{"id":45110,"date":"2018-03-04T10:00:49","date_gmt":"2018-03-04T15:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog-well.ca\/?p=45110"},"modified":"2026-07-02T15:33:07","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T19:33:07","slug":"beauty-buzzword-hyaluronic-acid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/well.ca\/blog\/beauty-buzzword-hyaluronic-acid\/","title":{"rendered":"Beauty Buzzwords: Hyaluronic Acid"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_column_text]Ever feel like there\u2019s a new beauty ingredient you can\u2019t stop seeing and hearing about? That all of the sudden, it\u2019s in every product and all over your Instagram feed? This is what our Beauty Buzzwords<\/a> series is all about \u2013 helping you learn more about these mysterious ingredients and why everyone is raving about them.<\/em><\/p>\n

For the second installment of Beauty Buzzwords, we\u2019re diving into a powerful hydrating ingredient – hyaluronic acid.<\/p>\n

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What is it?<\/h4>\n

The word acid can definitely be a bit concerning when you\u2019re talking about skin care, but hyaluronic acid (HA) is actually very gentle on skin and quite different from other skin care acids such are salicylic or lactic acid, which be harsh and drying.<\/p>\n

HA is a sugar molecule that is naturally occurring in our bodies. Its role is to bind water and to lubricate flexible parts of the body, like joints and muscles. It has the incredible power to draw in and hold more than 1,000 times its own weight in moisture, thus making it an amazing hydrator and overall skin-health supporting ingredient.<\/p>\n

The Science Behind HA<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s where things get a bit science-y; Hyaluronic Acid is a humectant, which means it attracts moisture from the air and preserves it in the skin, keeping things plump and hydrated. Because HA is a large sized molecule, it is too big to penetrate the skin and instead sits on top of the surface, where it binds to water to maintain moisture. What this means is that HA itself does not add hydration, but is very effective when paired with water or other ingredients at retaining moisture.<\/p>\n

Some lab-made HA has been altered to include low-, medium- and high-molecular weights of HA and is therefore said to achieve \u201cmulti-depth hydration.\u201d There are several kinds of HA:<\/p>\n