Hi Dr Pickart,

Been doing alot of research and reading on HA, and I can't seem to find any commentary from you regarding very low molecular weight HA, as hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid.

The reason I ask is because your strong opinions on medium/high molecular weight HA is tied to skin wetting and the fact that it sits on top of the skin, but the hydrolyzed HA seems to have a much higher permeation of the skin? I have my own reservations about the safety of hydrolyzed HA, but I would really like to hear your comments.

To be specific, I pasted the hydrolyzed HA datasheet below since they seem to have conducted some basic studies on it. The part that has me curious is the fact that they cite that hydrolyzed HA affected expression of more than 40 genes within the skin. But that's neither here or there, considering that everything put on the skin (or for that matter consumed) respectively affects gene expression.
I wasn't able to find any patent literature on it, but according to the manufacturer (per their datasheet) the production process is fermentation via Bacillus Subtilis (a beneficial microbe to which we already have a symbiotic relation with), and an aqueous recovery process.

In any case, would really like to hear your thoughts on the safety or stated benefits of this stuff.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Skin Biology,

Hyaluronic acid (scientifically named "hyaluronan") is a sugar-like molecule that can bind huge amounts of water (1000-fold of its own weight).

When applied to the surface of human skin, it feels smooth and sensuous but will slowly wets the skin's outer protective proteins and damages the skin barrier. This can temprarily improve the looks of skin but does not help skin health. The outer layer of skin (what we actually see) is composed of keratinocytes. The signal that causes the skin to send new keratinocytes to the skin's surface is a dryness in the outer layers of the skin. Hydrating (wetting) the outer skin proteins slows or even stops the normal flow of keratinocytes to the skin surface. If the skin is kept wet, such as by using hyaluronan, the skin renewal is slowed and skin ends up looking older.

Skin Damaging Cosmetic Moisturizers are designed to push water into the skin and wet the outer skin proteins. Various detergents (but they may not be called detergents) and water-holding molecules such as hyaluronic acid often used to loosen the outer skin proteins so water can interact with them. But this weakens the skin barrier and lets in viruses, bacteria, and allergens.

In about 1997, there were studies from Denmark that found that oil/water skin moisturizers broke down the skin barrier. The concern was that this could increase infection in hospital patients. Since then, it has been found that

This means to skin is more slowly replaced and damage remains longer. Cosmetic moisturizers are designed to wet the outer skin proteins and push water into the skin to puff it up. Various detergents (but they may not be called detergents) are used to loosen the outer proteins so water can interact with them. The best example is the "cold creams" that women applied every night in the 1930s and 1940s. You may have seen these in old movies. Their skin was kept moist but the women ended with horrible wrinkles.

Various polymers of hyaluronan are used as skin injectable skin fillers. Injectable form of hyaluronic acid are sold as "not-from-animals" but they are from pathogenic bacteria. The FDA warns that the material contain small amounts of bacterial protein and this can produce allergic responses in time.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Skin Biology,