The ultimate guide to choosing the best hyaluronic acid serum
Heather Gwyther
Beauty & skincare
Reading time: 6 minutes
Known for hydrating & plumping skin to perfection, we explore what hyaluronic acid actually does, how to use it & the best hyaluronic acid serums
Looking for the best hyaluronic acid products out there? We’re here to help. “Over the last 10 years, hyaluronic acid has become very popular in skincare,” says leading aesthetician and skin health expert Dija Ayodele. And if you want to get the most from it, there’s no better form of hyaluronic acid than a hyaluronic acid serum. Here’s what you need to know about them.
What is hyaluronic acid serum?
To answer this properly, we must first explain what hyaluronic acid itself is (or allow Dija to). “It’s a large sugar molecule that is naturally produced in large quantities by the body,” Dija tells us. “It acts as a humectant, enabling the skin to retain water so it’s very good at helping the skin stay supple and hydrated,” she continues. Serums, as you might be aware, are products applied after cleansing, but before moisturising, that house high concentrations of active ingredients to target certain skin concerns you may have. So, there you have it!
How does hyaluronic acid benefit your skin?
“Ageing and hormonal changes such as the menopause naturally deplete hyaluronic acid in the body and this can lead to dry skin, wrinkles and loss of shape and volume underneath the skin,” Dija explains. By this logic, applying hyaluronic acid serum can help with these issues, making skin more hydrated and plumped while eliminating fine lines. Furthermore, with regards to darker skin in particular – which “has a tendency to appear dull and grey” when dehydrated – “hyaluronic acid is a great supporting ingredient for radiant-looking skin,” she adds.
How do I choose the best hyaluronic acid serum for me?
The first thing to consider when choosing a hyaluronic acid serum is the concentration of hyaluronic acid in the serum. This usually ranges from 0.5% up to 2%, and if you’ve not used hyaluronic acid before, it’s best to start with a lower percentage.
The other thing to consider is what your specific skin type and concerns are, and what additional ingredients are combined with hyaluronic acid to achieve the results you’re looking for. For instance, if you’re aiming to tackle the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, No7 Protect & Perfect Intense ADVANCED Serum contains Matrixyl 3000+™ which can help with that concern.
How to use hyaluronic acid serum for maximum results
Hyaluronic acid serum is best applied after cleansing. To get the most from your serum, apply to damp skin to help lock in additional moisture. Then, follow with your moisturiser to help seal in moisture and prevent it from evaporating too quickly throughout the day.
Hyaluronic acid is gentle enough to be incorporated into both your morning and evening skincare routines, and in terms of quantity, a pea-sized amount should generally suffice.
Can you buy 100% hyaluronic acid?
You might hear people suggest that a higher percentage of an active ingredient is better, however, that’s not always the case. The maximum strength of hyaluronic acid recommended by dermatologists and available on the market is just 2%. A higher percentage could trigger irritation or dryness.
What shouldn’t I mix with hyaluronic acid?
The good news is hyaluronic acid works well with most common skin care ingredients available, including retinol, vitamin C, alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta hydroxy acids (BHAs). That means it can be incorporated into your existing skincare routine easily.
What’s the best hyaluronic acid serum available?
As with most popular skincare ingredients, there’s a whole host of products out there that contain hyaluronic acid. We’ve highlighted some of the best hyaluronic acid serums on the market below, so read on to discover your new favourite.
The best hyaluronic acid serums
The best hyaluronic acid serum for dry skin
Try: CeraVe Hyaluronic Acid Serum
The lowdown: If you’d like your hydrating and moisturising needs to be contained in a single product, look no further than CeraVe’s Hyaluronic Acid Serum. Aside from doing everything that any hyaluronic acid serum should do, it also contains three essential ceramides to help protect the skin barrier and a gel-cream formula to soothe.
The best anti-ageing hyaluronic acid serum
Try: Eucerin Hyaluron-Filler Skin Refining Smoothing Serum with Hyaluronic Acid
The lowdown: With regards to its anti-ageing properties, it’s not just hyaluronic acid that makes the Eucerin Hyaluron-Filler Skin Refining Smoothing Serum good. It also features glycolic and lactic acid to slough away dead skin cells, giving you that unmistakable glow that can only really be described as “youthful”.
The best hyaluronic acid serum for fine lines & wrinkles
Try: No7 Protect & Perfect Intense ADVANCED Serum
The lowdown: We could just say that the No7 Protect & Perfect Intense ADVANCED Serum has been clinically proven to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and leave it at that, but it would be doing its stellar ingredients a disservice. As well as hyaluronic acid to replenish moisture, it also features pro-retinol (a milder and stabler version of retinol) to encourage skin renewal without irritation, and Matrixyl 3000+™ to help give skin back its elasticity.
The best value hyaluronic acid serum
Try: Boots Ingredients Hyaluronic Acid Serum
The lowdown: Whatever your skin type, it’s unlikely that you’ll have an issue with a vegan* hyaluronic acid serum that costs merely £5. (Although this can’t be guaranteed, so you might want to do a patch test if you have sensitive skin.) After all, this one by Boots Ingredients hydrates skin while making it look brighter and feel more moisturised. What more could you want?
The best hyaluronic acid serum for sensitive skin
Try: Vichy Minéral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Hydration Booster Serum
The lowdown: Containing only 11 ingredients, Vichy Minéral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Hydration Booster Serum is especially suitable for sensitive skin types. But it doesn’t just pamper sensitive skin, it also gives it the opportunity to improve with a strengthened skin barrier.
The best hyaluronic acid & vitamin C serum
Try: The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%
The lowdown: You don’t need to fret about how to layer vitamin C and hyaluronic acid with this in your skincare routine. Plumping and brightening (among other things), it provides the best of both worlds in a single product.
Hyaluronic acid products that aren’t serums
Given that hyaluronic acid is such a wonderful skincare ingredient, it makes sense that you would want it to be incorporated into your other skincare products. Here are our favourites.
The best hyaluronic acid moisturiser
Try: Olay Hyaluronic Acid 24 + Vitamin B5 Day Gel Moisturiser with Niacinamide For Visibly Healthy Skin
The lowdown: This ultra-hydrating formula also uses vitamin B5 and niacinamide to boost your hydration levels while also replenishing your skin’s natural moisture barrier. It’s lightweight, nourishing and feels incredibly refreshing.
Try: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Moisturiser for Normal to Combination Skin
The lowdown: Wonderfully light and oil-free, the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Moisturiser restores the skin’s hydration levels while fortifying the skin barrier. And, thanks to its Continuous Release System technology, it doesn’t just do this upon application but throughout the day too.
The best hyaluronic acid eye cream
Try: Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Gel-Creme
The lowdown: It will come as no surprise that the skin around the eyes can benefit from hyaluronic acid too. Indeed, it’s part of what makes this eye serum’s fight against fatigue and environmental aggressors like blue light and pollution so successful. It also targets dark circles to give you a brighter, more wide-awake look.
So, now you know the ins and outs of hyaluronic acid and how to choose the best hyaluronic acid serum for you and your skin. Why not explore our full range of hyaluronic acid products for even more?
