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A couple weeks ago I bought an organic Vitamin C serum that I was very excited about and it worked amazing. But after a few days my cheeks got a little red and irritated looking and that is when I found out about Hyaluronic Acid (known as “HA.”) HA is in so many things and it is naturally found in human skin, so it isn’t that HA is exactly a bad thing, but it is drying to our skin and can cause the problems it vows to prevent. Just because it is natural, doesn’t mean that it is good for you. It is is so many things and beauty brands brag about including it in their products, so I didn’t see the harm. It just so happened to be in this natural face serum as one of the main ingredients and it causes all of the skin problems I was experiencing. It is so popular and trendy right now, but could it be causing damage to our skin? Can that damage have consequences for the future? Let’s talk a little but about that today.
I am not a scientist, but I am very devoted to a healthy skincare routine. There is so much misinformation out there and I have fallen victim to some of it myself, despite the amount of research I go into when looking up new products and skincare methods. When it comes to skincare less is more. We’re taught that we need a ten step routine or dozens of products, but the overuse of products is harming and even damaging our skin. One of those ingredients is Hyaluronic Acid so I wanted to share it with you today because HA can have so many bad side effects on your skin.
So what is HA and how does it work?
Hyaluronic Acid is found naturally in human skin. Obviously, the kind we buy is not harvested from humans (thankfully!), but it did used to be harvested from umbilical chords and sometimes still is. Some HAs are harvested from roosters. Rooster combs are unfortunately cut off and frozen then used to extract the HA and more common these days; from a process using bacteria in a laboratory. Neither exactly sounds pleasant. It is a popular additive to skin creams and serums because it makes skin look tighter, firmer, and puffs out wrinkles. It is not a long term fix, nor does it change your skin or improve it. HA simply alters the appearance of your skin temporarily by dehydrating it. So it doesn’t actually reverse wrinkles and prevent them, it simply hides them. It does this by dehydrating your skin and sucking moisture to the top, which makes your skin look plumper and more even and firm.
Just because something is “natural” does not mean it is good for you. Sugar is a good example.
So what’s the problem?
The problem is that it can cause rosacea and redness, breakouts, dry skin and even rashes. It is not safe for sensitive skin. Even if you have oily skin lie myself it can dry your face right up. It isn’t safe to use on your skin every day, even though most serums and lotions containing HA recommend being used every day both morning and night. Some people don’t react badly to it at all (apparently it actually works for about 8% of all people, but most of us aren’t in that lucky 8%), especially people with oily skin, but many people will start seeing a reaction after a few days.
My skin is somewhat oily and very clear. After using it for one day I noticed an immediate difference in my fine lines, but that could have also been from the other ingredients including the vitamin C. But after day three I noticed my skin was a little dry and my cheeks were getting red. I had a pimple on my cheek (a spot I usually don’t get them) and one near my eye. Another popped up on my forehead and another on my chin. At the time I didn’t know what was causing it or why so I researched all the ingredients in my new vitamin C serum and uh-oh, that Hyaluronic acid is top of the list as a main ingredient. I started research HA.
The redness and raw burning I was feeling was from dermatitis; a fancy word for skin irritation. HA breaks the skin barrier and this dermatitis is known to be caused by HA in most people. Dermatitis creates red, raw, itchy skin that is easily irritated and the pores become inflamed. Tiny bumps can start to form on this red patch of skin, just like it started to do for me. This creates dryness and breakouts. This dryness and skin barrier breakage does cause permanent damage over long term use and can actually increase premature aging.
Because so many beauty industry names and influencers swear by it and it is natural, I didn’t think it could be so bad. What happens is that it eventually breaks your skin barrier, making you more susceptible to skin damage which will eventually lead to aging with overuse. But what about HA being found in our skin naturally? HA is commonly found in our bodies around open wounds so this actually causes an immune reaction. Your body thinks it has a wound on its face and it sends in reinforcements to fix it. And because it sucks so much moisture right out of your skin, you are more susceptible so skin damage from the sun, pollution, and dry skin. In other words, it can actually age your skin by making it more easily exposed to skin damage. After I stopped using it every day my skin went back to normal. Clear and smooth. It took just a few days to create some bad skin reactions and a little over a week for it to heal.
What do you do instead?
If you love HA and swear by it, no one is telling you to stop. I’m not here to be the skin police, but to inform you of the risks and alternatives. If you’re having a reaction, consider the HA that is in your skincare regime. It might be in your lotions, serums, facial oils, and any number of skin products. Adding moisturizer will just stop the effects of the HA so there isn’t much of a point of combining them or moisturizing after and it actually does little to reverse the dermatitis, but you will probably need to use a facial oil after you apply it to prevent the negative effects. You are better off quitting HA altogether. If you don’t have a big reaction, consider just using it once or twice a week instead of every day. You’ll get the benefits of the plumping effect without the constant irritation and angry skin. Do your own research and find reputable sources from educational and scientific sites instead of beauty blogs, salons, and spas. When it comes to your skin, trust the science, not the beauty industry.
As for me, I already ordered a natural vitamin C serum that does not contain HA, or any other harmful ingredients for that matter. It already arrived and several days into it I am very happy with the results. I no longer have any negative side effects on my skin. Removing the HA solved my problem.
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