HYALURONIC ACID 💧 A very comprehensive post about the amazing substance hyaluronic acid! What does this substance do in the body, and why is this such a popular ingredient in the most expensive skincare products? At the end of this post, you're totally up to date on hyaluronic acid! Hyaluronic acid is a molecule that is self-produced by the body.The substance is an important component of connective tissue and cartilage. FUNCTIONS IN THE BODY 💪🏼 1.The vitreous body (space between retina and lens) consists of 2% hyaluronic acid and 98% of water.This is possible due to the enormous binding capacity of hyaluronic acid to water! This acid can bind up to 6 litres of water per gram. 💦 2.Hyaluronic acid acts as a lubricant in all movements of joints and is therefore the main component of the synovial fluid.It is liquid but is not squeezed out due to its large molecular structure, this has a kind of pad function. 3.In the connective tissue, hyaluronic acid is used in combination with water to increase pressure resistance.The presence of hyaluronic acid in the gel-like nucleus of intervertebral discs ensures the necessary firmness. These discs carry a large part of your body weight! 4.Hyaluronic acid dilates the distances between cells, stimulating cell migration. 5.Hyaluronic acid is part of even larger molecules, proteoglycans.These molecules are very negative and therefore like to bind to water.Because they are so large counteract the spread of malignant cells and microorganisms, but also act as a molecular filter.Proteoglycans are located especially in cartilage. 6.Additionally, hyaluronic acid stimulates cell division and migration. However, this acid can also be a marker for tumors due to cell division stimulation. (In tumors, there is too much cell division that causes a build-up) STRUCTURE 🧬 Hyaluronic acid is a glycosaminoglycan. (Sorry, another complicated word 🤣) The glycosaminoglycan consists of a long chain of 2 types of disaccharides, glucuronic acid and glucosamine.Both are very similar to a glucose molecule.One chain of hyaluronic acid contains 250 to 50,000 disaccharide units. If hyaluronic acid is broken down, smaller molecules are formed that stimulate the formation of new blood vessels. GENERAL USE IN HEALTH: 1.Hyaluronic acid is sprayed into diseased joints. 🦾 2.Hyaluronic acid is processed in nasal sprays to prevent nasal mucosa dehydration. 👃🏼 3.Hyaluronic acid is an active substance in eye drops to treat dry eyes.It provides a healthy tear film (damp layer around your eye) . 👀 4.As mentioned earlier, hyaluronic acid is used as a marker in tumors, especially in prostate and breast cancer.It has a correlation with poor prognosis. USE IN COSMETICS 💄 * It is clear that water is the best friend of hyaluronic acid.Hence, hyaluronic acid is widely incorporated into moisturizers thanks to its moisturizing effect. 💧 ~ In between: half of the total amount of hyaluronic acid is in the skin! As you age, this disappears causing drier skin. ~ * Because the level of hyaluronic acid in the skin drops as you age, you will get less firm and drier skin.This is why hyaluronic acid is also an important ingredient in anti-aging! 👵🏼 * Hyaluronic acid helps to swell the skin and reduce coarse pores/fine lines. Due to the large molecules and moisture retention, this substance is also used in lip fillers. 👄 * Hyaluronic acid stimulates wound recovery and has a strong antioxidant effect.The substance makes free radicals harmless that cause premature skin ageing.Hyaluronic acid additionally inhibits inflammatory reactions in various skin conditions, such as eczema. * In the ingredient list of skin care products, hyaluronic acid will exist as 'sodium hyaluronate', which is the chemical binding of the substance (91% hyaluronic acid). This form is smaller and can be absorbed better by the skin than the long chains that are in the body. CONCLUSION ✨ Hyaluronic acid is a highly moisturizing agent and is sure to think about before buying a skincare product! Hyaluronic Acid is for anyone looking for more hydration in their skincare routine. For every skin type, from fat and sensitive to dry. The product I recommend most is from The Ordinairy. The Ordinairy is a very fine, transparent and also cheap brand with beautiful serums! PS: The function of hyaluronic acid, of course, is to bind to moisture, however, this can also cause a detrimental effect.If you are in a damp, the moisture will be absorbed from the air through the skin.But if you are in a dry environment, the moisture will just go from the skin to the environment. will dry out your skin! So if you use a light product containing hyaluronic acid, make sure you apply a fairly thick moisturizer on top! This will prevent the negative function of the great fabric. 😉 You can always leave any questions and/or comments below! Also for substances that I can handle extensively in a next post. 😊 Xxx Paula 💋