Hyaluronic acid – dehydrated skin on cloud nine

Dry skin? Irritated spots? Here comes the fire department! Hyaluronic acid binds a multiple of its mass to water and thus provides you with pure moisture. And without complaining. But hyaluronic acid is not the same as hyaluronic acid. You should pay attention to this, especially if you have sensitive skin, so that you don't get into the fire from the wonderfully gentle summer rain.

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Benefits of hyaluronic acid in skin care

Refreshing like a splash of cool water - hyaluronic acid is one of our absolute favorites when it comes to moisture for the skin. It protects, supports, soothes and is suitable for practically every skin type. Even, or rather, especially sensitive skin benefits from its caring effect. And because you carry hyaluronic acid in you anyway, it is particularly well tolerated in cosmetics.

☝️ In cosmetics, hyaluronic acid is often called hyaluronan. If you read both names in this post, they are to be understood as synonyms.

A single gram of hyaluronic acid can bind up to 6 liters of water. This makes this ingredient an impressive moisturizer. But these are by no means all the advantages. In skin care, hyaluronic acid helps with a whole range of problems. Hyaluronan...

Protects against moisture loss
Soothes skin irritations
Relieves the symptoms of sunburn
Encourages regeneration, even on small wounds
Reduces scars and wrinkles

This is how hyaluronic acid is used in cosmetics

In cosmetics, wrinkle injections with hyaluronic acid are particularly well known. But here success is at Nadel's peak. This anti-aging therapy has a dubious reputation not least because of negative headlines about cosmetic treatments that just didn't go according to plan. The face is criss-crossed by a complex network of nerves. A misplaced injection can quickly result in permanent, serious damage.

That is too risky for many. And it's not cheap either. That's why some wrinkle creams use another trick to get the bulky hyaluron as deep as possible into the skin: low-molecular hyaluronan. That's hyaluronic acid broken down into a much, much smaller volume. However, some studies show that the size of the molecule fundamentally influences the effect.

The difference between low and high molecular weight hyaluronan

Hyaluronan is divided into three variants: high-molecular, low-molecular and oligohyaluronic acid. The crowd makes the difference. High-molecular hyaluronic acid has about thirty times the mass of low-molecular ones, and oligohyaluronan is only a fraction as large.

You can find hyaluronic acid on the INCI list under the term «Sodium Hyaluronate». Unfortunately, the information usually does not reveal whether it has a high or low molecular weight.

The highlight of high-molecular hyaluronic acid is that it binds masses of water and creates a lot of volume. Shorter hyaluron molecules can surround themselves with correspondingly less water, so they bring less “cushion mass” with them.

In addition, high-molecular hyaluronan has a property that flatters irritated skin: it is anti-inflammatory (Jiang, 2011). Only the high-molecular variant? That's right, only them.Studies even indicate that low-molecular hyaluronic acid promotes inflammation. In the worst case, a small inflammation can develop into a dermal conflagration.

Hyaluronsäure Feuchtigkeit | Five Skincare

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How hyaluronic acid works

High molecular weight hyaluronic acid is simply too big to penetrate the skin. It benefits your skin in other ways. Namely by forming a hyaluron gel with water on the surface. This lays like a second protective layer over your skin barrier. This film prevents moisture loss, soothes and stimulates even regeneration. As a result, the skin feels cared for, but not oily.

Since this layer is washable, it is referred to as a short-term effect. However, this does not mean that the hyaluronic acid disappears within minutes. It simply means that the layer only lasts until the next face wash. But after washing you will surely apply cream anyway so that your skin does not feel dry.

Low-molecular hyaluronic acid is considered by some beauticians to be a miracle cure with long-term effects because it penetrates deep into the skin where it cannot be washed away. However, studies indicate that the effects and capabilities of hyaluronic acid change significantly with size. This is detrimental to sensitive skin.

Why high molecular weight hyaluronan is better for sensitive skin

In our moisturizing serum for the face we use high-molecular hyaluronic acid. The reason is very simple: The FIVE products are specially designed for sensitive skin. That's why we avoid ingredients that unnecessarily irritate sensitive skin.

Studies suggest that low molecular weight hyaluronic acid does just that, while high molecular weight inhibits inflammation. Scientists observed an association between chronically inflamed tissue and increased levels of low molecular weight hyaluronan (Liang, 2011). Her research suggests that low-molecular hyaluronic acid promotes inflammation.

The variants of hyaluronic acid also have different effects on wound healing. On the face, this usually affects small injuries, pimples or sunburn. High molecular weight hyaluronan forms a regular, reticular film, the one promotes even regeneration. The tissue heals without any visible traces. According to studies, low-molecular hyaluronan does not cover injured tissue so evenly. It forms an irregular pattern that can leave scars (Zgheib, 2014). For spotty or sensitive skin where the skin barrier is visibly damaged, the high-molecular variant is recommended for traceless regeneration.

Our fat-free FIVE face serum with hyaluronic acid

Effective together - Hyaluron loves strong partners

Hyaluronic acid is at its best when combined with an intact skin barrier. And with today's stresses, of course, it still needs other care substances. Natural ingredients automatically bring many of these active ingredients with them.Care products with literally a handful (i.e. five) high-quality ingredients give your skin what it needs. With our FIVE face serum we have created a formulation that ideally supplements the active ingredient hyaluronic acid with 4 other substances...

Rose blossom hydrolate - The super power of hyaluronic acid: it binds water. To do this, of course, we have to give him water in the formulation. We at FIVE use a rose blossom hydrolate as a carrier. Hydrolates also answer to the pretty name flower waters and there is already the advantage over simple H2O: In addition to moisture, they also bring active ingredients. In this case, the essential oils of the rose, which soothe stressed skin - and last but not least, have an enchanting scent...

Plant Glycerin – Glycerin is also a fantastic moisturizer in the right concentration. It has a long-lasting effect and supports your natural skin barrier. And, as already mentioned, this is the be-all and end-all for an intact moisture balance.

Ferment of vegan lactic acid bacteria - Where there is moisture, there is a need for preservation. Instead of using alcohol, which dries out the skin, the FIVE face serum uses this vegan and probiotic alternative. It preserves by fermentation and improves skin moisture.