Blog Post Hyaluronic Acid & Retinol
Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid is a glycosaminoglycan (GAG) – a type of sugar – that can hold up to 1000x its weight in water. It is found naturally throughout your body but over 50% of your total body hyaluronic acid is found in your skin.
Hyaluronic acid is one of the main components of your dermis, alongside collagen and elastin, where it increases the firmness and bounciness (elasticity) of your skin through its hydrating effects.
It’s also a key component in your skin’s natural moisturizing, which help regulate water in and out of the individual skin cells in your epidermis.
As you age, your body produces less hyaluronic acid which can reduce the volume of your dermis and your epidermal skin cells as well as decreasing overall skin hydration. Visually, this can be seen as dry, cracked, and irritated skin with less bounce and more visible fine lines, wrinkles, and pores.
Topical hyaluronic acid mimics your skin’s natural moisturizing and acts as a humectant to draw water from your dermis into your epidermis.
Humectants, like hyaluronic acid, act differently depending on your environment. It excels in a humid environment as it can draw the moisture from the air around you into your skin. However, in dry climates, it can only draw water from your dermis into your epidermis and, if this water is not sealed into your skin with an occlusive (e.g. a heavier moisturizer), it can escape through your dermis and actually dehydrate your skin.
Retinol
Retinol is a form of retinoid (a catch-all term for vitamin A derivatives) that converts to its active form (retinoic acid) when it penetrates your skin. It has a wide range of benefits for your skin and is often used to treat acne, hyperpigmentation, and the signs of aging.
These benefits are mainly due to its ability to increase skin cell turnover and boost collagen, as well as its potent antioxidant properties.
Unfortunately, retinoids, like retinol, are renowned for causing skin irritation – particularly when starting out. This irritation cause people to stop using retinoids altogether. Retinol has to convert to retinoic acid, it’s one of the gentler forms of retinoid and usually causes less irritation. Retinol is one of the only skincare ingredients scientifically-proven to alter your skin at a cellular level and takes the crown as the best anti-aging, anti-acne, and anti-pigmentation ingredient.
Because of its hydrating properties, hyaluronic acid can help reduce the irritation experienced with retinol. Hyaluronic acid may actually enhance the effects of retinol by facilitating exfoliation. In one clinical study cream containing retinol and hyaluronic acid significantly improved the signs of sun damage, including wrinkles, brown spots, and radiance, after 8 weeks of use. Furthermore, these results were still evident 4 weeks after ending the use of the product. Luckily, hyaluronic acid increases skin hydration almost instantly so using it alongside retinol means that you can keep your skin well hydrated and prevent irritation.
Ideally, hyaluronic acid should be used on damp skin as it draws moisture into your skin – plus, it’s often easier for ingredients to penetrate damp skin than it is for them to penetrate dry skin. With this in mind, to reduce the risk of irritation, retinol should ideally be applied to dry skin.
So if you prefer a bit of order to your skincare routine, here’s how it may look (some retinoids are deactivated by sunlight so it’s always best to use them in the evening and the following is a suggested PM routine):
Cleanse your face using a gentle pH-balanced cleanser (Vivier Hexam)
Apply hyaluronic acid (Vivier Ultimage) to damp skin
Allow time to dry
Apply retinol (Vivier Retinol 1% Night Complex or Vivier 0.3% SR Complex)
When using a retinol, follow with a heavier moisturizer (Vivier Daily Age Defying Moisturizer or Vivier Lexxel) to further prevent irritaiton