What are Essential Amino Acids?

“Essential amino acids” is a term that most people have probably heard thrown around. Yet many of us probably don’t know exactly what an amino acid truly is and why they are so important for our diets and for our overall health. Men with dry and/or damaged skin may not even realize the vital role amino acids play in keeping our skin healthy and strong.

With this in mind, today we will be defining amino acids, why they are considered the building blocks of life, the role of amino acids in repairing skin, and how we can utilize the power of amino acids to repair, restore, and renew damaged skin.

What are Essential Amino Acids?

Amino acids are organic compounds which can combine to form proteins. They are often referred to as the building blocks of life because amino acids form proteins which in turn build and repair our bodies. There are 21 amino acids which are required for human beings to lead a healthy life.

Of these 21 amino acids, nine (9) are considered essential amino acids. If we need all 21, why are only 9 considered “essential”? This is because your body is able to synthesize most amino acids itself. The 9 essential amino acids cannot be created by your body, and therefore must be sourced from the outside.

In other words, essential amino acids can only be introduced to the body through the diet, through topical means, or through other external means. When it comes to skincare, including essential amino acids such as leucine, lysine, and histidine provide the building blocks for skin repairs which our body cannot produce itself.

How do Amino Acids Help to Repair Skin?

How do Amino Acids Help to Repair Skin?

This leads us to the next question: how exactly do amino acids work to repair and restore damaged skin? There are actual several key ways in which amino acids can feed your skin the nutrients it needs,these include:

Amino acids work as antioxidants. Another health buzzword, antioxidants are actually incredibly powerful tools for maintaining healthy skin. Amino acids works by fighting free radicals, lessening inflammation, and even naturally stimulating fibroblast cells (which produce collagen for skin strength).

Amino acids protect skin from sun damage. One of the biggest culprits of dry, damaged, and even prematurely aged skin is prolonged exposure to UV rays. Amino acids fight back against sun damage by stimulating natural glutathione levels, providing building blocks for skin repair, and fighting against free radicals.

Amino acids moisturize and hydrate skin. It was a long held belief that amino acids were good primarily for hydrating skin and nothing more when it came to skincare. This idea has since been dispelled, but the moisturizing capabilities of amino acids remain one of their most important skin health benefits. 

Examples of Powerful Amino Acids for Skincare

Examples of Powerful Amino Acids for Skincare

Until now we have talked about essential and non-essential amino acids in broad terms. Yet it is important to understand that not all essential acids are exactly alike. Each individual essential acid carries its own unique set of traits when it comes to repairing and restoring dry skin. Here are just a few amino acids and what they can do to care for dry, chapped, and damaged skin:

  • Glycine: effective for repairing damaged tissue .
  • Proline: works as an anti-aging ingredient — maintains youthful, radiant skin.
  • Arginine: repairs damaged skin cells and even injured skin by speeding up the healing process.
  • Leucine: prevents muscle protein breakdown by providing essential branched chain amino acid building blocks for protein regeneration.
  • Lysine: effective at stimulating natural collagen for skin strength and elasticity.
  • Many more: each amino acid carries its own set of benefits, but they all play an important role when it comes to caring for hard working hands, feet, and elbows.

Using Amino Acids in Moisturizing Cream for Hands, Elbows, and Feet

So you are sold on the idea that amino acids are essential for repairing dry and damaged skin, but how exactly can you work amino acids into your daily routine? There are two important ways.

  1. Ensure that you are providing your body with a diet consisting of all nine (9) essential amino acids.
  2. Use a daily moisturizing cream which contains powerful amino acids to repair, restore, and renew your skin.

We might not be able to help with item one, but when it comes to amino acids and skin repair, using HEFF for dry, cracked hands, elbows, and feet is a great way to provide your skin and your body with the amino acids it needs. Not only will you be moisturizing dried out skin, you will be feeding your skin powerful nutrients with which it can restore itself from the inside out.

HEFF Daily Moisturizer for Men Harnesses to Power of Amino Acids

HEFF daily moisturizing cream was carefully developed by a team of doctors, researchers, and chemists to provide high level skin care for working men. We believe that amino acids are at the heart of what we do, and our formula depends heavily on a full spectrum of 17 naturally derived amino acids to hydrate, repair, and maintain healthy and strong skin.
To give HEFF a try, look for our product online, in any of these major retailers, or feel free to contact us directly. For each tube of HEFF purchased, we will make a donation to Operation Gratitude on your behalf. If you are looking for a no-nonsense, hardworking skin product for once daily use, look no further!