5 Best Hyaluronic Acid Serums

With all the buzz surrounding it, you’ve probably heard hyaluronic acid is the “it” product on the beauty market today. While a lot of products come and go, hyaluronic acid is likely here to stay because it not only offers powerful hydration, but also helps plump, smooth, and firm skin, reducing fine lines and helping restore a youthful look.

Hyaluronic acid serums are one of the best ways to get a big gulp of this age-fighting compound. Unlike creams, serums leave out unnecessary ingredients like oils, petrolatum, lanolin, and water—meaning there’s a higher concentration of active ingredients in serums than in moisturizers or lotions. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the best hyaluronic acid serum brands on the market.

Best Hyaluronic Acid Serum Overall: Herbal Dynamics Hyaluronic Acid 62% Hydrating Serum

If you want a great all-around, high-concentrate hyaluronic acid serum, this one’s for you. Its fragrance and paraben-free formula and organically sourced chamomile and aloe vera are perfect for sensitive skin. Its 62 percent hyaluronic acid concentration will power through fine lines and wrinkles. And at $20, it’s still a highly-affordable choice.

Best Hyaluronic Acid Serum For Dry Skin: Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Serum

Since this serum is on the higher end of the concentration spectrum, clocking in at 75 percent pure hyaluronic acid, it’s the perfect way to repair extremely dry skin. Plus, its lightweight formula absorbs quickly into parched skin. The higher concentrations of active ingredients augment the serum’s efficacy as a hydrator, both helping attract water to your skin and preventing its escape, preserving and increasing skin moisture.

Best Hyaluronic Acid Serum For Mature Skin: Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum

The price tag on this serum is definitely high in comparison to other products on this list, but considering how effective it is, we’d deem it worth the money. This serum contains a whole range of low and high-weighted hyaluronic molecules, meaning it penetrates the surface and deeper into the skin, both reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles at the epidermal layer of the skin as well as helping add volume, firmness, and bounce to the dermal layer.

Best Hyaluronic Acid Serum For Oily Skin: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum

This oil-free, non-comedogenic formula will hydrate oily or acne-prone skin without clogging pores. If you need to up the ante on your anti-aging routine, but you suffer from adult acne or just have oily skin, this serum can give your skin the boost of hyaluronic acid it needs without causing or exacerbating pimples and cysts.

Best Low-Cost Hyaluronic Acid Serum: The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5

Don’t let the amazing affordability of this serum fool you. It still packs a powerful one-two punch of hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5 that will both hydrate skin and leave it looking plumper and younger. Its lightweight, non-greasy formula is also perfect for all skin types. If you’re looking to add hyaluronic acid to your beauty routine without breaking the bank, look no further.

Hyaluronic Acid Fast Facts

1. Hyaluronic acid is a humectant, meaning it helps draw water out of the environment into your skin, encouraging it to retain moisture and giving skin its dewy glow.
2. Hyaluronic acid occurs naturally inside your body—everywhere from your joints to your eyes to your skin. Like most everything else, the production of hyaluronic acid slows as we age, but replacing it on the surface of the skin can help fight the signs of this slowdown.
3. Hyaluronic acid isn’t just great for fighting signs of skin aging. It can help heal injured skin too! Applying it to wounds has been shown to help reduce their size and decrease pain better than a placebo or no treatment.
4. Hyaluronic acid can even help hydrate your eyes. Lubricant eye drops containing a 0.2 to 0.4 percent hyaluronic acid solution (like these HylaTears) can ease dry eye symptoms and improve overall eye health.

Adding Hyaluronic Acid to Your Skincare Routine

When it comes to your daily skincare routine, you want to go from light to heavy consistency. Start with watery products and move toward the heavy creams. A sunscreen for your face should always be the last thing you apply.

This means that a hyaluronic acid will be one of the first steps in your skin care routine. We recommend the following order of products:

1. A hydrating cleanser to clear out bacteria and oils.
2. An exfoliant, whether it’s a chemical peel or a simple scrub.
3. A face toner to balance your skin’s pH levels and to prep it for the following products.
4. Acne treatments onto the directed spots. If your skin is clear, skip this step.
5. Serums. Here’s where you apply hyaluronic acid!
6. Eye cream takes care of the delicate skin around your eyes, which is far more delicate than the rest of your face’s skin.
7. A natural face moisturizer to lock in moisture for more radiant skin.
8. Sunscreen that’s at least SPF 30.

You may want to use different products in your morning and nighttime routine. For example, many people apply a retinol-based anti-aging cream at night.

FAQs

Can hyaluronic acid serum replace my moisturizing cream?

One of the biggest misconceptions about serums is they can replace other steps in your skincare routine, like cleanser or moisturizer. However, no one step can replace one of the other steps.

For example, a serum is a great addition to your cleansing and moisturizing routine, but if you get rid of your moisturizer when you start using a serum, you can reduce the efficacy of the serum because failing to layer a moisturizer over it allows it to evaporate rather than absorbing into the skin. So it’s better to combine serums with your other skincare steps to reap the full benefits of these serums.

Hyaluronic acid also can’t replace other active ingredients like niacinamide, retinol, vitamin C, and vitamin E. All these ingredients play a distinct role in keeping the skin’s surface looking its best, so it’s better to think of hyaluronic acid as a powerful addition to your existing skincare ingredients list rather than a standalone product.

Do I need sunscreen when using these serums?

Technically, you always need sunscreen. You should use a moisturizer with an SPF of at least 30 every morning. If you’re spending the day outside, this SPF should be even higher. However, hyaluronic acid is not a photosensitizing ingredient, meaning it won’t make your skin more sun-sensitive, so it shouldn’t impact your existing sunscreen needs.

How should I apply hyaluronic acid serums?

You should always apply this serum directly after cleansing but before moisturizing. While skin is still damp, rub a few drops of serum onto your face using the palms of your hands or your fingertips. Moisturize immediately afterwards to help prevent evaporation.

When should I apply hyaluronic acid serums?

You can apply a hyaluronic acid serum both in the morning and at night—just make sure it’s the first step after cleansing. If you apply hyaluronic acid serum on top of sunscreen or night cream, the moisturizer will act as an obstacle that prevents the serum from penetrating your skin.

Are there any side effects of hyaluronic acid?

Since your body produces hyaluronic acid every day, the risk of allergic reactions and side effects is minimal. Most of the time, if you wind up having a reaction to a hyaluronic acid product, it’s due to one of the other ingredients in the product. But if concentrations of hyaluronic acid are too high for your skin type, it could cause irritation or dryness. Always remember to patch test any new product before applying it all over your face.

Bottom Line

As one of the most powerful age-fighting compounds on the market today, hyaluronic acid should be in everyone’s daily skincare routine. No matter your skin issue—whether it’s dryness or aging or roughness or uneven skin tone—this miracle ingredient can help!