Gasp! You Lose 50% Of Your Skin’s Hyaluronic Acid By Your 40s

Hyaluronic acid sure made a splashy name for itself over the last several years. The plumping ingredient has stolen the hearts (and beauty cabinets) of beauty fans everywhere. In the skin care industry, it’s often only referred to as a humectant that shows up in serums, face masks, lip balms, body products, and so much more.

But a lesser known fact: Your body makes hyaluronic acid naturally, and is found in a wide range of areas in the body from your eyes to your joints to yes, the skin. 

“Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring type of sugar that is produced by the body and found in the highest concentrations in our skin, connective tissue, and eyes,” says board-certified dermatologist Jennifer Chwalek, M.D. “It functions to retain water, keep our tissues well lubricated, and our skin looking firm and youthful—and it can increase collagen production, which is another way it can help our skin as we age.”* 

In regards to the skin, it’s a key molecule that helps keep your skin moisturized, plump, and supple.* It works by attracting water and holding in the various layers of the dermis, so the water doesn’t evaporate into the air around you (or what’s known as transepidermal water loss).* It also works alongside other key parts of the skin barrier like collagen, ceramides, elastin, and so on.*   

All sounds pretty great, no? Well, like most things in regards to the skin, you start to lose it as you age: Just like your natural levels of collagen and elastin start to decline with time, so does your hyaluronic acid. In fact, they may drop as dramatically as 50 percent. According to Nigma Talib, N.D., a naturopathic doctor, our body’s natural reserve of HA diminishes greatly over time. She says that, by the time we reach our 40s, we have just half of the hyaluronic acid reserve we had during our younger days. A 2016 article published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology confirms that this decline starts in our 20s and hits the half mark at some point in our 40s. That plummet is why many people also notice physical signs of aging in their 40s as well, like an increase in fine lines and wrinkles for some and increasingly dry and dull skin.

To offset these changes, many will reach for richer topicals, more hydrating serums, and pamper their skin with hydration. All worthy endeavors, I might add. Certainly, I’m no stranger to drenching my face and body with balms, tinctures, and tonics.

But, you should also look into how you can support your natural hyaluronic acid levels. For starters, protect it from environmental aggressors like UV rays and pollution as best you can. But to help with the percentage that you lose inherently, you can supplement with hyaluronic acid.* Oral forms of hyaluronic acid have also been shown to support skin hydration and appearance.* The available evidence suggests that oral hyaluronic acid supplements are absorbed in the digestive tract and then migrate to the connective tissues that are most in need of more.* 

You can find hyaluronic acid supplements on their own, or alongside other ingredients. Collagen supplements are a natural pair to blend, as they can support your collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid levels in one scoop.*