Hyaluronic acid: the small molecule with a big role

Few ingredients are as widely discussed in modern cosmetics as hyaluronic acid. And with good reason: it is not an exotic active, but a natural part of our skin — one of the substances that help it hold on to moisture and look plump and smooth.

What it is

Hyaluronic acid is a polysaccharide that the body produces itself. In the skin it is part of the extracellular matrix — the gel-like medium in which collagen and elastin are found. Its ability to attract and hold water is remarkable: it is thought to bind many times its own weight in water.

With age, the skin produces less and less hyaluronic acid. The result is familiar — a feeling of dryness, less elasticity and more visible fine lines. Cosmetic products with hyaluronic acid work on the surface of the skin: they hydrate it and help it retain moisture.

In cosmetics: sodium hyaluronate

On the label you will find it as sodium hyaluronate — the salt of hyaluronic acid, which is stable and easy to work with. Le’Spa hyaluronic acid is a 1% gel with a short, transparent formula: water, sodium hyaluronate and a preservative.

How to use it at home

1. On its own. Apply a few drops to the cleansed face and massage until absorbed.
2. On slightly damp skin. After cleansing — with rose water, for example — hyaluronic acid holds moisture better.
3. Blended with cream. A drop or two in the palm, together with your face or hand cream, make any formula more hydrating.
4. In massage. It can also be added to massage oils and gels.

In the salon

In professional practice, hyaluronic acid is used in manual facial massage and in device treatments such as ultrasound and electrophoresis, where the gel also acts as a conductive medium.

Le’Spa hyaluronic acid is for external use only and is not intended for injection.

Hyaluronic acid is also one of the key ingredients of Le’Spa hydrating body milk, together with aloe vera juice — to care in the same way for the skin of the whole body. See also the face ritual.