Hyaluronic Acid

This amazing humectant holds one thousand times its weight in water. You can think of hyaluronic acid as a wafer sponge that fills and plumps out your skin.

 

As an ingredient in skincare, it is unfortunately too large a molecule to travel into the dermis of the skin- so it sits only the surface layer or the epidermis, where is a good moisturizing ingredient.

 

 You will also see a lot of FDA-approved injectable hyaluronic acid products on the market, given as wrinkle treatments at dermatologist and plastic surgeon's offices.  These are marketed under the names of Restylane and Juvederm.