Why HA is like a water magnet
Hyaluronic Acid Unveiled: Exploring the Nanomechanics and Water Retention Properties at the Single-Molecule Level.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
HA’s intrachain interaction energy is less than half that of Curdlan and chitin, despite being harder to stretch.
You’d expect a molecule that’s harder to stretch to have stronger internal bonds—but HA is the opposite: it resists stretching externally while being weak internally, which is why it soaks up water instead of clumping.
Practical Takeaways
Choose skincare products with high-purity hyaluronic acid if you want long-lasting hydration—its structure makes it uniquely good at holding water.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
HA’s intrachain interaction energy is less than half that of Curdlan and chitin, despite being harder to stretch.
You’d expect a molecule that’s harder to stretch to have stronger internal bonds—but HA is the opposite: it resists stretching externally while being weak internally, which is why it soaks up water instead of clumping.
Practical Takeaways
Choose skincare products with high-purity hyaluronic acid if you want long-lasting hydration—its structure makes it uniquely good at holding water.
Publication
Journal
Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids
Year
2024
Authors
Miao Yu, Xin Guo, Kai Zhang, Xiaomin Kang, Song Zhang, Lu Qian
Related Content
Claims (4)
Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance in your skin that acts like a sponge, soaking up water to keep your skin plump and bouncy.
If you change the way sugar units are linked together in two natural substances—curdlan and chitin—to look more like the sugar links in hyaluronic acid (which your skin and joints use), they become better at soaking up water and stretch out more in solution.
Hyaluronic acid is harder to stretch than Curdlan and chitin when pulled in water—it takes more energy, so it’s tougher and resists stretching more.
Hyaluronic acid doesn’t stick to itself as much as other similar substances, so it’s more likely to mix with water instead — like how some glue is sticky and others just soak up water.