Hyaluronic acid. To the less beauty savvy, it may sound like something you don’t want to put anywhere near your face (we all took chemistry lessons at school, just sayin…).
But, what if we told you that hyaluronic acid actually holds the key to smooth, flawless and hydrated skin?
In fact, our own skin cells actually produce hyaluronic acid naturally in a bid to maintain moisture levels. But, thanks to pesky ageing and environmental aggressors, to name just a few things flung at our faces on a daily basis, those levels tend to take a bit of a dip.
Cue sensitivity, dullness, fine lines and uneven tone and texture. Need we go on?
Imaxtree
‘HA (hyaluronic acid) is critical in maintaining skin hydration,’ says Aesthetic Doctor, Dr. Maryam Zamani, ‘although it can be degraded by free radical mechanisms caused by things like UV exposure. Topically applied, it helps to hydrate the skin and maintain this hydration as a humectant.’
ELLE Glossary: Humectant (hyoo/meck/tant): a substance used to reduce the loss of moisture.
Sounds pretty great, right? Well, here’s everything you need to know about the hero skincare ingredient that is hyaluronic acid and exactly why you should be slotting it into your regular beautifying routine. That is, if you haven’t already.
Filippo Fortis
What Is Hyaluronic Acid?
‘Hyaluronic Acid (which you might find hiding on the labels of some of your skincare products as HA), is naturally occurring in the human body,’ says Dimitra Davidson of Indeed Labratories. The substance works as a magnet for moisture, helping your cells retain as much of it as possible so that your skin feels and appears hydrated, plump and healthy.
Now for the science-y bit. Just a single gram of hyaluronic acid has the impressive ability to hold up to six (yep, six) litres of water. Add to that, a super smart ability to regulate that moisture within the cells, so as not to drown them and you’ve got one genius ingredient.
Filippo Fortis
As ELLE Beaty Director Katy Young puts it: ‘Hyaluronic isn’t the stripping stuff we associate with “acids”, but a bouncy fluid that occurs naturally in our body to lubricate joints, as well as holding onto moisture in our skin matrix.
‘Like all naturally occurring, skin-boosting wonders, it starts to decline as we age, which is why your supply of the man-made stuff should not.’
What Does Hyaluronic Acid Do To Your Skin?
If your skin isn’t already lapping up the benefits of hyaluronic acid, this is why it should be:
1. If skin is sufficiently hydrated, it feels super-soft, plump and pillowy and looks so much more radiant. See ya, Insta-filter.
2. When skin is hydrated, lines and wrinkles (even the deeper ones) appear diminished, so it is a great ingredient for those with ageing skin who are desperate to cling on to their youthful perkiness.
3. It works wonders on everyone. ‘Hyaluronic acid works for any skin type, says Dimitra Davidson ‘even sensitive or breakout-prone skin, as well as those with an oily complexion.’
4. Recent research suggests that hyaluronic acid also has antioxidant properties, which means it can act like a shield against free radicals we aren’t in control of, like pollution and other aggressors.
Matteo Valle
Is Hyaluronic Acid Safe? Can You Use Hyaluronic Acid Everyday?
Yes!
Don’t be put off by the name, because, unlike some acids, hyaluronic acid doesn’t strip the skin or cause any downtime when applied topically.
‘It is different than other acids which are used to exfoliate,’ mentions Dr. Zamani. A natural and powerful moisture-binding substance, it delivers gentle hydration to where your skin needs it the most.
‘Everyone would do well to use it (trust me, you sensitive skin types),’ explains Young. ‘Particularly any face going through a dehydrated patch (not to be confused with dry skin: a type, rather than a condition, caused by a lack of lipids in the skin barrier, not lack of water). Even oilier people like me can get on board, as it leaves skin succulent sans grease. I double dose on the stuff frequently.’
The Best Hyaluronic Acid Serums For Smooth, Plump And Hydrated Skin
B-Hydra™ Intensive Hydration Serum
This gentle serum has more of a milky texture, and feels brilliantly calming on hot and bothered skin. It’s free from fragrance and essential oils – good news for sensitive types – and comes bolstered by vitamin B5 and ceramides to help fortify your skin barrier, meaning better hydration and less redness in the long run.
Super Bounce – £24
Glossier
The clue’s in the name with this plumping, hydrating hyaluronic acid serum. Expect super bouncy, soft skin after use. The best bit? It’s entirely fragrance-free, so all skin types can treat themselves to a plushy complexion.
Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum
Dr. Mahto regularly recommends this superstar product, which simply combines hyaluronic acid with barrier-building ceramides. It’s fragrance-free, and sink in straight away without clogging pores.
Dream Oasis Deep Hydration Serum
You’d be forgiven for assuming that people flock to Summer Fridays for its Instagram-worthy packaging – but in actual fact, it’s for the brilliantly considered formulas. The brand’s latest launch is firmly focused on increasing the skin’s water content, using squalane, glycerin and aloe vera alongside the central hyaluronic acid to keep skin as quenched as can be. The good-looking bottle is merely a bonus.
Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 – £11
The Ordinary
This is the product that draws so many into the obsessive world of The Ordinary. Brilliantly affordable and, more importantly, very effective, this simple hyaluronic acid serum contains low, medium and high-weight molecules to ensure hydration on all levels, and doesn’t leave behind a tacky residue.If you’re oily skinned or simply want an ultra-light serum, consider the brand’s algae-based Marine Hyaluronics instead, which feels just like water.
Hyaluronic Acid Ceramide Capsules
These clever capsules are created with barrier-fortifying in mind. Hyaluronic acid and ceramides make a dream team for skin that just won’t hold onto moisture: and the best part is that each biodegradable capsule contains a perfect portion, so there’s no chance of wastage.
Intense Hydrating Booster
Designed specifically with dehydrated skin types in mind, Sarah Chapman’s watery serum contains beta glucans alongside hyaluronic acid to create a powerhouse hydrator. With a base of calming rosewater, it’s a lovely one for sensitive skin types, and plays well beneath make-up, too.
Hyaluronic Acid Serum
Hyaluronic acid isn’t an inherently expensive ingredient to formulate with, and you don’t need to spend a fortune to get your hands on a good one. This no-frills serum doesn’t come with any exciting added bonuses, but it will plump and hydrate your skin for less than the price of a takeaway.
Revitalift Filler with 1.5% Hyaluronic Acid
The USA’s best-selling anti-ageing serum has 1.5% hyaluronic acid at two different moleculear weights. It’s moderately lightweight, sinks in quickly and, happily, comes in at a very pleasing price. Side note: the cooling eye serum is a wise investment, too.
If you see this hyaluronic acid serum on the Beauty Pie site, snap it up immediately. It’s so popular, customers bulk buy it for its plumping abilities and very reasonable price.
Hyaluronic Serum
Dr. Barbara Sturm
£235.00
Dr. Barbara Sturm knows a thing or two when it comes to seriously good skin and her hyaluronic acid serum is proof. Formulated with long and short-chain hyaluronic acid molecules to penetrate at different layers of your skin, this serum offers instant plumping and hydration that really goes the distance. it’s an investment, but one that’s so worth it.
Minéral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Hydration Booster
It looks like a tall drink of water for your skin, and that’s exactly what Vichy’s hyaluronic acid booster is. Formulated with just 11 ingredients (read the back of your current serum and you’ll see that’s pretty minimal), including Vichy’s signature mineral-rich spring water, this lightweight gel absorbs super quickly to hydrate skin in an instant.
Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Serum
For a hyaluronic acid that does more, look to Dr. Maryam Zamani. Her first hydration-focused serum contains snow and reishi mushrooms, which are renowned for their redness-reducing properties, and water-grabbing beta glucans. For smoother, plumper and calmer skin in an instant, try this one.
Hyalu B5 Hyaluronic Acid Serum
Recommended by some of the best dermatologists in the business, this fast-absorbing, non-tacky serum boosts moisture levels in one application, making slack skin look and feel perfectly plump and pillowy. Added vitamin B5 helps speed up the repair of sensitive skin prone to damage.
Hyaluronic Acid Booster
If you’re more of a one-and-done kind of girl, add Paula Begoun’s Hyaluronic Acid Booster to your favourite moisturiser: it’ll amp up the hydrating benefits without taking you more time in the morning.
How Do I Know If My Skin Needs More Hyaluronic Acid?
You can use hyaluronic acid if you’re worried about ageing:
As we age, the amount of hyaluronic acid our skin cells produce begins to lessen and cell turnover can become sluggish – this is is when lines, wrinkles and rough texture tend to make their debut.
So, if you want to maintain your youthful glow, incorporating hyaluronic acid into your anti-ageing skincare routine is definitely a good idea.
‘Skin moisture can drop significantly as we age, says Indeed Laboratories’ Dia, something which Dr. Zamani seconds. ‘This makes the skin lose elasticity and expose the signs of ageing on the skin. But hyaluronic acid acts as the ultimate drink for your skin,’ Dia says.
You can use hyaluronic acid if your skin is dehydrated:
Different to dry skin, dehydrated skin can be peppered with lines and wrinkles and has the tendency to look dull. It also often feels rough, tight and sensitive which is where hyaluronic acid comes in.
‘It is exceptional as it has the ability to hold up to 1000 times its weight in water,’ mentions Dr. Zamani, so it keeps moisture on lock-down, quenching parched patches instantly and cumulatively throughout the day.
Filippo Fortis
When Should I Use Hyaluronic Acid In My Skincare Routine?
Unlike other potent serums or active ingredients that need to be applied specifically in the morning or at night, hyaluronic acid is the flexible hydrator that’s happy to go on at any time.
‘Completely benign, hyaluronic acid won’t interfere with other potent skincare,’ Young assures us. ‘So it can join in with the pick ’n’ mix layering system you’ve got going on day or night. I love to apply it first, directly onto fresh, damp skin so it can really show off its water-carrying capabilities. And if your skin is dry, put your moisturiser on top to lock it all in.’
Which Hyaluronic Acid Product Should I Use?
Between serums and sprays, mists and moisturisers, there’s a million different hyaluronic acid skincare products out there. But which one to choose?
‘For me it’s in a serum that it really comes into its own,’ says Young. ‘As the most revered of the big five skincare ingredients(the others being SPF, antioxidants, and vitamins C and A – aka retinol), most of the beauty big guns are spending a lot of money getting their hyaluronic acid just right for our thirsty little faces.
Filippo Fortis
‘This humble molecule is now available in dozens of different weights, with ‘lighter’ products able to sink more quickly into our skin to plump it up and out again. A blend of big and mini molecules to hydrate both the top layer of skin instantly and lower epidermis over time is best. Knowing the difference can be tricky, but those brands with a healthy mix should tell you so on their website.
ELLE Edit: Best Hyaluronic Acid Skincare Products
Hyalu B5 Aquagel SPF30
Find us another SPF that cools, hydrates, protects as well as La Roche-Posay’s and we’ll eat our hat. The refreshing light blue gel formula is packed with hyaluronic acid to moisturise skin whilst shielding from sun damage. The best bit? You won’t find any chalky white colour payoff here.
Hydrating B5 Hyaluronic Acid Serum
SkinCeutical’s oil-free hyaluronic acid serum is no nonsense when it comes to hydrating your skin. Ideal for acne-prone skin (which also needs hydrating just FYI), this is the HA serum for all skin types. Apply on its own to clean skin or add a few drops to your moisturiser to boost hydration.
If needles aren’t your thing, then Vichy’s ‘filler’ hyaluronic acid serum is the one for you. Formulated to plump skin from within, this ultra-hydrating treatment will leave your face feeling super juicy.
Plum Plump Hyaluronic Serum
The key ingredient for plumping your skin, Glow Recipe’s pleasingly pink hyaluronic acid serum is named for good reason. Boasting no less than five different weights of HA to penetrate your skin at multiple levels, this ultra lightweight serum will leave your face feeling firmer and bouncier.
Superfood Air-Whip Moisture Cream
Youth To The People
£42.00
Dedicated to vegan skincare that actually works, Youth To The People’s hyaluronic acid moisturiser combines superfoods kale and spinach with hyaluronic acid to make a refreshing whipped gel cream that sinks into skin in seconds. The best bit? The packaging is totally recyclable so you can be as nice to the planet as you are to your skin.
Hyaluronic Acid Serum
This fragrance-free hyaluronic and vitamin B5 packed serum not only replenishes skins hydration levels but keeps it locked in thanks to the presence of 3 different ceramides.
Hyaluronic Eye Cream – £17.25
Mario Badescu
Those in search of a big hyaluronic hit will fall in love with Mario Badescu’s eye cream which has a huge cult following.
Hydraskin Cooling Hydrating Gel Mask
Any skincare that promises to soothe and calm our skin whilst delivering a refreshing hit of hydration is alright by us. Paint this jelly mask onto clean skin and let the hyaluronic acid work its magic.
Water Drench Micro-Bubbling Cloud Mask
Peter Thomas Roth
£41.00
This delightful sounding bubbling mask is like an actual cloud of hydration for your skin. Apply onto clean skin, enjoy the fluffy bubbles, then rinse off after 15 minutes to reveal newly moisturised skin.
Hyaluronic Serum
Dr. Barbara Sturm
£235.00
Veering into the more expensive end of the scale, this hyaluronic acid serum from skincare expert Dr. Barbara Sturm is more than worth the investment. Packed full of long and short chain hyaluronic acid molecules, a few drops of this on clean skin everyday and you can wave that parched complexion goodbye.
Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 – £6.50
The Ordinary
Beauty obsessives rarely leave The Ordinary without stockpiling the Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5. Instead of drawing water out of the skin for temporary surface hydration, it boasts three forms of hyaluronic acid in varying molecular weights which reach the cells at deeper levels. The pocket-friendly price-tag is the icing on the cake.
Hyaluronic Concentrate
This clear liquid may look pretty humble but the targeted formula boasts a powerhouse of ingredients, including moisture magnet hyaluronic acid, to restore hydration to even the most parched of skin cells. Ditch the thick body lotion – this takes mere seconds to absorb so you can get dressed straight away.
‘As with most good serums, the secret to success is shopping around for the smell, texture and result that keeps you happy – because that’s the one you’ll stick with, and good skincare starts with consistency.’
