Does Hyaluronic Acid Help Acne? Yes! Here's How

Hyaluronic acid is incredible for boosting the natural hydration of the skin.

However, did you know that it has other benefits, too? This ingredient is far more powerful than it gets credit for.

For example, does hyaluronic acid actually help acne? It absolutely can!

Here’s a little bit more about other ways that you can use hyaluronic acid in your skin care routine, especially if you deal with acne.

Hyaluronic acid basics

Although you can buy hyaluronic acid over the counter, the substance is actually produced naturally by your own body. It’s a type of sugar molecule, and although it performs many different jobs, the one that's the most important for our skin is that it binds water and collagen together.

That effectively helps to keep collagen in the skin, which is why regular hyaluronic acid usage can help increase hydration while also making the skin appear more youthful and firm. This is incredibly important if you're starting to notice signs of aging in your skin.

As we age, our bodies naturally start to slow down production of collagen and elastin. That’s why the skin starts to sag and fine lines and wrinkles begin to appear. It's a natural part of life, sure, but there are ways to slow its effects!

That’s the beauty of choosing an effective skin care routine that supports your skin and works to help counteract any issues you may be noticing. Hyaluronic acid is an essential part of any skin care routine – and it's far more beneficial than a lot of people know.

Does hyaluronic acid help acne?

Let’s start by busting a major skin care myth.

Even people with acne-prone skin need moisture! We’re not sure where the idea that moisturizers or humectants — ingredients that draw moisture into the skin — are essentially “bad” came from, but that simply isn’t true.

In fact, avoiding moisturizers when you have acne can actually make the problem worse!

This is especially true if you’re using medication to help treat your acne. The way the vast majority of acne treatments work is by drying up the skin to help remove extra sebum, which is one of the major factors that leads to clogged pores and the eventual development of blemishes.

These medications are incredibly effective at what they do, but they also leave the rest of the skin extra dry and dehydrated. What isn’t as obvious is the other repercussions that having dry skin can have when it comes to acne.

Most importantly among those is that dry skin tends to overproduce sebum to make up for its lack of moisture. This seems a little counterintuitive, right? In an attempt to stop excess oil from clogging the pores and causing acne, many people are doing things that cause the skin to keep overproducing oil.

That is why choosing a good moisturizer — and making sure that you don’t let your skin get overly dry — is absolutely essential to helping reduce the amount of breakouts that you deal with.

So, does hyaluronic acid help acne?

Yes, but not directly. It helps to reduce the other factors that are known to trigger the development of acne, making it just as important in any skin care routine.

Hyaluronic acid is also known for its soothing abilities.

In most cases, this ingredient is gentle on the skin and can help calm down trouble areas. Also, considering that most skin issues are in some way related to the skin’s hydration status, using a quality serum can naturally help soothe and heal a lot of them. It’s really an amazing ingredient, no matter what type of skin you have.

Literally everyone can benefit from adding hyaluronic acid to their skin care routine.

How you can add hyaluronic acid into your skin care routine

People with acne-prone skin have to be careful with how they incorporate hyaluronic acid into their skin care routine. You want to look for a product that hydrates your skin without clogging your pores or causing increased skin sensitivity, so it’s incredibly important that you read the labels.

Skin Pharm’s Youth Serum is a good example of a simple skin care product done well. Made with hyaluronic acid, peptides, green tea extract, niacinamide (vitamin B3) and vitamin B5, this serum is great for all skin types and provides lightweight hydration that doesn’t weigh down or suffocate the skin.

This serum helps to support and hydrate the skin, so that it can relax on the oil production and do what it needs to do.

Two ingredients to avoid in a hyaluronic acid serum, especially if you have acne-prone skin, are lanolin or anything silicone-based. Both trap all the dirt and bacteria inside your skin.

For oily skin with a tendency toward blemishes, this amps up your chances of clogged pores and acne. The last thing that you want to do is trap anything inside your pores, because that’s one of the main triggers of acne.

Choosing the right serum really does make all the difference. However, even with the best serum in the world, it won’t matter if the rest of your routine isn’t in order.

So, does hyaluronic acid help acne? It depends on how well you’ve developed and customized the rest of your skin care routine, at the end of the day.

Getting your skin care routine in order to support acne-prone skin

Before you can apply your hyaluronic acid-based serum, you have to prepare your skin in a way that won’t undo everything else you do.

Number one, and possibly the most important step in any skin care routine is cleansing your skin appropriately. If your skin is on the oily side or if you have frequent breakouts, look for a cleanser that has an active ingredient like salicylic acid, like our Papaya Enzyme Cleanser.

You’ll also want to make sure that you remove your makeup prior to cleansing, to get your skin as clean as possible prior to applying your other products.

After you wash your face, you might elect to use a toner, like our hero product, Crystal Clear clarifying pads. This’ll help better prep your skin for serums, too.

After all, if your skin can handle it, why wouldn’t you want to help your pores be as open and accepting of the product as they can be? Then it’s time to apply any spot treatments that you need.

Next up, serums. In addition to hydrating the skin, your hyaluronic acid serum will also keep that spot treatment inside the pores, so that it can work its magic.

To wrap things up...

Here at Skin Pharm, we want everyone to have the knowledge and ability to level up their skin. If you have acne-prone skin, don’t shy away from moisturizers and products meant to hydrate your skin, like hyaluronic acid.

Leaving your skin out to dry can only trigger it to produce even more oil, creating a vicious cycle that is difficult to get out of. Choosing the right serum that will hydrate your skin without clogging your pores is key.

SOURCES:

Hyaluronic Acid - an overview | ScienceDirect

Hyaluronic acid: A key molecule in skin aging | National Institutes of Health

Moisturizer: Why you may need it if you have acne | American Academy of Dermatology Association