this, releasing everything from HA supplements to teas to moisturisers. There are a few problems here: 1) there’s very little evidence to suggest that ever makes it into your cells when taken orally, 2) when applied topically, HA can hydrate and plump, but it needs to be applied daily for this effect, as though it may replicate the effects of HA, it won’t actually have any effect on your body’s own production.
Skinceuticals recognised this little issue and are adding a groundbreaking newbie to their serums range: H.A. Intensifier. It is genius because it acts in three ways: it stimulates HA synthesis, effectively prompting your skin to get going on making more of its own; it helps to preserve existing HA in the skin, and it also contains HA that’ll immediately help to hydrate and smooth.
In terms of how you use it, this one’s simple: apply it after cleansing, am and pm, and other serums/moisturisers/oils just slide on top. You should notice your skin’s a little smoother and plumper after a few days, but give it a month for the real effects kick in. As always, store it somewhere cool and relatively dark (though SkinCeuticals package their products in dark glass to help preserve the actives so the latter isn’t quite so important in this case).
SkinCeuticals H.A. Intensifier will be available from February here for £83.