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With the improvement of hyaluronic acid production level year by year, hyaluronic acid has become a hot topic in the field of skin care, and it has more and more extensive applications in the field of medical aesthetics and cosmetics. In this paper, we will make a brief overview of hyaluronic acid benefits for skin care in the field of medical aesthetics and cosmetics.
Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a linear glycosaminoglycan (GAG) consisting of n-acetyl-d-glucosamine and diglucuronic acid. It is widely distributed in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of most vertebrate connective tissues. Hyaluronic acid is not a single component, but is the basic component of the extracellular matrix of the human dermis, the filler between cells. It plays an important role in the form, structure, and function of the skin.
The permeability and efficacy of hyaluronic acid depends greatly on its molecular weight. Generally, in the field of dermatology, substances larger than 500 Da are difficult to be absorbed by the skin. As a result, high molecular weight hyaluronic acid has very limited permeability through the skin, remaining mainly on the surface of the skin and forming a thin protective hydration layer. In contrast, low molecular weight hyaluronic acid is able to penetrate the epidermis and passage through the epidermis does not depend on passive diffusion but may be facilitated by active transport.
Figure. Chemical structure of hyaluronic acid
- Hyaluronic Acid Benefits in Medical Beauty
Originally used in the treatment of frostbitten soldiers, hyaluronic acid has evolved through many stages of development into applications in arthritis, eye surgery and aesthetic medicine. Hyaluronic acid was first approved by the FDA in 2003 for use in skin wrinkle treatment, and has since been used in the medical beauty industry for its moisturizing properties.
Hyaluronic Acid Used as Subcutaneous Fillers and Topical Applications
The development of injectable beauty is closely related to contouring, cosmetic needling and bioremediation, with the emergence of a number of products containing unstabilized or partially modified hyaluronic acid. The sustained action of hyaluronic acid preparations allows targeted delivery of bioactive compounds such as vitamins, amino acids and oligopeptides to specific cells to stabilize the skin’s internal environment and prevent ageing-related manifestations.
Figure. Hyaluronic acid benefits in medical beauty
Hyaluronic acid is widely used clinically as a topical filler for facial fine lines and wrinkles, and is particularly effective in treating nasolabial folds, lines and fine lines around the eyes. Combined with microneedling technology, hyaluronic acid is introduced into the skin layer through tiny needles and used to enhance hydration and improve skin elasticity and fine lines.
In addition, when used in conjunction with a beauty device, specific technology can help HA penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin for longer lasting effects. As technology continues to advance, more and more hyaluronic acid products and techniques for topical application will continue to emerge, bringing more possibilities to the medical beauty field.
Research has proved that hyaluronic acid has benefits for skin care of moisturizing, antioxidant, anti-apoptosis, anti-aging, pro-permeability, anti-inflammatory and barrier repair. Due to its remarkable biomedical and tissue regeneration potential, hyaluronic acid has been widely used as one of the cosmetic ingredients.
Hyaluronic acid benefits in cosmetic applications varies according to its molecular weight. High molecular weight hyaluronic acid is not easily absorbed by the skin. It is often used as a moisturizing agent to form a protective film on the surface of the skin. Medium molecular weight hyaluronic acid is able to form a breathable film on the surface of the skin, locking in water, preventing water evaporation and providing long-lasting moisturization. Low molecular weight hyaluronic acid is easy to be absorbed by the skin, and is able to take part in the skin’s internal metabolism, with a certain role in anti-inflammation, wound healing, and anti-aging.
- Hyaluronic Acid Benefits in Anti-oxidation
The role of oxygen radicals (also known as reactive oxygen radicals, ROS) in animal and human ageing has been established over the last 50 years as a theory of oxygen radical ageing. Antioxidants are compounds, such as vitamins, amino acids, oligopeptides, monosaccharides, and polysaccharides, that slow or disrupt oxidative reactions, and which interact with ROS and simultaneously affect the breakdown rate of structurally distinct peroxide compounds.
In the skin, hyaluronic acid exerts its antioxidant effects as a free radical inhibitor. Zhong Qi et al. concluded in their study that hyaluronic acid can down-regulate ROS levels in normal and aged fibroblasts. Campo et al. found that the addition of hyaluronic acid to the oxidative system of Fe2+ and ascorbate-induced ROS production in fibroblasts inhibited lipid peroxidation, suppressed ROS production, reduced DNA fragmentation and protein oxidation, limited cell death and thus acted as an antioxidant through chelation. Pretreatment with hyaluronic acid can improve fibroblast aging induced by H2O2. These findings contribute to further understanding of the antioxidant efficacy of hyaluronic acid and its potential product applications in the beauty industry.
- Hyaluronic Acid Benefits in Moisturizing
Hyaluronic acid has a strong water-binding capacity, and one hyaluronic acid molecule can bind up to 1,000 times its own mass of water. The role of the skin’s moisturizing system in moisturizing from the inside out can be summarized as: water capture, water locking, water activation and water storage.
Water capture: The filaggrin (FLG) ultimately forms a natural moisturizing factor that helps cells capture water from the outside world. Water locking: Tight junction proteins act like a zip tie connecting neighbouring keratin-forming cells, closing cell-to-cell gaps and thus preventing excessive evaporation of water through cellular bypass. The marker proteins of the end of keratosis, such as keratin, loricrin and FLG, together form the strength and shape of keratinocytes, and combine with lipids through covalent bonds, which together promote a tighter and more complete shape of the stratum corneum to avoid excessive water loss. Water activation: Aquaporins (AQP) transport small molecules such as water and glycerol across membranes and participate in epidermal hydration. Water storage: Hyaluronic acid in the dermis (synthesised by Hyaluronansynthase (HAS)) absorbs a large amount of water and acts as a reservoir for the skin, providing reserves of hydration for the entire skin as well as filling in the dermis to make the dermis more structurally complete.
Based on the principle of skin moisturizing system and combined with in vitro cellular experimental technology, the study evaluated whether the samples have moisturizing efficacy by culturing human immortalized keratinocytes (HaCaT) and detecting the relative expression of CD44, AQP3, HAS3 and FLG genes. The experimental results showed that the relative expression of CD44, AQP3, HAS3 and FLG genes in the hyaluronic acid sample group was significantly increased compared with that in the normal control group, revealing that the samples had moisturizing efficacy.
Figure. Hyaluronic acid benefits in moisturizing
- Hyaluronic Acid Benefits in Anti-inflammation
Hyaluronic acid plays a role in regulating various biological processes and maintaining the dynamic balance of the body, and has shown remarkable efficacy in skin repair and treatment of various inflammatory skin diseases. In patients with eczema and hormone-dependent dermatitis, the combination of anti-inflammatory and topical hyaluronic acid can significantly improve the curative effect and reduce the recurrence rate. After laser cosmetic surgery, topically using hyaluronic acid can effectively improve the redness, swelling, burning and other symptoms.
Inflammation is a physiological response that protects the body from a variety of injuries such as physical injury, pathogens, toxic chemical exposure, and UV radiation. Various inflammatory factors play key roles in acute and chronic inflammation, e.g., IL-1β is a major inflammatory factor that regulates the inflammatory response. Therefore, using Human Immortalised Keratinocytes (HaCaT), the study assessed whether the samples had anti-inflammatory efficacy by detecting the relative expression of inflammatory factor genes after the samples were applied to the cells. The results showed that the relative expression of IL-1β genes in the hyaluronic acid group were significantly reduced compared to the model control group, revealing that the samples hyaluronic acid have anti-inflammatory efficacy.
Figure. Hyaluronic acid benefits in anti-inflammation
Hyaluronic acid is a kind of acidic mucopolysaccharides, has a variety of physiological functions such as regulating proteins, water-electrolyte diffusion and operation, and promoting wound healing. Hyaluronic acid has a protective effect on the skin, which can keep the skin moist and smooth and restore the physiological function of the skin. Wang Lei et al. added hyaluronic acid-related products to patients with facial dermatitis, and found that the total effective rate of treatment in the observation group (71.15%) was higher than that in the control group (47.06%), suggesting that hyaluronic acid-related products have a good therapeutic effect in the treatment of facial dermatitis.
Figure. Hyaluronic acid in the treatment of facial dermatitis
- Hyaluronic Acid Benefits in Anti-Aging
Type I collagen is one of the main components of the extracellular matrix of the dermis and is found mainly in skin, bone, tendon and other non-cartilaginous tissues. In the skin of infants and adolescents, the content of type I collagen accounts for about 80% or more, and the appearance of skin wrinkles is closely related to the normal synthesis and expression of collagen.
Fibroblasts synthesize and secrete collagen and elastin to produce collagen fibres, reticular fibres and elastin fibres. They also synthesize and secrete matrix components such as glycosaminoglycans and glycoproteins. The study chose human dermal fibroblasts as the cell model for the study of cosmetic products to enhance the content of type I collagen. Evaluating the efficacy of the samples in promoting the synthesis of type I collagen by determining and comparing the relative expression of the type I collagen gene (COL1A1) between the control group and the sample group.
Figure. Hyaluronic Acid Benefits in Anti-Aging
- Hyaluronic Acid Benefits in Regulation of Melanin Metabolism
Melanin is synthesized in melanocytes and transported to keratinocytes, and a variety of factors, both inside and outside the cell, are involved in the regulation of melanin biometabolism, positively or negatively, by influencing the proliferative viability of melanocytes, dendritic formation, synthesis of melanin, and transport of melanosomes, among other pathways. Abnormal melanin synthesis and metabolism is the main mechanism for the pathogenesis of pigmented diseases such as chloasma and one of the important features of photoaged skin.
Zhong Qi’s team from the Department of Dermatology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, designed a fibroblast-melanocyte co-culture system, and found that the intervention of hyaluronic acid at 1 mg/mL on photo-aged fibroblasts was able to inhibit melanin synthesis in melanocytes in the co-culture system, whereas it did not have a significant effect on the melanin synthesis in the normal fibroblast-melanocyte system, which is a key feature of melasma and other pigmented diseases. The preliminary demonstrated that under certain conditions, hyaluronic acid regulates the function of melanocytes by regulating the paracrine action of fibroblasts.
Effective skincare products are mainly aimed at repairing sensitive skin and effectively hydrating and moisturizing, and hyaluronic acid is the primary core ingredient in effective skincare products. Thanks to the wide application of microbial fermentation and the maturity of cross-linking technology, the production cost of hyaluronic acid has been significantly reduced. Hyaluronic acid benefits in high adaptability and strong hydration function is conducive to the creation of ‘hyaluronic acid +’ complex skin care products. The combination with other efficacy ingredients, such as: collagen, niacinamide, etc. can be multi-dimensional improvement of skin problems.
At present, hyaluronic acid is not only in the cosmetics, medical and aesthetic field, there is also a lot of space to explore the application of functional food, pet field. In addition, hyaluronic acid benefits in hydration and anti-inflammatory effect, added to the make-up products can alleviate the sensitive skin make-up skin prone to peeling, itching, the future is expected to become a new breakthrough for hyaluronic acid.
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