When you look at your skincare routine, there is a chance that at least one of your products contains hyaluronic acid. Recognized as a hydration powerhouse, hyaluronic acid is known for holding up to 1000x its weight in water and this could be beneficial for dry skin.
Around 2021, the skinification of hair trend was popularized, where skincare ingredients were being used in hair care. This led to the viral TikTok trend of applying hyaluronic acid serum directly to hair. We know that it hydrates skin, but does it actually hydrate hair?
We did find one study that suggests hyaluronic acid can be somewhat beneficial for hair, showing a slight increase in hair strength. However, the study indicates the effectiveness only with low molecular weight hyaluronic acid, and it isn’t clear whether this benefit is particularly tied to hyaluronic acid or could work with other similar ingredients, especially those with film forming properties.
When it comes to hair, what we perceive as moisturized or hydrated typically refers to the conditioned feeling rather than increasing the water content in hair. Something else to note: hair is negatively charged. So for a haircare product to feel substantive and conditioning, it relies on positively charged ingredients. Our Bar Nomadic collection features cationic, or positively charged hyaluronic acid, to help increase the molecule’s affinity to hair. As a result, the benefits are more realized especially in the areas of frizz and tensile strength. When we ran a third party consumer study, panelists (who happen to live in a humid climate) noticed less frizz, less hair fall, and overall healthier looking hair.
1. Wenje Qu, et. al. (2022). Improving the mechanical properties of damaged hair using low molecular weight hyaluronate.
Molecules. 27(22), 7701