Not all hyaluronic acid serums are created equal — so we cut through the masses to work out exactly what you need for the most hydrating, nourishing results. By Dani Maher

IF YOU’RE INTERESTED in smoother, calmer, and more nourished skin — and who isn’t? — then you’ve probably heard of hyaluronic acid. It’s been a skincare buzzword for a few years now, splashed across any product claiming to increase hydration in the skin.

So when it comes to choosing one of these products to splash your cash on, you might feel a little stuck — how can you tell which ones will actually perform and live up to their lofty claims? Well, we checked in with an expert.

Read on for everything you need to know about the powerhouse skin ingredient — from our personal top picks, to the nitty gritty of how it all works for your skin.

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According to Dr Ginni Mansberg, a GP, skin expert and founder of Evidence Skincare, “Technically, [hyaluronic acid] is a glycosaminoglycan compound, which is a polysaccharide that is in almost every human tissue from bones and cartilage to skin”.

So what does that mean in plain English?

Hyaluronic acid is a substance that retains moisture (a humectant, if we’re getting technical again) and “can bind water molecules over 1000 times its own weight,” according to Dr. Mansberg. It’s naturally found in the body — in your eyes, skin, and joint fluid — but can also be made in a lab and added to your skincare products to add an extra boost of hydration.

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Hyaluronic acid is your go-to ingredient for deep, lasting hydration. It can be used as “filler” when injected into your skin — but for those of us preferring non-invasive skin treatments who are simply seeking out the ingredient in creams and serums, it’s a hydrator.

“Some early studies have shown that hyaluronic acid, when used daily for six weeks, also promotes skin smoothness and plumping, reduces fine lines and wrinkles, promotes skin cell regeneration and stimulates the production of collagen,” says Dr. Mansberg.

According to experts at Harvard, you want to look for products that contain hyaluronic acid molecules of varying sizes — the larger molecules will offer hydration on the surface, while smaller molecules will penetrate deeper into the epidermis.

“It’s brilliant for dry skin. As a skin hydrator, the evidence for HA is great,” says Dr. Mansberg.

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Go-To’s Much Plumper Skin is packed with peptides, provitamin B5 and four types of hyaluronic acid — which offer multi-targeted hydration deep within the skin’s barrier. Peptides promote firmness and elasticity and reduce the depth of fine lines and wrinkles; while soothing aloe vera and provitamin B5 calm the skin.

Not only does The Ordinary’s Hyaluronic Acid come at a highly competitive price point — it also features low, medium and high-molecular weight HA, with a HA crosspolymer for multi-depth hydration. The addition of vitamin B5 enhances surface hydration, so you’ll be nourished in every level of the skin — all on a dime. Pat a few drops into your skin morning and evening for the best results — having used it myself for years, I can confirm it works like a charm.

From Australian brand Alpha-H comes another of my personal favourite hyaluronics. This serum features eight hydrating ingredients for intense, instant and long-lasting moisture — including primalhyal ultrafiller that binds moisture to plump; multi-weighted forms of hyaluronic acid to increase radiance; and anti-pollution and blue light filters to protect your skin against environmental stressors. A vegan and cruelty-free formula, this pick will help to create lasting hydration.

With its fresh water-gel texture, this hyaluronic acid serum absorbs quickly and easily into the skin — perfect for those short on time looking for a quick hit of hydration. With two types of hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5, it not only moisturises your skin deeply, but also helps to recover bounce and suppleness in skin.

For very dry skin, deep moisture is needed — but if you’re one looking to minimise steps in your routine, you might not be keen on adding a serum to the mix. In that case, just opt for ESK’s Repair+, a deeply nourishing cream enriched with hyaluronic acid as well as ceramides, peptides and vitamin B to calm, restore and hydrate the skin. One and done.

Clinically tested and dermatologist-approved, this vegan serum offers a formula of 1.5 per cent hyaluronic acid to deliver lasting hydration. A blend of peptides and vitamin B5 also increase the suppleness of the skin, and it’s suitable for all skin types, including sensitive.

Elizabeth Arden’s hyaluronic acid serum comes in individual, single-dose biodegradable capsules — so you know exactly how much you need for each use, and so that the formula is pure and untainted with each use. Small HA molecules deliver deep hydration within the skin, drawing in moisture, while ceramides strengthen the skin’s barrier to ‘lock’ it in. Genius.

Claiming to boost skin’s natural hyaluronic acid levels by 30 per cent, this serum has certainly earned its name of “intensifier”. Not only does the pure hyaluronic acid help skin retain moisture, it also contains proxylane and botanical extracts of licorice root and purple rice to deliver surface hydration, working to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and boost plumpness.

Another top-notch hyaluronic acid serum featuring multi-weight HA molecules to draw and bind water deep into the skin, Medik8’s formula leaves skin supple, soft and restored. It’s also enriched with vitamin B5 to improve skin’s water retention and regeneration capabilities for plumper skin.

From Laneige’s new Water Bank Blue line comes this lightweight yet hydrating serum. It combines blue hyaluronic acid — an exclusive ingredient with a double fermentation process that provides stronger repairing and moisturising properties — with probiotic lysate to strengthen the skin’s natural microbiome.

Susanne Kaufmann’s Hyaluron Serum might not come cheap, but boy does it deliver. I’ve been using it for about a month, and it’s been a saviour in drying cool weather. Multiple molecular weights target all the layers of the skin, for deep and lasting hydration, creating firmer and smoother skin. It feels nourishing and smoothing upon application, and really gives the skin an overall zing of freshness.

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As listed, there are a plethora of excellent quality hyaluronic acid serums available — it ultimately comes down to personal preference. But the way we cut through the masses of options is by looking for certain features in the serum, as advised by Dr. Mansberg.

“HA molecules come in a variety of sizes. The larger high molecular weight HA that is used in many serums doesn’t penetrate the skin barrier and instead sits on top of the skin. That’s not necessarily all bad news. It sits on the skin where it forms a barrier, locking in moisture and even attracting water from the air,” she explains.

Dr. Mansberg adds that opting for a serum that features a range of hyaluronic acid molecule sizes will offer more bang for your buck, especially since “low molecular weight hyaluronic acids easily penetrate the skin and are the ones that have been linked to reducing wrinkles“.

You can use hyaluronic acid up to twice a day — that is, as part of your morning and evening routine, if they have room to accommodate. Dr. Mansberg recommends applying via serums or creams.

Dr. Mansberg advises that “when in a cream or serum, hyaluronic acid can be used alongside other ingredients” and “hardly anyone is allergic to it”. That said, she notes that it is also capable of increasing “the absorption of ingredients that it is paired with”.

“So that might increase sensitivity (e.g. Making hydroxy acids more irritating). Also, low molecular weight HA can cause hypersensitivity — so if you have sensitive skin and the manufacturer doesn’t say what molecular weight they are using, you should patch test HA products,” she advises.

After patch testing successfully though, Dr. Mansberg says that most of the common ingredients you know and love in skincare will play well with your hyaluronic — including vitamin C, niacinamide, and retinal, “the most effective and least irritating form of the anti-ageing blockbuster ingredient vitamin A”.

“And of course, nobody who wants to address skin ageing would leave off a broad spectrum sunscreen,” she added.

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