Hyaluronic acid has been in beauty products for years, but it wasn’t until recently that it has been touted as an anti-aging must-have. Read on to discover the potential benefits of this compound and how to add it to your beauty routine.

What Is Hyaluronic Acid?

Hyaluronic acid, found naturally in our bodies, is a sugary molecule that keeps skin moisturized and joints lubricated. (It can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water.)­­­­­ Hyaluronic acid is abundant in young skin, but aging and other factors slowly destroy it.

So why hasn’t it been a miracle anti-aging ingredient until now? Before, hyaluronic acid molecules were too large to penetrate skin, so any product containing the ingredient washed away easily. New formulations offer lower molecular weights, which may make hyaluronic acid more beneficial when applied topically.