Hyaluronic acid has similarly been the subject of many clinical studies as a topical skincare ingredient, oral supplement and as injectables. Found naturally in the skin, it is a hydration powerhouse. As a humectant, it acts much like a sponge, drawing in moisture and holding up to 1000 times its weight. This is why it is a renowned plumping agent, improving skin texture, tone and the appearance of wrinkles.
Collagen and hyaluronic acid have become the two headline ingredients in modern beauty marketing as both have a part to play in enhancing skin’s resilience, but which is more important? The answer is simple: they both are in their own ways. “They do different jobs, so it’s not really a competition,” explains dermatological doctor, Dr Nora Jaafar. “Importantly, they address two concerns consumers notice quickly: wrinkles and dryness. If collagen loss is one of the key biological drivers of ageing, hyaluronic acid loss is one of the key visual contributors. One affects structure, the other hydration.”
Below, Dr Jaafar and Dr Fiona McCarthy, the medical director and founder of The Bronte Clinic and a consultant medical oncologist, break down the two ingredients, detailing what they do, who should use them and how you can most effectively incorporate them into your skincare routine.
Collagen vs hyaluronic acid: what does each ingredient do?
Putting it simply, “Collagen is associated with firmness and youthfulness, ” Dr Jaafar tells me. “It provides the skin’s structural framework, helping maintain firmness, elasticity and support.” As mentioned above, the concern comes from the fact that collagen depletes by 1 per cent per year from our mid-twenties, and Dr McCarthy says that this accelerates even further during the perimenopause years due to oestrogen deprivation. This results in “sagging, jowling, deepening lines and wrinkles, and loss of facial definition.”
Hyaluronic acid is almost synonymous with hydration and plumpness in the skincare space. Dr Jaafar describes it as “a humectant that attracts and holds water, helping skin appear hydrated, smoother and more plump.” Much like collagen, its levels also decline, “and as a result, skin starts to look dull, crepey and appear more lined,” Dr McCarthy reveals. But its effectiveness is very much down to the molecular weight used. She breaks it down: “High molecular weight HA molecules are unable to penetrate the skin barrier, so they sit on the surface and reduce water loss, while low molecular weight HA molecules can penetrate the upper layers of skin and improve hydration.” You will also notice the ubiquity of sodium hyaluronate in skincare, which she adds is “smaller and can therefore penetrates more readily than the low molecular weight HA. The best HA skincare formulations use a combination of molecular sizes for this reason.”