Let’s talk about skin hydration. Hydration is one of the most important things to focus on in skin care, no matter what you’re doing – whether you have oily, combination or dry skin. It really makes a difference not only short term, but also long term in your skin. Today I want to talk about the top 2 hydrating ingredients that everybody needs: hyaluronic acid and squalane oil.
Hyaluronic Acid
This is a really popular ingredient. Hyaluronic acid is one of the most gentle, nourishing, amazing ingredients that anyone can use. This is the one ingredient that I always recommend across the board. I literally use this multiple times a day.
Hyaluronic acid is naturally found in our bodies, but like most things, as we age, it declines. It’s in our skin, it’s in our joints… basically acting as a lubricant, so you’ll see it mostly in skincare ingredients, but you might also notice that it’s in supplements for joints to lubricate them and keep them mobile. As you age, this makes sense – your skin gets a little more dry and your joints start to hurt because you’re losing the hyaluronic acid that we normally produce. Luckily, you can use this topically!
The reason this is so hydrating and amazing is because it has a really great water-binding capacity, so it holds up to 1000x its weight in water – which is why, when you apply it, you’re not just getting the hydration from the product, you’re actually binding in moisture and hydration and holding in water.
Fun fact: Hyaluronic acid is usually the base of most cosmetic fillers, which is why some people who get filler might be a little more swollen in humid environments or at certain parts of the day.
Some research has shown that when you apply external hyaluronic acids, it can actually boost collagen synthesis, so it could also be slightly anti-ageing long-term.
What to look for: Whatever brand you end up using, I prefer to have PURE hyaluronic acid. I say this because hyaluronic acid can be used throughout the day, but if you get a hyaluronic acid and it has a retinol or a vitamin C, I wouldn’t say to use it freely throughout the day. I also like to get it in a serum form because, no matter what the product is, it will be more concentrated, so it will be absorbed more deeply into the skin.
One of my favorite brands for hyaluronic acid is OSEA. But another really cool product is the SKINMEDICA HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator. It’s basically 5 different molecular sizes of hyaluronic acids, so when you’re applying it, some is going in really deep, some is staying superficial, and you’re getting the benefit everywhere.
How to Apply:
- Squeeze drops into palm or directly onto face.
- Dab into hands.
- Lightly tap onto face, neck and chest.
- Massage into the skin in upward motion.
Squalane Oil
Squalane is something we also produce in our body, but it’s found in a lot of other sources too – shark liver oil, olive oil, amaranth oil, different whole grains, sugar cane, etc. If you have a gluten allergy or are trying to avoid grains in your diet, I would check before getting squalane to see what source it comes from because everything you apply to your skin does get absorbed.
SqualENE = natural form; SqualANE = synthetic form (we use)
This is a great example of why natural isn’t always necessarily better. Clean is good! But, synthetic isn’t bad. If you were to use the squalene that’s naturally found, it’s actually a less stable form than the synthetic squalane. It goes from an unsaturated to a completely saturated fat, and the more natural version tends to go a little bit rancid. Synthetic squalane has a longer shelf life.
You’ll find squalane in an oil, but it’s different from other oils in that it’s non-comedogenic – it’s not going to clog your pores. If you have oily or acne-prone skin, this is definitely the oil you want to use. And if you do have oily or acne-prone skin, you definitely need to moisturize because drying out your skin could cause you to produce more oil. One alternative is to mix this in with your moisturizer or maybe have your skin be a little bit damp before applying the oil, so it’s not so heavy on your skin. I love the squalane oil by Biossance!
How to Apply:
- Squeeze drops into palms.
- Warm oil in hands.
- Lightly tap onto face, neck and chest.
- Massage into skin in upward motion.
You can apply this multiple times a day, just like hyaluronic acid :).
I hope you guys enjoyed reading about my top 2 hydrating ingredients! Both of these ingredients are so great, and they both have a place.
