Introduction: After being absorbed by the skin, hyaluronic acid forms a unique three-dimensional structure, providing an excellent external environment for the synthesis of collagen and elastic fibers in the dermis. It can also absorb water molecules hundreds of times its volume like a sponge. Due to the high technical content of this technology and the relatively long clinical trial phase, currently only ESMAY in Japan possesses this top-notch technology. Of course, certain research institutes in Shanghai and Jiangnan University in our country have also made significant progress in this field, and we look forward to further developments.
1. Introduction to Hyaluronic Acid:
Hyaluronic acid, scientific name:透明质酸 (Hyaluronic acid, abbreviated as HA), is composed of disaccharide units "glucuronic acid -N- acetylglucosamine" forming a straight-chain high molecular polysaccharide, which is a substance naturally present in body tissues.
2. Important functions of hyaluronic acid:
1) Maintaining skin elasticity:
Hyaluronic acid is a gel-like substance that fills the space between skin tissue cells and collagen fibers, keeping elastic fibers and collagen proteins in a moist environment, improving the utilization rate of collagen proteins, thus giving the skin elasticity.
2) Water retention and locking in moisture:
Hyaluronic acid can also lock in a large amount of water molecules, not only maintaining the moisture within the skin but also capturing moisture from the external environment, allowing the skin to remain moist for a long time, enhancing the skin's ability to retain moisture. Its moisturizing effect is 20 times that of collagen protein, and it is known as the "Moisture Queen" among skincare products.
3. Hyaluronic Acid Care:
However, with age, hyaluronic acid begins to deplete at the age of 18, accelerating after the age of 25. By the age of thirty, the hyaluronic acid content in the skin is only 65% of that of infancy, and by the age of sixty, it is only 25%. The water in the skin will also be lost with the depletion of hyaluronic acid, causing the skin to become dehydrated, lose luster and elasticity, gradually showing signs of aging such as wrinkles, roughness, dullness, and spots.
4. How to distinguish good hyaluronic acid?
The concentration of the product cannot be used as a reference for choosing hyaluronic acid products; purity, molecular weight, and 3D structure are truly the factors affecting its water absorption effect.
1) Purity:
Currently, there are three main methods for producing hyaluronic acid: animal tissue extraction, microbial fermentation, and chemical synthesis. The advantage of microbial fermentation lies not only in the absence of heavy metals and allergy risks, eliminating allergens, and preventing skin allergies, but most importantly, its natural and pure texture has a much higher purity than tissue extraction and chemical synthesis.
2) Molecular Weight:
Moisturizing and barrier function are the dual missions of hyaluronic acid skincare. High-quality hyaluronic acid must be a combination of high-molecular and low-molecular hyaluronic acid. High-molecular hyaluronic acid forms a breathable film on the skin surface, preventing water loss and blocking bacterial and UV invasion. Low-molecular hyaluronic acid penetrates into the skin, absorbing a large amount of water molecules, achieving dual effects of hydration and locking in moisture, and also having anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects.
3) 3D Structure:
After being absorbed by the skin, hyaluronic acid forms a unique three-dimensional structure, providing an excellent external environment for the synthesis of collagen and elastic fibers in the dermis. It can also absorb water molecules hundreds of times its volume like a sponge. Due to the high technical content of this technology and the relatively long clinical trial phase, currently only ESMAY in Japan possesses this top-notch technology. Of course, certain research institutes in Shanghai and Jiangnan University in our country have also made significant progress in this field, and we look forward to further developments.
Source: The Magical Moisturizing Factor - Hyaluronic Acid