What is Hyaluronic Acid?Anti-Aging
Hyaluronic Acid is a substance naturally occurring in human body. It’s a form of carbohydrate that works like a internal lubricant of the tissue and it has the ability to hold more than 1000 times its weight in water. The highest concentration of Hyaluronic Acid is found in fluids of joints and eyes, but roughly 50% of his sugary molecule is actually found in the skin. It’s extracted from rooster combs or made by bacteria in laboratory. Because of its remarkable abilities to hydrate the tissue on a deep level Hyaluronic Acid is widely used in medicine and beauty industry and it has been called “fountain of youth” for years. It is used during certain surgeries to help replace natural fluids in the body as well as healing wounds, skin ulcers and burns.
What about Sodium Hyaluronate?
Most of the Hyaluronic Acid products out there claim to have either low or high molecular weight. It doesn’t necessarily mean that one is better than the other, they actually have a totally different use. Low molecular weight means that the molecules are super tiny and they can easily penetrate your skin. In most cases that form is called sodium hyaluronate. It’s a water-soluble salt form of hyaluronic acid created in labs from bacteria to increase stability and lessen the likelihood of oxidization. The two names (hyaluronic acid and sodium hyaluronate) are used interchangeably in the beauty industry, but they do have their differences. High molecular level means that the molecules are bigger and they can’t penetrate your skin when applied topically, but this form of Hyaluronic Acid when mixed with water, creates a film on your skin which helps to keep other ingredients actively working for much longer. It can temporarily decrease the appearance of fine lines and makes the skin look smooth and refreshed.
Benefits of Hyaluronic Acid
As we age, our skin loses the ability to keep the moisture, resulting in the appearance of wrinkles and saggy skin. As you probably know, Collagen plays a huge role in maintaining the skin structure and its firmness. The more dry and stretched the Collagen fibers become with age, the more wrinkly our skin appears. Hyaluronic Acid naturally hydrates and nourishes collagen fibers. I like the fun and easy explanation of this process by Hyalogic:
“Imagine the collagen as the stretchy fibers that restore the skin back to shape when stretched. Collagen is like a rubber band but stretch that rubber band a million times, like what we do with our skin and without any moisture. Eventually that rubber band gets overstretched (saggy) and dried out and will most likely break. This is much the same way the collagen in our skin reacts leaving our skin in need of moisture. Now imagine that same rubber band stretched a million times while under water the whole time. Chances of that rubber band drying out and breaking are minimal. Consider the Hyaluronic Acid as the water that keeps the collagen moist and elastic. Collagen is continuously surrounded and nourished by the gelatinous HA substance. Young skin is smooth and highly elastic because it contains high concentrations of Hyaluronic Acid, which helps skin stay healthy. As we grow older, the body loses its ability to maintain this same concentration in the skin. With decreasing levels of HA in the skin, so goes the ability of the skin to hold water. The result, the skin becomes drier and loses its ability to maintain it’s hydration. Hyaluronic acid acts as a space filler by binding to water and thus keeping the skin wrinkle-free”
Why Coconut Water?
Coconut Water has amazing anti-aging and toning properties on the skin. It contains a long list of powerful components like omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C, enzymes, amino acids and minerals like magnesium and potassium. It has strong anti-microbial properties thanks to lauric acid that protects your skin from infections like acne. Another great thing about Coconut Water is that it’s loaded with protein called cytokines that is stimulates cell re-growth. That’s why when use topically, Coconut Water significantly improves the appearence of the skin, diminishes wrinkles, fine lines and dark spots. It also has phenomenal hydrating abilities due to a high content of electrolytes.
Anti-Aging Serum Recipe:
- 1 oz of pure Coconut Water (Raw if possible, it can be straight from a young coconut!)
- 1/4 tsp of Hyaluronic Acid powder*
*preferably SLML, or Blend ML. You can also use this one extracted from a rooster comb. - 1 oz serum container like this one
***
Mixing the right amount of Hyaluronic Acid powder with water (or in this case Coconut Water) can be a little tricky. If you’re using the High Molecular Level (HML) Hyaluronic Acid, you will be able to mix up to 2% of the entire bottle – this is the form of HA I mentioned before, that creates a hydrating gel-film on your skin. If you use Low Molecular Level (LML) or Super Low Molecular Level (SLML) powder (the one with skin penetrating abilities) you will be able to dissolve more than that, even up to 10%.
All you need to do is sprinkle some HA powder into your coconut water, mix it well until it forms a gel and let it settle in the fridge for a couple of hours. Apply this powerful serum daily and you will see some amazing results.
Enjoy your naturally flawless skin!
Related Articles:
References:
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1062-hyaluronic%20acid.aspx?activeingredientid=1062&
https://www.hyalogic.com/