Hyaluronic Acid Serum for Skin 100% Pure Anti Aging Serum Intense Hydration Moisture Non greasy Paraben free, Wrinkle Reducing and Brightening Serum (Pro Formula) 2oz

I use this morning and night. Helps moisturize and plump my skin. Good product!

I’m older. My skin is changing. Wrinkles, bags and dry skin. Oh yes, they’re freakin’ happening. Hyaluronic Acid sounded like it might be one of the answers I was looking for. It seemed to be in everything that was coming out in 2019 but I don’t really like to buy products with a boatload of ingredients I don’t need. I like to give my skin what it needs on any given day and not overload it with duplicated ingredients or unneeded ones.

So that led me to trying to figure out how you use hyaluronic acid in skin care. What does it do, how does it do it, what will affect its performance? And that can be kind of overwhelming, but it basically boils down to this. It needs moisture (I’m talking good ol’ water) to work. Or at least access to it. HA’s (I don’t want to spell it every time) primary function when it comes to skin care is its ability to carry (bind) 1000’s of times its weight in water. It’s why it’s one of the most moisturizing agents known to science. So you think, great I’ll just slap it on my face and I’ll be good to go. Yeah, not so much.

It matters when you put it on, what you put on after it, and the climate where you live. After I clean my face & do my wash-off GA peel, the FIRST serum I reach for is the hyaluronic acid. (This is the night time routine. Putting this on in a dry climate during the day will DRY you out.) I don’t spread it all over my face. I put 2-3 drops in the palm of my hand, and with a finger I tap it into the areas I want to target with it. For me, that’s under my eyes, my eyelids and around my mouth and ON my lips. Be careful around the eye area. I don’t take it up right under the eye or close to the eye on the lid area. I don’t rub it in my eye area either, just to be safe. I always tap, placing it in the area farthest from the eye first and tapping toward the eye. I’ve never gotten any in my eye, so I don’t know if it stings or not. HA is an ingredient that is included in some treatments for the eyes, so I imagine it’s probably safe…..but I’m not a doctor or a chemist so…..yeah, use good judgement on your own body? Anyway, it also comes in a pill form to be taken as a supplement (it is naturally occurring in the human body) so I don’t have a problem using it on my lips and mouth area. I’ve got fine lines there that need plumping. After that I continue with the rest of my serums & moisturizer.

There are a few things you can’t do if you’re living in a dry climate and one thing YOU MUST DO in order for this to work. Avoid putting any products on your face that are occlusive, meaning anything that basically seals your face. Think oils or heavy moisturizing creams that some people use to lock in the products so they have the best chance at absorbing into the skin. This creates a barrier that defeats the purpose of using HA. It needs access to moisture, and if it can’t get it, it will take it from the closest possible place…..your skin. Which is why some people say it dries their face out. So you’re probably wondering how it’s going to possibly work in a dry climate? As I said, it’s part of my night routine and it’s what I do right before I go to bed. On my bedside table I have a humidifier (mine has a spout on it that allows me to control the direction) that blows a cool mist over my head all night. Anyone who’s living in a dry climate should do this for their skin, whether you’re using HA or not. It’s the absolute best thing I’ve ever done for my skin. In the lip area, I still use a sleeping mask over the HA some nights, I just make sure it’s not something that’s got a heavy occlusive oil in it. You can google the ingredients in the product to find out if they’re a barrier to moisture or not. There is no scent to HA, it’s a safe ingredient to use in skin care, it does amazing things for your skin, and ANYONE can use it…..it just might require a few tweaks depending on where you live.

This is an in-depth review of this serum, which I use in my 5-Step Japanese Skincare Routine. This is the third step in the process, with the order being: cleanser, toner, serum, eye cream, face cream. I have never used a serum before and was initially intimidated by the word "acid" and the fact that it came in a medicinal looking dropper bottle. But so far I have really enjoyed this addition to my daily skincare routine. Not only do I have combination skin due to my Japanese-American genetics, but I’m also allergic to everything and live in both dry, cold Colorado and hot, humid Georgia. I’ve been hunting a whole set of products to create the ultimate skincare package. We all have hyaluronic acid in our bodies already, but is generally taken as a supplement to help with joints. Instead of injecting this into my knees, I’m patting it all over my face to help with dry skin. It’s supposed to be great for people with eczema or skin problems. I’m using it to help prevent signs of aging, and to improve my combination skin and overall skin tone.

PROS:

– gentle on sensitive skin (I didn’t have a horrible reaction)
– helps trap moisture in your skin after your clean and use a toner
– can mix it with other nighttime serums
– has an initially oily texture that quickly absorbs into skin in dry weather (instant moisture relief!)
– has helped with my poor dry hands
– evens out skin tone
– some lightening affects (or it has relieved my skin of any existing redness?)
– no acne or blemishes formed
– comes in a handy glass bottle with a rubber dropper
– no dye, just a natural clear liquid

CONS:

– a bit expensive, and lasts maybe a month or so if you’re using it generously
– takes a while to soak in (you have to keep patting your face with your palms into it absorbs)
– a bit tacky in humidity (not to bad if you use it after a shower at night, but in mornings it might affect your makeup)
– takes a while to see a difference, especially if you’re not applying it evenly
– doesn’t contain vitamin c, which is supposed to help you absorb/process it better
– if you spill any, it’s a pain to clean out of clothing

OVERALL:

I love what hyaluronic acid does for my skin. It really helps to lock in moisture and works well once you get the hang of patting it evenly into your skin. However, it is a bit pricey, which is why I knocked it down a star. But I will buy it again, though perhaps one that includes Vitamin C to help my skin absorb and process the acid more efficiently. There are apparently no studies that prove hyaluronic acid works. I see subtle differences in my skin tone, but not my pores, wrinkles, or tightness of skin. I believe this serum could be used for everyday maintenance, aging prevention in skin, and overall brightness and clarity. But if you’re looking to reverse skin aging, wrinkles, or loose skin then you’ll need to mix this serum in with another cream that does the trick. Think of this as a booster to your existing skincare routine.

This stuff works. In about two weeks, I could see all the rough spots on my face starting to peel off and get smaller. In less than two months, they are almost gone. Only the reddish spots remain. Applying make up no longer simply highlights those rough spots.

This is my second purchase of hyaluronic acid. The first bottle (not yet empty) included glycerin (ACIN B00LUA11EI). I found it much easier to apply, because it was somewhat thick. I’d put six drops in the palm of my hand and dip my fingers in it to spread it around. This second bottle from Cosmedica Skincare does not contain glycerin and is exactly the consistency of water. Six drops in my palm isn’t enough, and it’s much more difficult to spread around. I think this product works the same, but if it had been the first one I purchased, I’d probably end up thinking I needed to use a lot more. If I purchase hyaluronic acid again, I’ll look for glycerin as an ingredient.

I’m in my late 20s and I want to delay wrinkles and other signs of aging before they show up. I’ve researched a lot and found out that delaying the signs of aging and preventing them is the way to go to stay "youthful" as long as possible. And in fact, people should start taking care of their skin in their 20s because it’s easier to keep a smooth, wrinkle free skin rather than trying to erase or hide wrinkles and other imperfections.

I started using this product about two months or so ago when I saw lines around my eyes and on my forehead. I see a lot of my peers who are still in their 20s, but look like they’re in their 30s and 40s. They look tired and have lines all over their faces that weren’t there before. First off, I’ve tried to consciously stay out of the sun if I could help it. I use sunblock if I can’t avoid the sun. My peers didn’t really care for that when we were younger and the sun damage on their skin is obvious. Their skin looks dry, cracked, tan but old. I say this because if you want the best benefit from using this product, you should try to stay out of the sun and use sunblock if you can’t.

Also, this product works really well with a moisturizer. I apply this product first on clean skin and let it dry for a minute. Then I apply Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair for Night because it’s a moisturizer and also has retinol, which really helps with skin repair (wrinkles and uneven tone), smooths skin by promoting new growth, and also helps keeps my skin clear from acne. Once a week, I do a 1 minute glycolic peel (30%) then rinse off and apply hylauronic acid and just a simple moisturizer on top. I skip retinol products that night because it will burn/sting the newly treated skin. Also skip anything that would sting if you are somehow still using any other products like salicylic acid, etc. The glycolic peel makes a huge difference. I could tell the first time I used it that my skin was softer, smoother, more even toned, and just feels better. Read up about it for sure before using it because it can be strong. It’s supposed to help peel away dead skin and stimulate new smooth skin. It seems to do that for me.

But these products I’m talking about like retinol and glycolic peel will make your skin sensitive to the sun and will easily make you burn. So, definitely stay out of the sun if you can help it, use sunblock, a hat, and whatever else you can do to avoid sun exposure. Otherwise, your skin won’t look great and it will all be for nothing. But if you take care of your skin consistently and follow directions well, you will see a big difference. It’s like exercise. You have to do it everyday, but you won’t see a big difference until after some time. I wish I took pictures of my skin before I started my regimen. I’d really love to show what has changed for me.

Also, I recently got married and was showing people my wedding photos. A lot of people assumed I was the "baby" in my family. Just looking at photos, they thought I was the youngest out of all my sisters (also my bridesmaids). I am 7 years older than one of my sisters and 10 years older than the youngest. People were blown away and actually felt bad for my sisters. And I can still hang out with my siblings and their friends if I need to. Their friends also mistake me as someone closer to their age and wouldn’t believe I’m much older than they are.