Could a hyaluronic acid supplement be the key to your skin health?

If you have any kind of skincare routine, you’ll probably be familiar with hyaluronic acid . It’s the key ingredient in a whole host of serums and is beloved by skincare experts. It can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water so it’s a real hero for skin moisture and achieving that dewy youthful glow.

Hyaluronic acid is also made naturally in the body and is vital for moisture retention in the skin, the eyes and the joints. It acts as a shock-absorbing lubricant, controlling inflammation, aiding wound healing and keeping everything supple and functioning healthily. However, as we age, production of this essential acid slows down.

By the time you reach your fifties, your body’s hyaluronic acid levels will have dropped by 50 per cent, which is why many people choose to top up their levels with skincare products . However, most over-the-counter products contain hyaluronic acid molecules that are actually too big to pass through the outer layer of skin cells.

But there are other ways to absorb hyaluronic acid directly into the body for maximum effectiveness. You can opt for injectables or you can ingest hyaluronic acid. This seems to be the favoured option for a host of celebrities and skin experts, with the likes of Hayley Bieber and Barbara Sturm endorsing the benefits of swallowing the wonder ingredient, rather than applying it to the skin.

How we tested hyaluronic acid supplements

Studies show that hyaluronic acid supplements can improve your skin between two weeks and eight weeks of use. We tried them for three weeks to see if they might have an impact. As levels of hyaluronic acid in the body drop gradually over time, any level of supplementation can help but the recommended dose for supplementation is around 150 milligrams per day. We took this dose daily and tracked the effects.

Hyaluronic acid supplements

The verdict: Myvitamins hyaluronic acid supplements