Hyaluronic Acid for Hair, Skin and Nails

Hyaluronic acid (also sometimes called hyaluronan) is neither a vitamin nor mineral, but actually a carbohydrate that is naturally present in our bodies. From a molecular view, it can be described as a polymer chain made up of repeating units of disaccharides¹ (sugars) and therefore has a high molecular weight. Depending upon how it is synthesized in our body, there are different forms of hyaluronic acid distinguished by their molecular chain length².  In humans, the majority of our hyaluronic acid is found in the skin³, but is also prevalent in the eye, the umbilical cord, and the fluids that act as a lubricant for our joints⁴ (synovial fluids). It has an exceptional affinity for water (it is a highly hydrophilic molecule) and is largely responsible for the moisture content of your skin. It has been described as “nature’s moisturizer”.

Our product uses sodium hyaluronate as the source for hyaluronic acid.  It is just the salt of hyaluronic acid. A key difference between hyaluronic acid and sodium hyaluronate is that the molecular weight in the latter is much lower. With a lower molecular weight, which roughly translates into lower molecule size, better penetration⁵ through the skin layers is achieved⁶ which helps reap the full benefits of the moisturizing properties of the compound. Although this data refers to topical applications, the same holds true for ingested hyaluronic acid. In this case the compound must pass through the intestinal walls to be bioavailable to your skin. Lower molecular weight versions of hyaluronic acid have been shown to have increased permeability⁷ and thus be able to travel through your body to the skin and will thus have greater benefit in terms of skin health. Bacteria in the gut may also assist in breaking down high molecular weight versions of hyaluronic acid enabling their transport to the skin⁸.