Buying HA (hyaluronic acid) and about to have an aneurysm...please help!

just get some hyaluronic acid powder and make your own 1% HA Serum - 1 part hyaluronic powder to 99 parts water, shake and refrigerate - too easy and very inexpensive.  i got mine from http://www.purebulk.com.  it's $17.25 for 10 grams - will last a VERY long time......  i have no affiliation with purebulk, just cheap and fast shipping and the product was perfectly fine, however, it is not low molecular weight.  i love HA serum on my skin - feels so good!  if you want low weight, check with http://www.seaessentialactives.com - i don't suppose it hurts to have both, but be aware, it does last an extremely long time....

hth

What do you want to use a hyaluronic acid serum for? AFAIK the higher molecular weight stuff does not cross the skin barrier, the lower MW can but does not have any proven anti-ageing benefits and does not absorb as much water. Why not e-mail Sharon Marie Skincare and ask them for links to published research which backs up their assertions on enzymes? Agree with Nani that it is supremely easy and cheap to make your own HA serum, then you can add your own choice of preservative.

Wonderful point about 'selling products.'

HA will certainly help hold water on the surface of the skin but is not ideal for use in dry climates or cooler temperatures (air is dryer) because it can draw water from the skin. If you want a humectant that will penetrate and help hold water in the skin try a product containing 5% urea - used in many pharmacy dermatitis products. My skin loves aloe vera - has proven hydrating, healing, collagen inducing and anti-inflammatory properties! You generally need to combine a humectant with a lipid tho, my current favourite is Weleda baby calendula face cream for the lanolin content (very rich so mix this with AV). Lanolin is a source of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol which help replenish the skin barrier and is superb for weather protection.

Did you purchase marine squalEne or olive squalAne? Squalene is comedogenic and breaks down to an irritant chemical, squalane does neither. Unrefined shea is excellent for irritated skin due to compounds in the healing fraction and the high proportion of stearic acid, one of the key lipids in the stratus corneum. Many rave about shea-aloe butter which is an easy DIY. Olive oil is rich in oleic acid which our skin has no use for topically and research suggests may even have irritant properties.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueskies2fly 
Firefox, during the winter my skin tends to be on the dry side (and using RA makes it look even drier when I'm peeling!) I was hoping the HA would hold in some moisture and make my skin look somewhat plumper. I'm also having trouble finding an affordable moisturizer that doesn't contain a lot of chemicals I can't pronounce, so I'm just using extra extra virgin olive oil at the moment, and shea butter under my eyes.

 

I broke down and bought Sharon Marie Claire's HA and something called Squalene. What the heck :)

 

Really easy recipes at: http://myfunnyvalentineblog.com/2011/06/diy-hyaluronic-acid-stock-serum-tutorial.html ("stock" 1% HA)

and http://www.skinacea.com/diy/diy-recipes.html#B5 (SkinCeuticals B5 serum knock, also has HA)

I've used both w/ HA SLMW, and they're both easy to make. My source is http://www.lotioncrafter.com/hyaluronic-acid-slmw.html.

BlueSkies: Sorry! I try to explain because it helps some people remember/ means lurkers can continue to lurk/ gives you something to read up on if you wish, so you know for yourself what is right, what is wrong and what is debatable. I work in lifestyle healthcare (physical activity/ nutrition) however my original training was hospital pharmacy and there was some lab work along the way .... No specific dermatology training it's mostly what I have picked up between the pharmacy, my dermatitis, wrinkles and general geekiness!

With any healthcare stuff the online 'information' is a mixture of scientific fact, scientific theories, sound alternative theories, quality anecdotal evidence, highly suspect anecdotal evidence, out of date information, sales pitches, old wives tales, Chinese Whispers and putting two and two together to make six. Much of the information on emu oil for example originates with in-house 'research' carried out by a trade body (often biased) decades ago, not published in any reputable journal, then twisted and embellished by unscrupulous companies selling the product. Some of it has been repeated so many times that it has become fact! I would love to see intelligent members of SCT like yourself mentally questioning everything - including what I post - so we can kill the old wives tales and Chinese Whispers, and stop lining the pockets of those peddling snake oil. http://www.skincaretalk.com/t/31022/stitches-on-my-forehead

Strange how our brains are wired differently! I can't link names with faces to the point ice-breakers are humiliating and I never know who anyone is describing even if I know them well, sing totally off tune even tho I can hear it sounds awful. Can't for the life of me learn even the simplest dance routines, can manage a basic traditional aerobics or step class providing they name all the moves, I don't have to wiggle anything and I have a few weeks practice but add in a 5, 6, 7, 8 and I am done. Even did a beginners' dance class at a fitness weekend called "Two Left Feet" and I got lost after 20 minutes, the only fail!   

Totally envy people who can create beautiful things, from materials or with their own body IYSWIM. All that stuff makes life worthwhile, science just keeps us alive and makes boring or dangerous tasks easier!
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueskies2fly 

    YOU GO GIRL! LOL ..........I just wish my left brain worked as well as my right!

Hi blueskies - in my experience, the use of oils (carrier and essentials) greatly vary in how they react in our skin from person to person. I use EVOO in my body oil that I mix up for post shower use. I tried rosehip at 100%, and promptly got a face full of zits! I cut it back, as I don't like wasting money - and found that I can successfully use it at about 20% of a final oil blend.

Its just a matter of finding what works best for you - and has the properties that you want.

I read "stock" and thought MFV's recipe was for people using it to go on to make things like the KinNIANAG serum, and  I just wanted to try the humectants on their own. So I made Skinacea's.

It makes my skin pretty tight; I have to add something like a face oil or light cream to get my skin to 'relax'. I think there is too much HA in that recipe, but I love the consistency~. I might split my batch and add more water to half of it.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by gymrat 


I used myfunnyvalentines recipe, just a different preservative. It works great leaving it in the fridge over night. Just give it a good shake before you use it is all. This serum is at the top of the "easiest DIY serum" list- I have made a serum similar to yours listed here from Skinacea. I added B5, and Niacinamide very easy and works great.

Humectants alone will just try to draw water from the skin and/ or the air, tightness is very common with aloe vera gel or hyaluronic acid serums, so you will always need emollients or occlusives to prevent that issue. It's the same with hydrolysed protein and the hair - very drying and sticky if you don't use an oil or an intensive conditioner.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Monocled Penguin 

I read "stock" and thought MFV's recipe was for people using it to go on to make things like the KinNIANAG serum, and  I just wanted to try the humectants on their own. So I made Skinacea's.

 

It makes my skin pretty tight; I have to add something like a face oil or light cream to get my skin to 'relax'. I think there is too much HA in that recipe, but I love the consistency~. I might split my batch and add more water to half of it.
 

 

I have been using Sclerotium Gum instead of HA. You make it the same as HA, "Scooter Gum" powder in H2O. It mixes easier than HA and doesn't leave a film, feels very 'silky' on skin, and is more moisturizing for me, especilly in the dry winter weather.