Does Hyaluronic Acid Help Acne? Good for Acne Treatment or Not

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If you have acne skin, you are already familiar with getting prescriptions from friends and co-shoppers. Although it looks nothing like it, dermatologists recommend that you have at least one hyaluronic acid-based product to help your oily or acne skin.

Hyaluronic acid may not be like your exfoliating salicylic acid (the acne’s dread), but its hydrating property does help to soothe acne skin. If your skin is moisturized, it will not get dehydrated or compensate with an overproduction of oil.

Yes, this sounds nothing like penetrating and unclogging pores to treat acne. I’ll like to clear your doubts. So, you should read on to see how hyaluronic acid can help your acne-prone skin.

Does Hyaluronic Acid Help Acne?

“For acne-prone patients, hyaluronic acid is often included in their treatment because it’s non-comedogenic, hydrating, and has antibacterial properties. It makes a good addition as part of a comprehensive treatment,” explains Dr. Gretchen Frieling, a board-certified dermatopathologist.

Hyaluronic acid is a very mild acid for oily and acne-prone skin. Other skin acids exfoliate your skin and over-dry your skin. Consequently, this can cause more breakouts.

On the other hand, hyaluronic acid makes your skin breathable by retaining moisture and making your skin plump. It regulates oil production with its humectant properties, and this is essential to control and treating acne breakouts.

Skincare products like cleansers, toners, serums, and creams that contain hyaluronic acid will be a good addition to your acne skincare routine.

Hyaluronic acid helps acne by reducing the effect of the causative factors on your skin. This way, it prevents breakouts and helps to treat existing acne.

Does Hyaluronic Acid Help Fungal Acne?

Hyaluronic acid humectant property makes it a wonderful ingredient for addressing fungal acne. Fungal acne is caused by the overgrowth of yeast, and it is characterized by itchy skin.

This acne is quite the stubborn type and requires more than exfoliation to get rid of the white pus. The irresistible feeling to scratch your face, chest, and anywhere it appears can lead to scarring.

This is where hyaluronic acid comes in. As previously mentioned, hyaluronic acid does not remove the pus or directly treat acne. Rather than that, it provides your skin with moisture, which the yeast may have deprived your skin of.

The moisture boost calms the itching and prevents the spread of fungal acne; one way to prevent scars. Additionally, paired with other ingredients, hyaluronic acid helps to enhance its effects and keep your skin supple.

Does Hyaluronic Acid Help Cystic Acne?

Cystic acne is a deep acne breakout that is a result of pores clogged with excess oil, dirt, and dead cells. These clogs make your skin a perfect breeding environment for acne-causing bacteria.

Joshua Zeichner, a board-certified dermatologist, says, “cystic acne comes as tender, inflammatory nodules underneath the skin.” The acne looks soft with white pus at the top. Hyaluronic acid is just a tender match for cystic acne.

Cystic acne puts your skin in a corner for only ingredients that show it TLC. While harsh ingredients cause more breakouts, hyaluronic acid helps to calm the inflamed skin, fight the bacteria and dry out the cyst.

It moisturizes your skin and keeps it supple. This moisture boost makes the acne dry out. As a result, you do not have to pop the pus and expose your skin to inflammation and acne scars.

If you have cystic acne, a hyaluronic acid cleanser will be a good addition to your routine. Use it to clean your face every day during your AM and PM routine.

Does Hyaluronic Acid Help Comedonal Acne?

Comedonal acne may be as blackheads or whiteheads, and they are a result of clogged pores. They appear as bumps and unlike fungal and cystic acne, they do not contain pus.

The clogs are a result of an overproduction of oil. Hyaluronic acid keeps your oil levels steady by drawing up moisture from the deep layers of your skin. Your skin stays hydrated and has fewer breakouts.

Furthermore, acne skin is also a sign of a disrupted barrier. And disrupted barrier causes transepidermal water loss.

Hyaluronic acid provides moisture, improves your natural barrier, and protects your skin from sun damage that can cause the formation of blackheads.

A properly functioning barrier equals reduced inflammation and it protects your skin from the interference of environmental irritants. 

Does Hyaluronic Acid Help Acne Scars?

During and after acne treatment, one unavoidable thing is dry skin. The acne-causing bacteria, spot treatment, and exfoliating acids rid your skin of moisture and make it dry.

Hyaluronic acid replenishes the lost moisture and fastens the healing process. Therefore, dermatologists advise that you use a hyaluronic acid-based product in your acne routine.

You may incorporate hyaluronic acid injections or the topical application of products that are rich in this acid.

It makes the scars less visible and enhances the effects of ingredients like retinol which enhances cell turnover. Moreover, with optimum hydration levels, your skin is in a better place for steady healing and revealing a brighter, even-toned complexion.

In addition, salicylic acid or any other exfoliating acid help to slough off dead skin and fade scars. While you use any of these, hyaluronic acid in your routine is the balm to the common irritating effects any of these acids may have on your skin.

Does Hyaluronic Acid Help Prevent Acne?

Yes, it does. Hyaluronic acid is naturally present in the skin, and it helps to retain moisture in the layers of the skin. Aging, prolonged exposure to UV rays, and other pollutants can deplete the natural hyaluronic acid in your body.

When this happens, your skin is exposed to acne breakouts. External provision of this acid makes up for the amount lost and protects your skin from acne breakouts.

More so, it improves your lipid barrier by regulating oil production and preventing the penetration of environmental pollutants. 

Does Hyaluronic Acid Make Acne Worse?

Hyaluronic acid may worsen acne under certain conditions. For instance, if you overuse hyaluronic acid, its moisture-attracting ability turns against your skin. It draws moisture from your skin and causes it to dry out.

Consequently, you have more breakouts than you were trying to treat. Also, the other ingredients with which you pair hyaluronic acid matter, how you layer them matters a lot.

To effectively use hyaluronic acid to help your acne skin, you should use it in the right concentrations and with the right ingredients.  

How to Use Hyaluronic Acid In Your Acne Skin Routine

There are many ways you can incorporate hyaluronic acid into your acne skincare routine. Products that may contain hyaluronic acid include cleansers, serums, moisturizers, gels, creams, and masks. And using any one of these will help your acne skin.

Whichever way you’re using hyaluronic acid, you should follow the rule of thumb of skincare which says that you should apply your products from the thinnest to the thickest. Also, skincare is only effective on clean skin.

Moreover, you should not overuse hyaluronic acid; one or two hyaluronic acid-based products will do. Apply the product generously over your skin, covering all acne areas.

Always apply hyaluronic acid over damp skin. Applying hyaluronic acid over dry skin will only dry out your skin and worsen the situation.

Use hyaluronic acid serum twice a day, in your morning and evening routine. Then, follow up with a moisturizer and spot treatment cream.

Ideally, you should use hyaluronic acid every day. However, there is an exception to this if you’re using a hyaluronic acid mask. Because masks can be too drying, you should use them twice or thrice a week.

Most importantly, look through the ingredients list to check for comedogenic or harsh additives in the formula.

Also, always layer sunscreen lotion over your skin before you go out in the mornings. This will protect your skin from the harsh UV rays that can damage all your hard work to achieve flawless, glowing skin.

FAQs

Is hyaluronic acid good for oily skin?

Yes, it is. Hyaluronic acid is a non-comedogenic skincare ingredient. So, it will not clog your pores. This acid attracts water molecules to your skin and binds to them, retaining them in the layers of your skin and keeping your skin hydrated.

When your skin is hydrated, in essence, it is not dry. Therefore, it does not produce any more oil to keep it moisturized. If oil levels are regulated, oily skin is at a place of rest.

Can you use hyaluronic acid serum for acne?

A hyaluronic acid serum is a good option for acne skin serum, especially when you’re using it with exfoliators and drying ingredients like retinol.

This acid helps to restore moisture to exfoliated acne skin and prepares your skin to receive retinol without any irritation.

Will hyaluronic acid purge your skin?

No, it will not. Skincare ingredients like retinol and exfoliating acids that cause skin purge are ingredients that trigger cell turnover. Hyaluronic acid, on the other hand, is a humectant that keeps your skin moisturized.

Therefore, it will not make your skin purge with acne breakouts.

Who should not use hyaluronic acid?

Hyaluronic acid is naturally present in the skin. Hyaluronic acid rarely shows any side effects. However, if you’re undergoing cancer therapy, you should not use hyaluronic acid. This acid can make the potential cells multiply and replicate faster.

Conclusion

When it comes to acne treatment, no ingredient is a one-size-fits-all remedy. One ingredient relies on the others to amp up its effect. Hyaluronic acid is a good supporting ingredient in acne treatment.

Hyaluronic acid is not an exfoliator. It does not penetrate your pores and unclogs them. Its effect on your skin, however, helps to reduce the effects of causative factors like acne-causing bacteria, excessive dryness, and oil production.

Its moisture-boosting properties keep your skin hydrated. This keeps acne at bay and helps to treat existing breakouts, heal acne and enhance fading.

This sums up to say that a hyaluronic acid-based product in your acne skin regimen will make a great addition. Additionally, it will enhance the activity of other ingredients and give you a bright, blemish-free complexion.

Thanks for reading.

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