Hyaluronic acid: What really works – and what’s just hype

Serums, shots, drinkable ampoules, fillers – few active ingredients are as ubiquitous as hyaluronic acid. And few are as frequently misunderstood. We separate fact from fiction.

What hyaluronic acid is

Hyaluronic acid is a molecule produced naturally by the body – a glycosaminoglycan that binds water like almost no other substance: up to 1,000 times its own weight. Around half of the body’s hyaluronic acid is found in the skin, where it plumps up the tissue and keeps it moisturised. As we age – and in the Menopause In addition, due to the drop in oestrogen, the level decreases. The skin appears less plump.

Myth 1: „Hyaluronic acid cream permanently plumps out wrinkles“ – HYPE

Topical hyaluronic acid is a humectant: It binds water at the surface, making the skin appear smoother and plumper for a short time. However: High-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid is too large to penetrate the deeper layers of the skin (dermis). It does not permanently fill in wrinkles – the effect is temporary plumping, not a restructuring of the skin.

Myth 2: „Hyaluronic acid is always good in dry air“ – PARTLY

Because hyaluronic acid attracts water, it can have the opposite effect in very dry air: if it finds no moisture on the surface, it draws water up from the deeper layers of the skin – and can actually dry the skin out. The trick: apply hyaluronic acid to slightly damp skin and „seal“ it in with a moisturiser.

Myth 3: „Drinking hyaluronic acid is pointless“ – OUTDATED

For a long time, oral hyaluronic acid was considered ineffective. The evidence has now shifted: studies such as Oe et al. (2017) showed that taking hyaluronic acid daily for 12 weeks measurably improved skin hydration and reduced the appearance of wrinkles. The body breaks down hyaluronic acid in the gut into smaller building blocks, which are absorbed and are thought to stimulate the body’s own production. To be honest: the evidence is more recent and less substantial than for collagen peptides – but it is growing. As always, the deciding factor here is Bioavailability.

Myth 4: „The higher the molecular weight, the better“ – PARTLY

It’s not quite that simple. High-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid remains on the surface and forms a protective moisturising film; low-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid penetrates slightly deeper, but is thought to have an inflammatory effect when broken down into very small fragments. „Higher“ does not automatically mean „better“ – it depends on the objective.

Myth 5: „Fillers are the same as hyaluronic acid skincare“ – A MISCONCEPTION

A hyaluronic acid filler is injected directly into the dermis – this is a medical procedure that places the molecule exactly where creams and serums cannot reach. This has nothing to do with hyaluronic acid in skincare products or dietary supplements. The three methods – applying, ingesting and injecting – are fundamentally different and should not be confused.

What counts: the interaction

Hyaluronic acid does not work alone. Its ability to bind water is most effective when combined with the substances that make up the tissue: collagen and its co-factor, vitamin C. This is exactly how it works in the Liquid collagen from Bettervita Formula: 20 mg of hyaluronic acid is combined with 10,000 mg of type I and III collagen peptides, plus vitamin C, zinc and silicon. To complement this, it is worth using a vitamin C serum topically as part of the Morning routine.

Hyaluronic acid binds water – but it doesn’t provide structure. That comes from collagen. They work best together.