Our product formulator and chemist at our Skincare Lab took a step away from the test tubes to hop on a call with us. We talked all sorts of things: Hyaluronic Acid (H.A.) serums, Gold Peptides, and our favorite, patented H.A.- boosting ingredient — Syn®-Hycan.
*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.*
Q: Let’s get right to it: what’s the difference between using a serum and using a regular moisturizer for your hydration needs? Do you really need a serum?
A serum is going to penetrate the skin deeper than a moisturizer. So, you’re going to get more penetration into the skin, which means it’s going to be more effective.
Q: How does an H.A. serum work on a basic level?
First of all, Hyaluronic Acid holds 1000X its weight in moisture. Hyaluronic Acid is like the crème de la crème of moisture. It’s one of the most powerful humectants. One of the ways H.A. works is it actually grabs the moisture in the air and pulls it into the skin.
Q: How is the proprietary blend of H.A. (Syn®-Hycan) that you used in Hylastra® Gold different from regular Hyaluronic Acid?
The unique formulation of Hyaluronic Acid we use with patented ingredient Syn®-Hycan actually "talks" to our skin's fibroblast receptors, which stimulate our skin to renew our own Hyaluronic Acid. With patented Syn®-Hycan, you’re plumping from both inside the dermal layer and topically on the outer layers of the skin. So, this H.A. Serum helps your skin produce its own Hyaluronic Acid. Which means you’re going to have a firming, lifting, and filling effect from within, not just topically.
“The serum we made stimulates your own skin’s Hyaluronic Acid content from within, as well as stimulating your collagen-elastin.”
Q: Wow. So let me get this straight. An ordinary H.A. serum will only give you the humectant effect of pulling moisture from the air to the top layer of the skin. But it won’t boost your H.A. levels from the inside out?
Yes. The serum we made stimulates your own skin’s Hyaluronic Acid content from within, as well as stimulating your collagen-elastin.
Q: Skincare enthusiasts like myself can get overwhelmed at the number of Hyaluronic Acid serums on the market — there’s so many to choose from! Can you tell if an H.A. serum is high-quality based on what it feels like on the skin?
It depends on the overall formula, but it all comes down to the molecular quality of the actual raw ingredient. Fast absorption into the skin is always good.
Note: Regardless of thickness, a good quality H.A. serum should feel substantial on application but finish relatively "clean." Slight stickiness is normal.
(*Pro Tip: You can test two H.A. serums against each other to see which is best by trying two different products on each half of your face. You'll know which one works better for your skin by mid- to end of day when one side becomes drier.)
Q: Can all skin types use Hyaluronic Acid?
Whether your skin type is oily, normal, or dry, your skin can still become dehydrated! Even oily skin can become dehydrated. Look into a mirror and pinch your skin on your forehead to see how fast it lifts back up. Afterward, if you see little fine lines appear, those are likely dehydration lines. One way to resolve that is to simply drink more water. Another is by stimulating your own skin’s hyaluronic acid with a hyaluronic acid boosting serum.
“Look into a mirror and pinch your skin on your forehead to see how fast it lifts back up. Afterward, if you see little fine lines appear, those are likely dehydration lines.”
Q: Does H.A. ever make your skin oily?
No. Let’s put it this way: you will see the hydrating benefits of H.A. the way your makeup goes on. When your skin is hydrated from within (which is what Syn®-Hycan does) everything is going to look better on your skin. Your skin texture is going to look better.
Q: How often should you use a Hyaluronic Acid serum?
Twice a day, ideally in the morning and at night. Because you should be cleansing your skin twice a day. After you cleanse your skin, you need to rehydrate or treat your skin by using H.A. and it will balance out your skin and help you get the full benefits. It’s not enough to just cleanse your skin twice a day, you also need to treat your skin.
Q: Can your H.A. serum be used around the eye area too?
Yes, it can be used around the eyes, the face, and the neck. If you have the leftover product on your hands, you can use it on the back of the hands too.
Q: Why do you benefit from having peptides in your H.A. serum?
There’s a revolutionary new ingredient that we’re one of the first beauty formulating companies to use, and that’s the Gold Peptides.Our skin doesn’t always accept ingredients. In fact, it often rejects ingredients. Our skin can be a little fickle. Gold is one of the minerals that our skin does accept. What is really unique about this peptide encapsulated in gold is that the scientists made it to travel like a drone to where it needs to go. By putting this onto your skin, the skin accepts the gold, it travels between your epidermal junction, and it releases the gold structure, which then releases the peptide. And the peptide actually travels to the area of the skin that you want to target where it releases the peptide and firms and plumps from within, binding the epidermal junction together. What it does is really, really cool.
Q: That’s so interesting. I always thought gold was something they threw into a product to make it seem luxurious. I didn’t think gold actually did anything.
Right, the gold actually has a purpose — your skin accepts the mineral into the skin, so it acts as a delivery system into the skin. By doing that you’re able to get more benefits from the peptide. It’s more than just topical, it’s penetrating into the skin.
Q: That seems to be the all-around theme here! So what do peptides actually do?
Peptides stimulate your own collagen and elastin renewal. It’s an additional stimulation of your collagen — boosting collagen, peptides, and amino acids in your skin. In the same way that Syn®-Hycan helps mimic your own H.A., the peptides are doing the same thing in a much faster way than your body naturally does.
Q: Naturally, people with more mature skin are the ones throwing out a pretty penny for those premium serums. But would someone in their 20s still benefit from using a high-end H.A. serum with Gold Peptides?
Absolutely, in your 20s is when the signs of aging start. Another benefit is that if your serum has antioxidant benefits as well. The serum we made for Purity Products® is really a universal serum for all ages.
Q: I can’t believe the signs of aging can start at 20. What are some of the first signs of aging in the skin?
The fine lines are what you start to see first with sagging of the skin around the eye area and around the neck. Believe it or not, your neck and hands are the first areas that you see signs of aging. You’ll start seeing a loss of elasticity there. In order to slow the signs of aging, you need to use products like Hyaluronic Acid to prevent those things from happening in a big way.
Somebody who starts using a serum with Syn®-Hycan and Gold Peptides (in addition to sunscreen) versus somebody who doesn’t — there’s going to be a big difference in the elasticity of their skin.
