The Skin Benefits of Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic acid might sound like something best left in a lab – but don’t let the name fool you. Despite its name, hyaluronic acid is one of the gentlest and most skin-compatible ingredients you can use. In fact, it’s naturally produced by your body, found in your skin, eyes, and joints, where it helps retain moisture and keep tissues cushioned and hydrated.

That’s why it’s become a hero ingredient in skincare: it delivers powerful hydration without disrupting your skin’s delicate balance.

Hyaluronic acid is a type of sugar molecule that your body makes on its own. Around 50% of your body’s total hyaluronic acid is found in your skin, where it binds to water to help maintain hydration, elasticity, and firmness. It can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water – making it essential for dewy, healthy-looking skin.

As we age, our natural levels of hyaluronic acid begin to decline, which is why skin can start to feel dry, tight, or less plumped. Skincare containing hyaluronic acid can help replenish lost hydration and support the skin’s moisture barrier.

1. Deep, long-lasting hydration

Hyaluronic acid helps attract water to the skin and lock it in, helping to keep skin smooth, soft, and plumped. As we age, natural levels decline – which is why topical skincare can help replenish what’s been lost. This instant improvement of hydration levels, smooths the appearance of fine lines, and leaves skin feeling soft, dewy, and refreshed.

2. A powerful natural humectant

A humectant is a type of ingredient that draws water into the skin – either from the environment or from deeper layers of the skin – and helps hold it there. Think of it like a moisture magnet. As a humectant, hyaluronic acid draws moisture into the skin from the environment. Hyaluronic acid is one of the most effective natural humectants. Thanks to its ability to hold up to 1000 times its weight in water, it keeps your skin visibly quenched and fresh throughout the day.

3. Gentle on even sensitive skin

Despite the word “acid,” hyaluronic acid is incredibly gentle. Because it’s naturally found in the body, it’s non-irritating, non-comedogenic, and safe for all skin types – including sensitive and blemish-prone skin.

4. Lightweight and fast-absorbing

Hyaluronic acid has a featherlight texture and absorbs quickly, making it perfect for layering under your moisturiser, sunscreen, or makeup. It delivers deep hydration without clogging pores or feeling heavy.

5. Supports a strong skin barrier

By boosting moisture and reinforcing the skin’s barrier, hyaluronic acid helps shield against environmental stressors like pollution and UV exposure. It may also assist in calming inflammation and supporting the skin’s natural repair processes.

READ MORE ABOUT BARRIER CARE

While hyaluronic acid is the star of our Hydration range, you’ll find hyaluronic acid in many of our moisturisers and serums to help your skin stay smooth, supple, and beautifully hydrated.

Hyaluronic acid always performs the same function – hydrating the skin – but how it’s sourced matters

Synthetic hyaluronic acid

Synthetic hyaluronic acid is cheap to produce, which is why it’s everywhere. Most beauty brands use synthetic hyaluronic acid, which may be made through chemical synthesis or derived from animal tissues – which does not align with our values of cruelty-free, clean, and plant-based skincare.

Natural hyaluronic acid

At Antipodes®, we use hyaluronic acid that’s naturally produced through the fermentation of a bacteria that feeds on root vegetables. This high-tech bio-fermentation process is sustainable, and free from synthetic chemicals or animal by-products.

While the molecule itself is identical in structure, natural formulations like ours are often gentler on skin. That’s because they’re designed to work in harmony with the skin’s natural functions, supported by antioxidant-rich botanicals and clean, skin-loving ingredients.

It’s much more complex and expensive to create natural formulations – but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

*Dermatest Australia: clinical study of 10 women, ages 38-58, 2019.