What you need to know about polyglutamic acid.

Thepolyglutamic acid is a biopolymer derived from the amino acid glutamic. This compound was first isolated from the organism of the marine jellyfish. It allows it to store water in its delicate tissue, thus preventing accelerated dehydration due to its presence in the ocean's salty water. It is also present in the mucilage of the nattō. This traditional Japanese food with a sticky and pasty consistency is obtained from the fermentation of soybeans. Formerly used to speed up the healing process, polyglutamic acid is now exploited for its moisturising properties in skincare. It is referenced under the INCI (International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient) denomination "Polyglutamic Acid" and it is defined as a skin conditioning agent.

Polyglutamic acid combats skin dehydration at various levels:

• It forms a film on the surface of the skin.

  Polyglutamic Acid creates a microscopic film on the surface of the epidermal tissue, referred to as a microgel. This microgel swells and traps water, thus promoting its retention. Polyglutamic Acid is capable of retaining up to 5,000 times its weight in water. For comparison, hyaluronic acid retains up to 1,000 times its weight in water.

• It stimulates the production of molecules that make up the Natural Moisturising Factor (NMF).

  As a reminder, in the stratum corneum, water is retained thanks to hygroscopic substances that form duringtheepidermal differentiation process. Thus, several studies have demonstrated the ability of polyglutamic acid to boost the production of certain of these molecules including pyrrolidone carboxylic acid (PCA), lactic acid, and urocanic acid.

• It reduces the production of hyaluronidase.

  This biomolecule is an enzyme responsible for the reduction of hyaluronic acid present in the epidermal tissue. By decreasing its synthesis, polyglutamic acid prevents skin dehydration and thus the appearance of wrinkles or fine lines.

Furthermore, polyglutamic acid exhibits intriguing properties in combating the onset of ageing signs. A study has thus demonstrated its ability to enhance skin elasticity in a more significant manner than collagen and hyaluronic acid when applied topically.