Ferulic Acid vs. Hyaluronic Acid: Which is Better for Your Skin?

Human skin is remarkably sensitive for an organ constantly exposed to the elements. Despite being our first line of defense against environmental substances that would compromise our organs, our skin is susceptible to several types of damage. Caring for our skin has become essential to modern cosmetics and healthcare, spawning an entire industry. 

Skincare is such an important part of our appearance that many overlook its significance to physical health. The misconception is understandable since most people focus on how our skin looks due to modern definitions of beauty. Nevertheless, skincare impacts our health in ways essential to ensuring we live long, healthy lives. One of the best ways to care for our skin is to identify substances that can fortify and protect it from common issues.

There are several well-known substances that are regularly used in skincare routines, though some are more popular than others. Among the most popular are ferulic and hyaluronic acid, which have been used in skincare for decades. These substances are familiar to those with a pre-existing skincare history, but newcomers might find their knowledge lacking. 

Fortunately, these acids are well-known in the skincare industry, and learning more about them is not difficult. Nevertheless, you might want more information before considering using either one on your skin. The question we need to address is: what are these acids, and how are they different?

What is Hyaluronic Acid?

Even if you are not an expert in skincare regimens, you have probably heard of hyaluronic acid in passing. While you might not have recognized its significance, hyaluronic acid is one of the most common tools in skincare. Despite this, many people go their entire lives without learning what it is or what it offers for a skincare routine. First, you should know that hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring acid that we produce. 

The average person has around 15 grams of hyaluronic acid in their body, with a third of it being turned over daily. We did not know what hyaluronic acid was until the late 1970s, and it was identified as a "goo" molecule until it was properly identified. Hyaluronic acid was initially identified in 1934 by German biochemist Karl Meyer and his assistant, John Palmer. They discovered the substance in the vitreous body of a cow's eye, and a hyaluronic acid product was officially released in the 1970s.

Due to its presence in the cow's eye, the original hyaluronic acid product (Healon) was designed for eye surgery. Specifically, it was used to repair damage to the eye and expedite the healing process. Since then, hyaluronic acid has been used to create products that serve more generalized or mundane purposes. Like most compounds in modern medicine, hyaluronic acid was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in skincare and surgical settings. 

Since then, hyaluronic acid has become an extremely popular tool for the population wanting to enhance their cosmetic appearance. This might not be surprising to some, but hyaluronic acid's benefits might be unfamiliar to you. Fortunately, the effects of hyaluronic acid have been researched, so we can outline what it can do for you.

Benefits of Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic acid has a longstanding history with skin care and hair care, making it one of the more versatile products in the cosmetics industry. While hyaluronic acid might seem like a passing trend with no genuine significance for our health, there is actually a lot it can do. Hyaluronic acid has been subjected to more advanced studies since Meyer discovered it, leading to new abilities and benefits being uncovered. 

One main benefit that concerns us is that hyaluronic acid has been linked to improved skin appearance and texture. One of the biggest components of modern skincare is keeping your skin looking and feeling good. Hyaluronic acid is one of the resources our bodies use to maintain our skin naturally, but age or environmental factors can cause our natural levels to deteriorate. As a result, supplementing our natural hyaluronic acid levels has become common practice in the skincare industry.

There was a study in 2014 that focused on hyaluronic acid supplements for skin care. The subjects in the test group were given 120 to 240 milligrams of hyaluronic acid daily for a month, while the control group received a placebo. At the end of the month, the subjects in the test group demonstrated increased skin hydration and reduced dryness. Furthermore, the studies showed that hyaluronic acid reduced the appearance of wrinkles and made the skin seem smoother than it was before. 

This effect is more important for adults of advanced age who are developing age-related wrinkles on their skin. Adding hyaluronic acid to your routine can give you smoother skin and help you retain a youthful complexion for longer. Hyaluronic acid does more than maintain the skin's appearance. It has been connected to a more practical and altogether important benefit that many overlook.

Our skin can be damaged due to injuries, primarily scrapes and cuts, but also from inflammatory conditions that leave a permanent mark on the body. This is not always a problem for everyone, but most people get injured and end up with unpleasant, albeit temporary, marks on their skin. At the very least, injuries that induce an inflammatory response can cause extremely noticeable redness to those around us. 

Fortunately, one of hyaluronic acid's benefits is that it can expedite our natural healing abilities and reduce the lingering marks caused by certain wounds. While the studies are somewhat dated, there is hard evidence that hyaluronic acid, when applied to an injury on the skin, reduced the wound's size and the associated pain. This effect was observed when placebos did not affect the wound's healing process.

Hyaluronic acid's wound-healing effect is connected to its ability to regulate our inflammatory response. The inflammation process is a natural response our bodies use to heal injuries, though it sometimes gets out of control and maintains the response when it is no longer needed. Hyaluronic acid can improve our body's control over the inflammatory response and make it less likely for it to cause more damage or blemish our skin.

What is Ferulic Acid?

Ferulic acid is not as well-known as hyaluronic acid and is not something our bodies produce independently. Rather, ferulic acid is a polyphenol that we cultivate from certain plants and foods, making it more of a supplement than hyaluronic acid. Ferulic acid was originally isolated in 1866 from a plant called Ferula foetida, from which the acid received its name. 

While the substance was identified in 1866, we did not determine its chemical synthesis procedure until 1925, meaning we went almost 60 years without being able to replicate it. Unfortunately, there is not much background information concerning who discovered ferulic acid. What we do know is that it was a team of Japanese researchers who identified the chemical synthesis procedure. Nevertheless, ferulic acid has become a common addition to modern holistic skincare and healthcare for enthusiasts.

While the background of ferulic acid is a little murky, countless supplements have been created that boast it as the primary ingredient. The rise of ferulic supplements is primarily because of its healthcare and skincare benefits. If you are unfamiliar with ferulic acid, you might not know what those benefits are or whether they are worth pursuing. Fortunately, there is more information on what ferulic acid can do than who discovered it.

Benefits of Ferulic Acid

Ferulic acid is not a widespread product because there is not much information on it, but it still has a rather large following within the skincare industry. The biggest question is whether ferulic acid actually helps our skin or if it is a farce like certain products currently on the market. Ferulic acid is primarily used in anti-aging creams because it is supposedly effective at reducing age spots and wrinkles. This is true to a certain extent, though not because of the acid itself but because of its behavior when combined with other substances. 

Ferulic acid synergizes with vitamin C, an extremely powerful nutrient our bodies need. Vitamin C has become a key ingredient in countless skincare products but suffers from short shelf life. Vitamin C degrades extremely fast when alone and usually needs other substances to preserve it long enough for use. The degradation process is accelerated when vitamin C is exposed to sunlight, so many vitamin C bottles are opaque rather than transparent.

Ferulic acid is generally used to stabilize vitamin C in skin serums because it can protect the vitamin from sunlight. Increasing vitamin C's photoprotection makes the serum viable longer and less likely to fail. In 2005, it was confirmed that ferulic acid provides enhanced photoprotection when combined with vitamins C and E, making it extremely viable as an additive to skin formulas using both vitamins. The problem is that the evidence supporting ferulic acid's skincare benefits is limited, though a review from 2018 confirmed that ferulic acid can be a mildly effective anti-inflammatory. 

While there is less information on the benefits of ferulic acid compared to hyaluronic acid, the latter lacks a benefit inherent in the former. Ferulic acid is a polyphenol (antioxidant), meaning it protects us from oxidative damage, which can cause skin damage. With this information in mind, there is only one question left to ask: should you use hyaluronic or ferulic acid?

Hyaluronic vs. Ferulic Acid

Choosing between hyaluronic or ferulic acid can be extremely difficult without prior knowledge of what each compound is capable of. Fortunately, most of the information surrounding these substances makes choosing them easier. Hyaluronic acid remains one of the primary skincare products in the world, and for a good reason. Hyaluronic acid has been heavily researched and has the added benefit of being a substance we produce naturally. 

The fact that hyaluronic acid is part of our biology proves that it benefits our anatomy, whereas other substances can be hit-or-miss. Nevertheless, hyaluronic acid has proven effects for healing wounds and maintaining a youthful complexion.

While ferulic acid has less evidence supporting it, it is valued for its synergy with vitamin C (which is highly effective in the skincare industry). This information proves that hyaluronic acid is a better choice because it has more proven benefits and is something our bodies already use. In fact, hyaluronic acid is often used to promote other parts of our anatomy, like hair, which is prone to damage. 

You can still use ferulic acid to enhance the anti-aging effects of hyaluronic acid, and both substances can be used simultaneously with little risk. However, if you have to choose between the two, hyaluronic acid seems to be the clear winner. Unfortunately, this information does not address the biggest problem you will encounter. Hyaluronic acid might be effective, but you still must acquire a product that will give you the dose you need to reap the benefits.

Finding the Right Blend

While choosing between hyaluronic or ferulic acid might be simpler than you initially thought, they both have merit when combined. The only difference is that hyaluronic acid is more valuable as an independent supplement than ferulic acid. Hyaluronic acid is optimized for our bodies since we produce it naturally and use it to improve our health and appearance whether we know it or not. 

Using additional hyaluronic acid as a supplement can help us overcome issues with our natural levels that might be diminished due to the progression of age or environmental factors. The problem is that finding a hyaluronic acid supplement can be difficult since some companies adulterate the product or use it to focus on something other than skincare.

We at Teami believe that the substances our bodies produce are the best for resolving issues that affect our health or appearance. That is why we have created a product catalog that focuses on improving both through natural substances. Insofar as hyaluronic acid is concerned, we can offer our Overnight Sleep Mask or Hibiscus Infused Vitamin C Serum. Both products contain hyaluronic acid as a key ingredient and are designed to enhance skin health and appearance. We encourage you to visit our website and try our products directly. After all, finding the right blend is a Teami effort.