Scientifically speaking, hyaluronic acid (also known as hyaluronan) is a glycosaminoglycan, a type of molecule composed partly of sugars. Hyaluronic acid is actually a natural structural component of skin, and, in fact, is present in connective tissue throughout the human body.

So why is a hyaluronic acid such a big deal? The magic of this ingridient lies in its ability to retain moisture, it`s considered to have a greater capacity to hold moisture than any other natural or synthetic polymer.

Hyaluronic acid can improve your skin`s moisture content and at the same time stregthen skin`s barrier, that is the outer layers of the skin. A healthy b

arrier looks and feels softer, smother, and plumper.

We know that just about everything, from sun damage and acne to sensitive skin and rosacea can lead to a damaged barrier, so repairing skin`s barrier with skin- indetical ingridients, like hyaluronic acid, can go a long way toward fixing, or at least minimizing, those issues, which means it`s helpful for all skin type.

In addition to seeing hyaluronic acid listed as an ingridient in skincare products, you`ve probably also seen the similarly named sodium hyaluronate. Chemically, sodium hyaluronate is a salt derived from hyaluronic acid. During the process of creating sodium hyaluronate, it`s molecular weight decreases due to the removal of lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.

Removing these compunds makes the sodium hualuronate molecule much smaller than that of hualuronic acid. That means that the sodium hyaluronate, when applied topically, can penetrate the skin more easily than the hyaluronic acid, which makes the sodium hyaluronate an asset in skincare products.