No matter the season and no matter the skin goal, hydration is always key. Stripped or damaged moisture barriers can make the skin more susceptible to sensitivity, irritation, changes in texture, and even acne. While drinking the right amount of water can always help with dehydration, adding moisture to the skin topically is what will really help fortify the skin’s barrier and maintain optimal skin health. With the right nourishing ingredients, like ceramides or hyaluronic acid, serums and moisturizers can visibly improve the look and feel of skin and help one achieve a healthy glow all year round. The hero ingredient of Youth To The People’s new Triple Peptide + Cactus Oasis Serum is the innovative 4D hyaluronic acid (HA), four powerful forms of HA that exist at three different molecular weights to deliver game-changing—and long-lasting—skin hydration. And according to YTTP’s Director of Field Sales + Education Jacob Tomás del Rosario, 4D hyaluronic acid’s elegant formulation makes it beneficial for all skin types.
The four different forms of hyaluronic acid included in 4D hyaluronic acid are sodium hyaluronate crosspolymer, sodium hyaluronate, sodium acetylated hyaluronate, and hydrolyzed sodium hyaluronate. Sodium hyaluronate crosspolymer is a webbing of interconnected HA molecules capable of binding up to 5,000 times its weight in water.
“It relies on the other forms of hyaluronic to attract the water, but then it binds and traps the water in the skin without the use of heavier emollients or occlusives, which is traditional for mitigating transepidermal water loss,” explains del Rosario. “Alone, sodium hyaluronate crosspolymer is so potent and powerful.”
The following three forms of HA—standard sodium hyaluronate, sodium acetylated hyaluronate, and hydrolyzed sodium hyaluronate—all work to attract water toward the crosspolymer. This combination exists at three different molecular weights, allowing the HA to penetrate and hydrate multiple layers of the skin.
“When thinking about your three layers of skin, you have the surface, your dermis, and your epidermis,” says del Rosario. “You’re getting hydration through all three layers… you’re getting deep, penetrative hydration for that long-term retention, and you’re getting calming and soothing hydration and surface plumping [for an immediate result].”
4D hyaluronic acid’s multi-dimensional, efficacious hydration works diligently to create an environment of optimal skin health and function.
“When your skin is hydrated, it's like a wet sponge,” says del Rosario. “I like to use the analogy of trying to pick up a spill with a sponge that's dry versus trying to pick it up with a wet sponge. When that sponge is wet, it's able to retain more hydration and actually absorb more of your spill. It works not only to hydrate, soothe, and condition all three layers of skin, but it helps to more effectively absorb your partnered technology, and boosts the efficacy of all other ingredients.”
For del Rosario, that’s the most exciting part about 4D hyaluronic acid: its incredible capability as a powerhouse of hydration as well as its ability to supercharge other ingredients. Remember: hydration doesn’t only help achieve a soft, glowy appearance. Stay hydrated, stay protected, and stay bouncy!
Written by Kaitlyn McNab for Youth To The People
