Hyaluronic acid and skin: apply, swallow or inject? What you should know

Nowadays, the magic word for treating wrinkles and fine lines from the inside out is collagen. But there is another substance produced in the body which is fundamental in skin ageing, and that is hyaluronic acid (always a difficult name to pronounce). I would like to tell you more about it.

Hyaluronic acid- hydration and volume

Hyaluronan occurs pretty much all over our body and is found mainly in the skin. Hyaluronan is the true champion in retaining moisture and therefore very important for hydration and the skin’s volume. Sadly, the older you become the less hyaluronic acid is produced. That is also why mature skin is often more dry (or, to be more specific, dehydrated). Would it help to apply extra hyaluronic acid?

Yes. Extra hyaluronic acid can indeed help to hydrate and reduce fine lines. This can be achieved with a facial cream and, very popular recently, with a cosmetic filler. But what if you take this substance orally? Supplements containing hyaluronic acid are becoming increasingly available. And we receive lots of questions about this.

What do hyaluronic acid supplements do for skin?

I never cut corners with this sort of new product, but I have found some studies into the effect of supplements containing hyaluronic acid, with good results too. Scientists have seen that a supplement (120-240 mg hyaluronan per day) can help reduce crow’s feet after just 8 weeks. Super! However… one small detail, the same applies here as it does to creams and injections, the results are temporary. The improvements are lost when you stop taking them.

Hyaluronic acid versus collagen: what is the difference? And which substance will keep your skin more youthful?

I mentioned it already at the start, collagen. It is also a substance produced in the body which is important for keeping a youthful skin. So how does it differ from hyaluronic acid? And which one is best, or maybe both?
In simple terms, hyaluronic acid takes care of hydration and volume, collagen for structure and firmness. So the substances are not easy to compare. Unfortunately, what they do have in common is that they both disappear as we get older. So, in theory, extra intake of both substances can help in different ways to counteract skin ageing. I do also need to mention that much more research has been carried out into the effects of orally taking collagen for the skin, therefore more evidence already exists for this.

The sun is also the biggest offender in the decline of hyaluronic acid

It is also good to know that the sun is again the biggest offender behind the decline in hyaluronan in the body. If you want to keep your skin young and healthy then good sun protection is still the most important. Because, of course you can still apply such fancy creams or spend your money on supplements, but if you don’t protect your skin against the sun then you are throwing your money down the drain. Shall we just say that some sort of prevention is better than cure.