Love it: SkinMedica’s HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator

An instant gratifier – as well as long-term warrior – if ever there was one, SkinMedica’s HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator is the skincare product I have been most impressed with this year, and I have seen a few! Why? Well I’ll get to that later, but first I’d like to give some props to the key ingredient at its heart, hylauronic acid.

One of the most extraordinarily beneficial ingredients for all skin types, hyaluronic acid – AKA HA - has powerful anti-ageing properties and is also one of the best hydrating ingredients for skin. To blind you a little with science, HA is a glycosaminoglycan, which is a clever person’s name for a vital natural substance that’s a youth-supporting part of skin. As the chief glycosaminoglycan in skin, hyaluronic acid works to keep every aspect of skin stable, safeguarded, and renewed. It also has the incredible capacity to attract and hold vast amounts of moisture, meaning that it helps bring back that elusive “plumpness” that we all seek after the age of 25 or so. One of the qualities of youthful skin is its ability to hold water, and as we age, our skin loses the ability to maintain this moisture level as well as it once did. The result is visible loss of firmness, pliability, and diminished appearance of plumpness and suppleness.

Enter the amazing HA! Just one gram of HA can hold up to six litres of water, and without tipping the scales and giving skin too much (too much water is a problem for skin because it causes key substances holding skin’s surface intact to break down, but that’s another story). HA can enhance moisture content more than anything else, and at the same time revitalise skin’s outer layers so they look and feel softer and smoother. That’s how it instantly improves the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

HA is also incredibly gentle, for even the most sensitive, redness-prone skin. In fact, its positive influence on skin’s surface is due in part to its natural calming benefit, which means it can help sensitive skin as well as blemish-prone skin.

Which brings me to the amazing HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator from SkinMedica, a line founded by pioneers in the science of skin rejuvenation back in 1999. As co-founder, the renowned dermatologist Dr. Richard Fitzpatrick had a vision to develop a better way to slow the ageing process and unlock the potential of the skin to heal from within; and in 1999, the groundbreaking scientifically based skin care line called SkinMedica was born. Since then it has releases some of the most groundbreaking products on the market, which although not cheap, do exactly what they say they are going to do. And that’s very good things.

So, what makes HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator different from most formulas containing HA? Well for starters, it has a proprietary mix of five HA forms that smooth the skin, thereby decreasing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The 5 HA's work synergistically to provide immediate smoothing and continuous hydration throughout the day.

The five are:

1. Time Release HA: a SkinMedica proprietary ingredient for sustained release of HA

2. Sodium Hyaluronate: for immediate hydration, SH is a salt derived from HA that has all its benefits, but with one extra advantage - it’s more easily absorbed.

3. Uncross-linked HA: for smoothness and hydration

4. Nano HA: to soothe skin

5. Cross-Linked HA: to provide long-lasting hydration for up to 8 hours

Along with all that it also harnesses potent antioxidants found in Vitis Flower Stem Cell Extract, Peptide Complex to support rejuvenation and hydration, and Polysaccharides from French Polynesia for healthy-looking skin. These all work to support skin's ability to replenish its own hyaluronic acid for overall skin health. Amazing.

So how does it feel? It is seriously so, so silky. It creates an even canvas for applying makeup, and is beautiful at night before a rich moisturiser for when you skin is seriously looking for a good quench. I read that you can even apply the hydrator under your eyes to help smooth under-eye bags in the morning, and it makes your concealer look flawless. 

I first heard about this incredible product from Dr. Sarah Hart at Skin Institute, and although it doesn’t come cheap at $310.50 for 56.7g, if you can afford it then I highly recommend that you give it a whirl. Or hey – give up all of those $120-plus fancy serums and creams promising the world and go for one that works… your skin will thank you for it.