Just hearing the word “acid” in a skincare product can be enough to make you think twice. You’ll worry that it might burn your skin. You’ll avoid it in fear of irritating your sensitive skin or making your acne worse. But, here’s the thing: Not all ingredients with the word “acid” are bad for your skin. Some of them can help soothe irritated skin while others can slow down signs of skin aging. Believe it or not, hyaluronic acid can do both of those things and more. It offers so many benefits that you can find it in a lot of skincare products. Now, you might be wondering: What is hyaluronic acid? To begin with, hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring molecule in your body. You were actually born with high levels of hyaluronic acid which explains why your skin was so soft and smooth when you were still a baby. However, with aging and exposure to stress, the amount of hyaluronic acid in your body lowers. And as a result, your skin becomes wrinkly and saggy. This is where using products with hyaluronic acid becomes important. Hyaluronic acid works as a humectant which means it can draw water into the skin to keep it supple and hydrated. By keeping the skin plump, it’s able to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It can make your skin look firmer, more toned and less saggy, too. Apart from its anti-aging benefits, hyaluronic acid is also a great help for those struggling with acne-prone and dry skin. It’s able to deliver the right amount of moisture without clogging the pores or suffocating the skin. It’s not harsh and irritating which means people with sensitive can use it as well. Now, if all these things made you feel excited about this ingredient, check out the handy infographic for using hyaluronic acid on skin at Thank Your Skin.

Hannah Do is the founder of Thank Your Skin, a beauty blog dedicated to providing honest skin care advice and information. She aspires to help her readers achieve their most beautiful skin by sharing personal tips learned through both years of experience and thorough research. Check out her latest article about best toners for blackheads. You can find her on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook.