hyaluronic acid
Hyaluronic acid (noun) means a substance that occurs naturally in skin, joints and eyes, made of long chains of sugar molecules, and able to hold a large amount of water relative to its weight. It is widely added to skincare products and is also used in medicine, including in injectable fillers. Example: “The serum's first listed ingredient after water was hyaluronic acid.”
How to Use Hyaluronic acid
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA natural substance in the body that holds on to a lot of water, now added to lots of face products.
Common in cosmetics labelling and consumer press; also standard medical vocabulary in ophthalmology and joint medicine.
The word acid here signals chemistry, not strength: hyaluronic acid is not an exfoliant and behaves very differently from the acids used to resurface skin.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The serum's first listed ingredient after water was _____.
Etymology
From hyaloid, meaning glassy, plus uronic acid, reflecting the sugar units the molecule is built from.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for hyaluronic acid
See all rhymes for hyaluronic acid →Frequently Asked Questions
Is hyaluronic acid an exfoliating acid?
No. Despite the name, it does not work like glycolic or salicylic acid, which loosen dead surface cells. Hyaluronic acid is a large water-binding molecule, and it is grouped with humectants rather than with exfoliating acids.
What does a humectant do?
A humectant is an ingredient that attracts and holds water. In a cosmetic formula it draws moisture into the product and the upper layers of the skin, which is the role hyaluronic acid plays.
What is sodium hyaluronate?
It is the salt form of hyaluronic acid, and it appears on ingredient lists in place of, or alongside, hyaluronic acid. It is a smaller, more stable version of the same underlying molecule.