Why the Molecular Weight of Hyaluronic Acid Matters

By now, you’re surely thinking you know all there is to know about hyaluronic acid, the hydrating ingredient with skin plumping superpowers that’s able to hold 1,000 times its weight in water. But are you aware hyaluronic acid molecules come in a variety of weights (aka sizes) and there are benefits to using different types of hyaluronic acid in the same formula? Allow us to enlighten you. 

What does molecular weight mean?

The weight of a molecule correlates to its size. The greater the weight, the larger the size. As you know, skin doesn’t have an open-door policy when it comes to letting molecules in. Some, such as collagen, are simply too large to pass through and wind up sitting on the skin’s surface. Fortunately, hyaluronic acid doesn’t have this problem and absorbs easily. However, like a nightclub with VIP, VVIP, and VVVIP rooms, it gets increasingly more difficult to penetrate the layers of skin the deeper you go. 

This is where molecule size plays a role. Since hyaluronic acid with a lower weight is smaller, it’s able to descend farther into skin tissue. However, this isn’t to say you should look for the lightest hyaluronic acid out there and just go with that. To get the most out of hyaluronic acid, you want the ingredient in all layers of skin, not just the deepest ones. For that reason, having a mix of hyaluronic acid weights in your skincare product is the optimal solution. That allows the ingredient to work its magic throughout the skin tissue. 

And that’s not all. In an example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, there’s a school of thought that believes the mix of molecular weights triggers a variety of different responses in the skin. The same way that a blend of antioxidants can neutralize more free radicals than a single antioxidant can, a combination of molecular weights of hyaluronic acid can spur more routes to skin healing and repair.

One hyaluronic acid product to try

Our new Dr. Dennis Gross DermInfusions Fill + Repair Serum contains four different molecular weights of hyaluronic acid capable of penetrating the skin at various depths. The hydrating ability of these assorted hyaluronic acid molecules helps to plump the appearance of fine lines and crepey skin, both immediately and over time. (We have the clinicals to prove it.) This new serum is good for all skin types and can be applied night or day (or both!).

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