Undeniably, hyaluronic acid is currently the most effective moisturizer available, capable of absorbing water up to 500 times its own volume. Peptides come in second, absorbing 300 times their volume. In contrast, other commonly used ingredients like glycerin and collagen only absorb about 2.5 times their volume.
Why is there such a significant difference in hydration capability between peptides and collagen? This is because a single collagen molecule can be cleaved into 300 peptides. The resulting increase in surface area, interstitial spaces (voids), and ionic adsorption allows them to retain significantly more moisture.