![\"Rohto](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/skinandtonics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/bottle2.jpg?ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/p>\nWhat is it?<\/h2>\n
Hada-Labo Gokujyun\u00a0Super Hyaluronic Acid Lotion ($17) is a Japanese hydrating toner product. It promises instant, lasting, moisture with no irritation.<\/p>\n
Ingredients:<\/h4>\n
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Disodium Succinate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydroxyethycellulose, Methylparaben, PPG-10 Methyl Glucose Ether, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Succinic Acid<\/em><\/p>\n The ingredient list for this formula is short and contains no SD alcohol, colorants, oil, or fragrance, making this a great product\u00a0for sensitive skin types. The thing I love most about it, however, is the sheer dedication this\u00a0ingredient\u00a0shows to doing one thing, and doing it really<\/em> well: moisturizing the living daylights out of my face with humectants.<\/p>\n Humectants are a class of moisturizers that differ from emollient and occlusive moisturizers. Emollients such as plant oils\/essential fatty acids work by filling the spaces between skin cells, creating a smoother appearance and feel. Occlusive moisturizers such as petroleum and silicones work\u00a0by creating a barrier over the skin, which prevents trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL). Humectants, however, work by pulling water into<\/em> the stratum corneum from the lower layers of the skin, and in high humidity areas (70% and above), from the atmosphere. Humectants are generally able to hold far more than their own weight in water, which supplies significant hydration to skin and imparts a smooth, overall plumping effect.<\/p>\n For more information on the difference between classes of moisturizers, check out this summary:<\/p>\n Moisturizers: What They Are And How They Work<\/a> <\/p>\n Here are the workhorse humectant ingredients for this formula:<\/p>\n Glycerin is an odorless, colorless, viscous sugar alcohol compound. Its humectant properties make it a popular cosmetic ingredient. Pure glycerin is able to absorb it\u2019s own weight in water over a period of 3 days, and has been shown in numerous studies to improve skin elasticity, moisture, and barrier function.<\/p>\n Glycerol accelerates recovery of barrier function in vivo<\/a> Glycerol replacement corrects defective skin hydration, elasticity, and barrier function in aquaporin-3-deficient mice<\/a> Hyaluronic acid (also called hyaluronan) is a polysaccharide naturally produced in the human body. Able to hold 1000 times its weight in water, hyaluronan plays an important role in wound healing as well as maintaining the structure and integrity of our skin. Like many of our naturally occurring beneficial skin components, we produce less hyaluronic acid as we age. Thankfully, we can topically apply some forms of hyaluronic acid and still obtain its hydrating, smoothing, wound healing, and barrier strengthening effects.<\/p>\n Hada-Labo Gokujyun\u00a0Super Hyaluronic Acid Lotion contains three different forms of hyaluronic acid: hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, sodium acetylated hyaluronate, and sodium hyaluronate (which is actually a sodium salt derived from hyaluronan).<\/p>\n Standard hyaluronic acid molecules have a high molecular weight, meaning the molecules are large \u2013 too large, in fact, to effectively penetrate the skin when applied topically. Standard hyaluronic acid typically needs to be injected in order to be effective. To reap the benefits of topically applied hyaluronic acid, the molecules need to be smaller. The molecular weight of hydrolyzed<\/em> hyaluronic acid is low, meaning the molecules are smaller and able to more deeply penetrate the skin.<\/p>\n The deeper penetration of this form of hyaluronic acid does come with a sacrifice \u2013 its small molecular size makes it less effective for holding water, so its effects are shorter lived. However, it still has fantastic temporary plumping benefits, and it works\u00a0quickly to moisturize and smooth out fine lines.<\/p>\n Hydrolized Hyaluronic Data Sheet<\/a> Sodium acetylated hyaluronate is a form of hyaluronic acid that is patented by Shiseido. Like hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, it has a low molecular weight that allows it to penetrate the skin more deeply and quickly than a high molecular weight HA such as sodium hyaluronate. The quality that makes sodium acetylated hyaluronate unique is that it possesses both hydrophilic and<\/em> hydrophobic properties, allowing it to more effectively hold in water than other low molecular weight HA such as hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid. The result is longer term hydration, skin-softening, and smoothing effects.<\/p>\n Patent information: Low molecular weight acetylhyaluronate, skin-softening composition, method of manufacturing the same, and method of purifying the same<\/a> Sodium hyaluronate is the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid. It also has a low molecular weight, and is able to penetrate skin effectively and draw in and hold water. IT\u2019s a powerful humectant, and its skin smoothing, hydrating, and softening properties make it an extremely popular cosmetic ingredient.<\/p>\n According to CosDNA<\/a>, this formula contains no red flags for irritants or potential acne triggers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hada-Labo Gokujyun Super Hyaluronic Acid Lotion comes packaged in a plastic bottle with a white label. The contents of the label are written almost entirely in Japanese. The dispenser for the product is a small opening underneath a flip-top cap.<\/p>\n The product itself is a clear, slippery, viscous liquid that is significantly thicker than water, but still far more liquid than a gel or cream.<\/p>\n Hyaluronic acid performs best at a pH greater than 4.0 and less than 11.0. I prefer my skincare products to have a pH less than 7.0 (read more about why a lower pH is important here<\/a>). Hada-Labo Gokujyun\u00a0Super Hyaluronic Acid Lotion has an appealingly low pH of 5.0.<\/p>\n Hada-Labo Gokujyun\u00a0Super Hyaluronic Acid Lotion doesn\u2019t smell like much of anything.<\/p>\n I apply Hada-Labo Gokujyun\u00a0Super Hyaluronic Acid Lotion as my 4th step in my morning<\/a> & evening skincare routine<\/a>. Its place in my routine looks something like this:<\/p>\n
\nC. W. Lynde, MD, FRCPC
\nToronto Hospital, Western Division, Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nGlycerin<\/h4>\n
\nFluhr JW1, Gloor M, Lehmann L, Lazzerini S, Distante F, Berardesca E.
\nActa Dermato Venereologica, November 1999<\/p>\n
\nMariko Hara, A. S. Verkman.
\nProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, May\/June 2003<\/p>\nHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid<\/h4>\n
\nEvonik Industries, 2008<\/p>\nSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate<\/h4>\n
\nTakashi Oka, Toshio Yanaki, Michihiro Yamaguchi.
\nShiseido Co., Ltd., 1997<\/p>\nSodium Hyaluronate<\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nPerformance<\/h2>\n
Appearance<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\npH<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nSmell<\/h3>\n
Application<\/h3>\n