The 2 Best Hyaluronic Acid Skincare Products
Chances are, you’ve probably heard about hyaluronic acid. Hydrating, plumping, and nourishing, dermatologists swear by this active ingredient for leaving skin smooth and glowing. You’ll find hyaluronic acid in all kinds of skincare products, including serums, masks, eye creams, and moisturizers. It’s a powerhouse skincare ingredient with a slew of benefits. Plus, it’s gentle on all skin types, even the most sensitive skin.
But what is it about hyaluronic acid that makes it so special, and how can you find the best hyaluronic acid products that’ll really make a visible impact on your skin? Ahead, all the deets on HA and our top two fave products to add to your skincare routine.
What is Hyaluronic Acid?
"Hyaluronic acid is a molecule that naturally exists in the skin," explains board-certified dermatologist Claire Wolinsky, MD. "When a hyaluronic acid-based lotion or serum is applied to the skin, it can attract and hold water, leading to a plumping and hydrating effect."
With age, hyaluronic acid decreases, leaving skin prone to fine lines, wrinkles, and dryness. To maintain your moisture barrier and boost hydration levels, the derms recommend incorporating HA formulations into your daily routine. As a humectant, it can help to seal in moisture to leave skin feeling and looking healthier.
While it doesn’t directly reduce signs of aging, hyaluronic acid plumps skin, in turn reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It also replenishes lost moisture, drenching dry, dehydrated skin in long-lasting hydration for a dewy finish. Pstt...it’s also the ingredient found in fillers.
When searching for hyaluronic acid face serums, you'll see there are more pure forms of hyaluronic acid, as well as formulas containing other ingredients like retinol, vitamin C, niacinamide, peptides, ceramides, and vitamin B5. Soon, we’ll explain exactly what you should be looking for when shopping HA products.
Why You Need a Hyaluronic Acid Serum
Hyaluronic acid is a powerful humectant that works wonders for your skin, especially if you already have dry skin.
"[Hyaluronic acid] is great at holding water and giving skin resilience and firmness," says New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Doris Day. "This not only helps the skin look beautiful, but also helps it function at its best.”
It boasts both hydrating and anti-aging benefits, plus it supports a healthy skin barrier. By incorporating a HA-laced hydrating serum into your daily routine, you can look forward to silkier, dewier, and smoother skin. Since hyaluronic acid also supports collagen production, it also improves elasticity, leaving skin visibly firmer.
Best of all, hyaluronic acid is well tolerated by all skin types. It’s nourishing enough for dry skin while staying gentle enough for sensitive skin. It’s also lightweight enough for oily skin and acne-prone skin. In other words, all skin types benefit!
How to Find the Best Hyaluronic Acid Skincare Products
When it comes to finding the best hyaluronic acid serums, creams, and masks, there are a few things to look out for.
The Best Base For Your Skin Type
While hyaluronic acid is generally suitable for all skin types, there are certain bases in serums that are better than others for specific skin concerns. For instance, a water-based product is the better option for those with oily or acne-prone skin, while an oil- or cream-based serum is best for dry skin. If you’re prone to blemishes, stick to an oil-free formula.
A High Concentration of HA
To get the most out of your HA serum, make sure hyaluronic acid is somewhere close to the top of the ingredients list, as that means there’s plenty of it inside the formula. If you see a dozen ingredients before hyaluronic acid, it suggests there’s a small amount of it in the product. You may need to splurge a little, but at least you’ll get a product that gets the job done.
Alcohol-Free
Try to avoid hyaluronic acid serums that contain alcohol. Alcohol can end up drying out your skin instead of hydrating it. It’s also better to look for fragrance-free, dye-free, paraben-free formulas, as these tend to be irritating to the skin.
Antioxidants
Serums are excellent products for delivering a high concentration of active ingredients to the skin. Look for a HA serum that also contains antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, or vitamin B5, which help fight free radicals.
Type of Hyaluronic Acid
There are three different types of HA: Hydrolysed hyaluronic acid, Sodium acetylated hyaluronate, and Sodium hyaluronate. All of them are equally as beneficial in hydrating the skin. Ideally, you want a pure hyaluronic acid serum enriched with nourishing ingredients for healthy, hydrated skin.
The Best Hyaluronic Acid Serum + Mask
Here are our two favorite hyaluronic acid skincare products we highly recommend including in your daily skincare regimen.
Hydrate Serum
A silky, lightweight serum formulated with hyaluronic acid, vitamin B5, glycerin, and aloe to deliver smoothing, brightening, and hydrating benefits. This formula is fantastic for deeply moisturizing the skin while plumping out creases and providing subtle firming effects. For best results, apply twice daily, morning and night, after cleansing.
Hydrate Mask
A cooling jelly treatment of moisturizing hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5 to instantly inject lasting moisture into the face and body. You can use this mask on both your face and body for all over radiance. For best results, use 2-3 times a week or daily if you have severely dry skin. You can either leave it on or rinse off.
Many drugstore brands such as The Ordinary, Cerave, Vichy, Skinceuticals, Paula’s Choice, La Roche-Posay, and L’oreal Paris offer hyaluronic acid serums and creams. You can purchase these on Amazon as well as at Sephora, Dermstore, Ulta, and Walmart.
As great as these products are, we suggest giving the Rainbow products above a try. Crafted with only the finest hyaluronic acid and other nourishing ingredients, you’ll see a transformation in your complexion within just one week of use.
You can also pair your daily hyaluronic acid booster serum with a vitamin C serum for extra brightening effects. By including this hydration booster into your routine, your skin will gleam every day.