Is it possible to use too much Hyaluronic Acid? My dry skin loves HA and products that contain it. Is it too much if I’m using a toner, serum, and a moisturizer that all have HA in them?
Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a humectant – a molecule that attracts water, and holds about 1000 times its weight in water. Youthful skin has these properties – turgor, resilience and pliability, due to its high content of water. Daily external injury, in addition to the normal process of ageing, causes loss of moisture and a key molecule naturally involved in countering the loss is HA, with its unique capacity in retaining water.
HA on its own could significantly and quickly intensify skin hydration levels especially in a humid climate like Singapore where the abundance of water in air could be drawn upon by the HA. However, depending on the state of health of the skin barrier, the water levels could by the same token potentially be quickly depleted due to poor skin barrier function leading to excessive trans-epidermal water loss – with inadequate skin barrier lipids for example.Â
If the body naturally produces hyaluronic acid, then why are we still recommended to use a hyaluronic acid serum? The amount of HA naturally synthesised by the body unfortunately decreases with age and is often complicated with environmental factors such as air pollutants and chemicals in soaps etc, that with prolonged exposure, potentially irritates and compromises the skin’s natural ability to produce HA.Â