Oligo-Hyaluronic Acid: the super substance of the anti-aging professionals

Is there a cure against aging? A substance that cheats biology and preserves youthfulness? If you are asking these questions about the whole body, you will certainly have to wait another 100 years for the answer. But if it's "only" about the face - a smooth, fresh, radiant face - you can already rely on hyaluronic acid today. To be more precise, on oligo hyaluronic acid. We at 48grams vouch for the polysaccharide with the smallest molecular chains. So it's certainly no surprise to anyone that most of our products contain no less than two percent of this liquid anti-aging gold.

 

Plenty of sleep, good food and oligo

Here's another blog entry about the ingredients in the 48grams products: after mastic oil, edelweiss extract and OPC - all champions in the revitalizing miracle class - now it's oligo hyaluronic acid. But before we go into detail, first some basic information. Up to the average age of 25 years one needs to do almost nothing for the body. At least not if you are healthy, treat yourself with a reasonable diet, consider alcohol a rare sin and get yourself eight ideal hours of sleep per night.

 

Six liters of fluid per gram of hyaluronic acid

Let's take 25 as the starting point: about then, processes begin in the body that can no longer be reversed. In three words: we grow old. The fact that aging soon manifests itself visually is the fault of a substance produced naturally in the body: hyaluronic acid. This polysaccharide, a sugar molecule, is an integral part of connective tissue (or cartilage, ligaments and synovial fluid), among other things. One gram of hyaluronic acid binds up to six liters of fluid - that is 6000 times its weight(!). That is quite a large amount. In the skin, hyaluronic acid therefore acts as a water reservoir, keeping it elastic and supple. It would be too good if this function were to be maintained into old age. But - as mentioned - in our mid-20s the production of the substance continuously decreases. We see the result in the mirror at some point. The less moisture there is in the skin, the less healthy it looks. The dryness causes small cracks or wrinkles to appear. If you don't do anything to counteract this, you can literally watch yourself age. We at the 48grams blog find it hard to imagine anyone really wanting that.

 

Against neurodermatitis and rosacea

However, hyaluronic acid is not only the super substance among the anti-aging agents, the modes of action are even more diverse: The sugar molecules help against redness and burns, relieve feelings of tension in various skin diseases (including neurodermatitis or rosacea) and generally promote wound healing processes. Skincare Pope Bernd Kuhs (the creator of the 48grams products) explains: "Hyaluronic acid is an absolute all-rounder - and compatible with every skin type. It was important to me in the formulation of creams, serums or masks that users get the full range of healing powers on or in the skin." This now explains why Bernd Kuhs has included the most valuable hyaluronic acid in two-percent strength in his formulations....

 

Against dryness, from the depth of the skin

... because oligo differs again clearly from the other polysaccharide types. It supports the skin's protective barrier, provides cell protection, promotes the regulation of skin metabolism and protects the tissue from harmful radicals. Kuhs: "Oligo is therefore a hyperactive ingredient that can penetrate into the deepest layers of the skin, where it forms a reservoir that slowly works from the inside out. This achieves a lasting effect that no other type of hyaluronic acid can manage."

 

So tiny, so effective

The reason why oligo is so potent can be explained by using the children's game "hide and seek." Only those who can fit into the smallest corners and narrowest entrances will be able to hide long enough and win the game. For everyone else, it's game over. This is also the case with Oligo in comparison to "normal" hyaluronic acid. Everyone can participate - but only one is the winner. In principle, of course, any form of hyaluronic acid helps better than no support at all for the skin. But the so-called "high-molecular hyaluronic acid" has a significantly greater mass, namely 1,500 kD. To explain, kD stands for Kilo-Dalton, the size of the molecules. The result of high-molecular or long-chain hyaluronic acid is therefore: It cannot penetrate the skin barrier - but forms a moisturizing film on the surface. This is already quite good - after all, it prevents the loss of the skin's own moisture to a certain extent. To remain in the image of the game of hide and seek: Here, the participant may be hiding behind a tree or in the next room.

 

Size makes the difference

Let’s move on to number 2: low-molecular (or short-chain) hyaluronic acid. Only 50kD small, the molecule penetrates the skin - and stores moisture there. Not bad at all - because the tissue is now plumped up from the inside out and also already looks noticeably firmer. Now, if you take the hide-and-seek example again: the participant has been hiding in the closet or under the couch.

 

Oligo-Hyaluron - nothing helps better

But now back to the winner: oligo hyaluronic acid. Here, the molecule size is just 5 top 3 kD - so it's very tiny compared to the other types. This form of the polysaccharide cannot be stopped, it makes it to the deepest layers of the skin. There it builds up reservoirs - areas full of hyaluronic acid, which are only slowly released towards the surface. This means that a truly lasting effect is achieved. And not only that: the oligo even ensures that the body's own hyaluronic acid production is improved again.

 

Background of a discovery

Finally - for those interested - some information about the discovery and origin of hyaluronic acid. Vegans may already be reassured: the products used today consist of fermented yeast and corn proteins. But when the physicians Karl Meyer and John Palmer discovered the miracle substance in 1934, they did so in the eye fluid of cattle. However, actual use did not begin until 8 years later - with the filing of a patent: hyaluronic acid was used in it as a protein substitute in baking. It would then take until 1981 for the sugar molecules to be used medicinally.