What are the Different Types of Hyaluronic Acid Liquid?

Hyaluronic acid liquid is a naturally produced lubricant found throughout the body. It is particularly concentrated in the skin, in the eye’s vitreous humor and in synovial joint fluid. Hyaluronic acid liquid is found commercially as an anti-aging ingredient in skin creams, as a supplement in the form of drops and in medications used to treat arthritic conditions, glaucoma, dry eyes and other medical disorders. It is available as an oral liquid supplement, as a rub or cream that is worked into the skin or as a serum that can be added to water and absorbed, also through the skin. These three ways of delivering hyaluronic acid liquid mimic the body’s natural methods.

Although hyaluronic acid is abundant in younger people, the aging process affects the body’s ability to produce sufficient amounts. Hyaluronic acid is broken down and eliminated from the body in just a day or two, and aging bodies are less able to continuously manufacture enough of it to replenish that which is lost. This is one of the reasons that joints stiffen, eyes become uncomfortably dry and skin wrinkles with age.

Hyaluronic acid is also called hyaluronate or hyaluronan, and it is a carbohydrate. When bound to water, it takes on a gelatinous form that lubricates viscous membranes found in the eye, bones and muscles, permitting greater comfort, smoother movement and increased cushioning of the joints. Hyaluronic acid, a polymer, is available in a range of molecular weights, but naturally occurring hyaluronic acid has a relatively high molecular weight.

Hyaluronic acid serves the body in a multitude of ways. Hyaluronic acid is present in hyaline cartilage, whose job is to protect and cushion the long bones at points where they hinge. Synovial fluid is secreted by the synovial membrane which encapsulates hinging bones to aid in smooth movement by absorbing shock, delivering cartilage nutrients and carrying away waste.

Another important function of hyaluronic acid is in its service to connective tissues, specifically ligaments and tendons, where it protects the tissue’s living cells. In the eyes, hyaluronic acid liquid is found in high concentrations where it both supplies nutrients and protects against shock. It is also found in gum tissue where it helps secure teeth, offers hydration and nutrients.

Half of the hyaluronic acid liquid found in the human body is housed in the skin’s subdural and epidermal layers, providing moisture through its incredible ability to bind with water — as much as a thousand times its own weight. It also feeds the skin’s collagen. Wrinkles are the result of an aging body’s inability to replenish hyaluronic acid in the skin, which results in the collagen’s inability to "bounce back" and maintain an unwrinkled, smooth surface.