Q: What do you think is the most important anti-ageing ingredient that everyone should be using?
A: Without a doubt, it is Hyaluronic Acid. This is the most important anti-ageing ingredient to be applying topically and taking internally every day of your life not only for youthful, healthy skin but also for a healthy well functioning body. We produce it naturally in our body and it declines with age and this decline manifests on our skin and in our body.
I love this analogy I found in my research:
Think of cells in the body as bricks and the collagen or connective tissue between cells as the mortar in a brick wall. Hyaluronic Acid is the agent that keeps the mortar from drying out and cracking. (Bill Sardi)
What is Hyaluronic Acid?
Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a gel-like water-holding molecule that acts as a “space filler” for the skin, hair, eyes and joints. Clinical studies have proven that HA improves skin hydration, stimulates the production of collagen in the skin and supports collagen. Hyaluronic acid is needed to bind collagen with elastin, which are fibres that give your skin its stretch.
Hyaluronic acid is degraded on a daily basis which is why it is so important to both supplements and applies topically on a daily basis.
A primary cause of the degeneration of collagen is the decrease in hydrated HA, which supports collagen. This is why skin moisture is so important. HA helps keep the collagen intact and smoothes out the skin to prevent wrinkling.
Skin health aside loss of HA over time is responsible for hair loss, diminished eyesight, wear-and-tear, and joint pain and osteoarthritis.
