If you’ve ever taken a good look at the skincare ingredients in the moisturizer section of your local pharmacy or beauty store, there’s one that might have frequently caught your eye: hyaluronic acid. The benefits of this molecule sound great: moisturizing, fine-line-reducing support, and glowing skin, among others. But what is hyaluronic acid, really? And, more importantly, what does hyaluronic acid do?*

We’re here to break down the benefits of this all-star skincare ingredient and how it comes to life in our daily skin hydration supplement, HyaCera™ through the clinically studied ingredient, Hyabest®.*

What Is Hyaluronic Acid?

To get technical, hyaluronic acid is a glycosaminoglycan, consisting of repeating subunits of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and glucuronate. It occurs naturally in the body, including the skin, and is responsible for the viscosity and lubricating properties of synovial fluid as well as skin hydration and space filling. (1-3)

In less-technical terms, hyaluronic acid is a molecule that retains high amounts of water and serves as an important aid in joint and skin support. It is a key factor for preserving tissue hydration, and as one of the most hydrophilic (“water-loving”) molecules in nature, it can be described as “nature’s moisturizer.”* (1-3)

What Does Hyaluronic Acid Do For Our Skin?*

Many topical moisturizers contain hyaluronic acid because it does a great job binding to water molecules on the skin and keeping them close, supporting the skin barrier and hydrating the skin’s cells. When taken orally as a supplement, like the Hyabest® in HyaCera™, hyaluronic acid, supports skin hydration, and helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles. (4-6) The hyaluronic acid benefits specific to HyaCera™ are worth noting, too. HyaCera™ is made with Hyabest® to help support moisturized, glowing skin and Hyabest® may also help promote skin suppleness. Did we mention that Hyabest® hyaluronic acid also helps reduce wrinkles and fine lines? That’s enough to rethink your whole skincare routine!*

Where Does Hyaluronic Acid Come From?

At Ritual, all our products are Made Traceable®, which means that we’re transparent about how and where we source† our ingredients so you can feel confident in the journey of our products, and HyaCera™ is no different. Some forms of commercially available hyaluronic acid are derived from animal sources, like rooster combs, or the frilly red part on top of the rooster’s head (3)—not exactly the first thing we’d want to reach for in our morning routine. The hyaluronic acid found in HyaCera™, however, is vegan, derived from a biofermentation process, (good news for those who prefer a plant-based lifestyle) as well as gluten-free, soy-free, sugar-free, non-GMO, and free from artificial coloration.

†Final place of manufacture

Hyabest® in Ritual’s HyaCera™

Now that you’ve got the basics of hyaluronic acid benefits down, we can get into the specifics of the clinically studied ingredient, Hyabest®.*

Clinically shown to help support hydrated skin that glows, Hyabest® is a bio-fermented, lower molecular weight hyaluronic acid. The biological effects of hyaluronic acid depend on its molecular weight (1,3), and you’ll find varying molecular weights in different cosmetics and dietary supplements. Hyabest® hyaluronic acid is a low molecular weight that has been clinically studied to support the promotion of glowing, moisturized skin. You can feel confident in daily skin hydration with Hyabest® after 90 days of daily use.*

Skin hydration is an important part of skin health, and hyaluronic acid is one of our skin’s best allies. We think you deserve to know where your skincare ingredients come from, including and especially the one we include in our product, like Hyabest® hyaluronic acid. If you’re ready to enhance your skincare routine from the inside out with a dose of daily skin hydration, HyaCera™ puts the fiiiiiiiine back into lines.*

References:

1. Papakonstantinou E, Roth M, Karakiulakis G. Hyaluronic acid: a key molecule in skin aging. Dermatoendocrinol. 2012; 4(3): 253–258.
2. Bucci LR, T AA. Will the real hyaluronan please stand up? J Appl Nutr. 2004;54(1):10-33.
3. Snetkov P, Zakharova K, Morozkina S, Olekhnovich R, Uspenskaya M. Hyaluronic acid; the influence of molecular weight on structural, physical, physico-chemical, and degradable properties of biopolymer. Polymers. 2020;12:1800.
4. Kawada C, Yoshida T, Yoshida H, Sakamoto W, Odanaka W, Sato T, Yamasaki T, Kanemitsu T, Masuda Y, Urushibata O. Ingestion of hyaluronans (molecular weights 800 k and 300 k) … dry skin … a randomized, double blind, controlled study. J Clin Biochem Nutr. 2015 Jan;56(1):66-73.
5. Oe M, Sakai S, Yoshida H, Okado N, Kaneda H, Masuda Y, Urushibata O. Oral hyaluronan …: a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study over a 12-week period. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2017 Jul 18;10:267-273.
6. Hsu TF, Su ZR, Hsieh YH, Wang MF, Oe M, Matsuoka R, Masuda Y. Oral hyaluronan …dry skin: a 12-week double-blinded, placebo-controlled study. Nutrients. 2021 Jun 28;13(7):2220.