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Most of us ladies have at least heard of Hyaluronic Acid. It's been the trending anti-aging product for probably the last few years. I only recently started looking for and using products that included H.A. but I immediately had questions. I found some answers (internet answers, anyway) so I decided to do most of this post in a Q & A format with a link in the "Answer" to the source:
Q: What exactly is hyaluronic acid?
Answer: "Hyaluronic acid is a substance that is naturally present in the human body. It is found in the highest concentrations in fluids in the eyes and joints. The hyaluronic acid that is used as medicine is extracted from rooster combs or made by bacteria in the laboratory."
Q: What is it used for?
Answer: "People use hyaluronic acid for various joint disorders, urinary tract infections (UTIs), acid reflux, dry eyes, vaginal pain, aging, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses."
Q: How does it work, in general?
Answer: "by acting as a cushion and lubricant in the joints and other tissues. In addition, it might affect the way the body responds to injury."
Q: How does it help specifically with "aging"?
Answer: Is possibly effective for "Aging skin. Some research shows that injecting a specific hyaluronic acid product (Juvéderm Ultra Plus, Allergan) into facial wrinkles can reduce wrinkles for up to one year. Also taking a product containing hyaluronic acid and other ingredients (GliSODin Skin Nutrients Advanced Anti-Aging Formula) by mouth seems to decrease wrinkles and damage from the sun when used for 3 months."
Q: What is the difference in molecular weight? I have found a source for Hyaluronic Acid SLMW (super low molecular weight) and Hyaluronic Acid MMW (medium molecular weight).
Answer: "The difference of the regular, high-molecular hyaluronic acid (HA) and low-molecular-weight HA is that the low-molecular-weight HA has been split into smaller fragments. Thereby, these smaller fragments can no longer form a gel with water like the large molecules, but they can penetrate the skin much easier and have actually a better anti-irritant and regenerating effect once absorbed by skin. The high molecular form of HA has a better hydrating effect than the low-molecular form of HA."
(Here is a page that really breaks down the differences and what to look for based on your personal needs. It got a bit deep for me and I had to have a friend help me digest the info.) I highly suggest reading the comments as they are very helpful.
I did purchase a tube of hyaluronic "serum" and it was good - not long-lasting, but good. It was pricey though and that's when I went to my DIY source and found some H.A. on the 2 different weights.
The product page informs that mixing this would be tricky as it might clump. The suggestion was to use a bit of glycerin and some kind of mixing apparatus. I used what I had on hand and it worked well enough; I used some of the glycerin that I always keep around to use on my hair and skin I used one of the glass bottles that I use for mixing my vape juices and I happened to have some metal beads used to agitate nail polish and other cosmetic liquids. When you DIY a bunch of stuff to save money, you usually have something from one project on hand to use in another!
I used bottled drinking water for my liquid and because I still had some of the OTC H.A. around, I added what was left in the tube to the batch of DIY stuff and also added a little bit of my regular moisturizing cream. The glass bottles are only frosted and I want to protect the product from light so I wrapped tape around it and keep the bottle in a dark place in the bathroom medicine shelf.
What I found interesting is how different the 2 types of H.A. powder look.
I made sure to mix this up as well as I could. I used some this morning and it felt okay. I don't have any irritation so far. My skin feels hydrated - which it normally does after using my daily moisturizer. All in all, I am happy with this. The H.A. from Making Cosmetics came in 10-gram jars with the SLMW being the more expensive at $17 and the MMW costing $14.30. For me, that is still pricey to think about but I only added the smallest amounts - as you can see here:
These are the beads I use for this and my DIY vape juice and my DIY foundations. They are cheap and handy.
Of course, I am not a medical professional. I am not even licensed to work on the hair, skin, or nails in a salon! So do your own research and before you ever try using DIY products, be careful. I am my own guinea pig here; you be your own and take responsibility. All I can do is share what I have used and how it works for me. Speaking of...
This does work very well for me. I can't give you my long-term results but I can tell you a few things.
Q: What exactly is hyaluronic acid?
Answer: "Hyaluronic acid is a substance that is naturally present in the human body. It is found in the highest concentrations in fluids in the eyes and joints. The hyaluronic acid that is used as medicine is extracted from rooster combs or made by bacteria in the laboratory."
Q: What is it used for?
Answer: "People use hyaluronic acid for various joint disorders, urinary tract infections (UTIs), acid reflux, dry eyes, vaginal pain, aging, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses."
Q: How does it work, in general?
Answer: "by acting as a cushion and lubricant in the joints and other tissues. In addition, it might affect the way the body responds to injury."
Q: How does it help specifically with "aging"?
Answer: Is possibly effective for "Aging skin. Some research shows that injecting a specific hyaluronic acid product (Juvéderm Ultra Plus, Allergan) into facial wrinkles can reduce wrinkles for up to one year. Also taking a product containing hyaluronic acid and other ingredients (GliSODin Skin Nutrients Advanced Anti-Aging Formula) by mouth seems to decrease wrinkles and damage from the sun when used for 3 months."
Q: What is the difference in molecular weight? I have found a source for Hyaluronic Acid SLMW (super low molecular weight) and Hyaluronic Acid MMW (medium molecular weight).
Answer: "The difference of the regular, high-molecular hyaluronic acid (HA) and low-molecular-weight HA is that the low-molecular-weight HA has been split into smaller fragments. Thereby, these smaller fragments can no longer form a gel with water like the large molecules, but they can penetrate the skin much easier and have actually a better anti-irritant and regenerating effect once absorbed by skin. The high molecular form of HA has a better hydrating effect than the low-molecular form of HA."
(Here is a page that really breaks down the differences and what to look for based on your personal needs. It got a bit deep for me and I had to have a friend help me digest the info.) I highly suggest reading the comments as they are very helpful.
I did purchase a tube of hyaluronic "serum" and it was good - not long-lasting, but good. It was pricey though and that's when I went to my DIY source and found some H.A. on the 2 different weights.
The product page informs that mixing this would be tricky as it might clump. The suggestion was to use a bit of glycerin and some kind of mixing apparatus. I used what I had on hand and it worked well enough; I used some of the glycerin that I always keep around to use on my hair and skin I used one of the glass bottles that I use for mixing my vape juices and I happened to have some metal beads used to agitate nail polish and other cosmetic liquids. When you DIY a bunch of stuff to save money, you usually have something from one project on hand to use in another!I used bottled drinking water for my liquid and because I still had some of the OTC H.A. around, I added what was left in the tube to the batch of DIY stuff and also added a little bit of my regular moisturizing cream. The glass bottles are only frosted and I want to protect the product from light so I wrapped tape around it and keep the bottle in a dark place in the bathroom medicine shelf.
What I found interesting is how different the 2 types of H.A. powder look.
 |
| This is the Medium Weight (MWW) |
 |
| This is the SLMW |
I made sure to mix this up as well as I could. I used some this morning and it felt okay. I don't have any irritation so far. My skin feels hydrated - which it normally does after using my daily moisturizer. All in all, I am happy with this. The H.A. from Making Cosmetics came in 10-gram jars with the SLMW being the more expensive at $17 and the MMW costing $14.30. For me, that is still pricey to think about but I only added the smallest amounts - as you can see here:
 |
| I used 3 of these "scoops" for the bottle |
These are the beads I use for this and my DIY vape juice and my DIY foundations. They are cheap and handy.
Of course, I am not a medical professional. I am not even licensed to work on the hair, skin, or nails in a salon! So do your own research and before you ever try using DIY products, be careful. I am my own guinea pig here; you be your own and take responsibility. All I can do is share what I have used and how it works for me. Speaking of...
This does work very well for me. I can't give you my long-term results but I can tell you a few things.
- Without any type of hyaluronic acid, most of my moisturizers last about 6 hours on a dry day.
- Using a Vitamin C Serum with hyaluronic acid (from a very well-known skincare brand) for at least 3 weeks, it softened my skin and primed it for applying other moisturizers but the moisture only lasts for 9 or maybe 10 hours before I had to reapply something to relieve dryness.
- Using my DIY serum, my face and neck stayed moisturized from morning to morning. I literally only had to apply the serum once a day. I also discovered that perfumes that I applied to my neck last longer. Now, of course, I apply a bit of the serum to my bosom and wrists!
I want to be fair and give credit to that OTC serum from the well-known brand. I used some of it in my DIY bottle. I also used some of my usual moisturizer, a tiny bit of glycerin, and some purified drinking water.
If anyone else has a source for buying hyaluronic acid, do let me know.
Peace
--Free
