You don’t even need to be interested in skin care to have heard about Hyaluronic acid. This seemingly magic ingredient is everywhere – and for good reason! No matter your skin type, chances are, you’d benefit a lot from incorporating some of it’s goodness into your own skin care routine.
But, as usual in the beauty industry, not every skin care product with hyaluronic acid actually does what it promises. The concentration might be way too low. Or it might be the wrong molecule size. (Don’t worry, I’ll explain later.)
Even if you’re using a pure Hyaluronic acid serum, things can go wrong. You want to look out for other active ingredients you combine it with. And it does matter when you use it in your skin care routine, too!
If you want to get all of the amazing benefits of hyaluronic acid, you need to know about these things. This guide will give you all the info you need, and show you step by step how to use hyaluronic acid, which products to pick and which to avoid, and how to combine it with other skin care ingredients.
Let’s go!
Disclosure: Some of the links below are so-called provision links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I can earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
What exactly is Hyaluronic acid?
Don’t worry, I won’t go full chemist on you. Still, this guide wouldn’t be complete without at least a quick explanation as to what exactly hyaluronic acid actually is.
In layman’s terms, hyaluronic acid is a component you’ll find naturally in a person’s tissue where it fulfils several purposes. Those are mostly related to repairing tissues. And yes, that is definitely one of the reasons it’s such an amazing ingredient for your skin care routine!
Who should use hyaluronic acid serum?
So who is hyaluronic acid for?
Uhm, EVERYONE.
I’m not even kidding. I’ll go way more into detail into the why’s and how’s below. But for the moment, suffice it to say that the benefits of hyaluronic acid work for every skin type.
If you want healthy, moisturised, plump skin (who doesn’t, honestly), hyaluronic acid should be part of your skin care routine. Period.
Will hyaluronic acid help dry skin? Yes, it will. Will hyaluronic acid help wrinkles? It will make them appear less deep, even hiding small ones completely. Can hyaluronic acid help acne? It actually can!
Unless you don’t specifically care about your skin (and you wouldn’t be here reading this, would you?), you need to use hyaluronic acid!
Related: Hyaluronic acid and acne – What you need to know
What hyaluronic acid is best
But which product to choose? What matters when picking your skin’s new best friend?
I have a clear recommendation for you (and yes, I use it myself, every day, and it’s helped SO MUCH!):
The Ordinary’s hyaluronic acid + B5 serum.
This product is amazing for several reasons:
- First of all, it’s super affordable. While many HA serums come with a hefty markup, with this one, you don’t pay for “the brand”.
- Useful skincare technology: Because the molecular size of Hyaluronic acid determines how deeply it can penetrate the skin, this formula combines several molecule sizes. This means, you get the benefits on several skin levels, instead of it just sitting on top of your skin.
- Extra moisture boost thanks to the addition of B5
- A skin care company with values. The parent company of The Ordinary – DECIEM – avoids any animal testing, strives to become more and more sustainable, and, most important to me, has a very honest approach to their messaging. If you talk to their support, they’ll tell you when a product isn’t right for you, instead of trying to sell at all cost.
Related: What’s the difference between a serum and a toner?
How Hyaluronic acid works
So in order to understand what hyaluronic acid does to your face, it’s important to understand what exactly a hyaluronic acid serum does for the skin in general. How does it work? And what exactly are the benefits of hyaluronic acid serum?
Hydration
Probably the best-known property of hyaluronic acid: it’s insanely good at binding water. And I mean insanely good! 1 gram of this special little component can bind up to 6 litres of water! (That would be 0,03 ounces of hyaluronic acid binding 33,8 liquid ounces of water.)
By binding humidity, it can help lessen the appearance of little wrinkles, especially if those are caused by very dry skin. Think of it as a temporary dermal filler you’re applying on top of your skin instead of having it injected under your skin.
Keep in mind though, that this effect is not long-lasting. It will stop as soon as you stop using the product!
Related: The best facial serum for Gua Sha by skin type
Repair
In our body, hyaluronic acid plays a super important role in tissue repair. It can fight inflammation and help tissue to regenerate. So for anyone dealing with breakouts, this skin care ingredient can help them deal with them much better. But, and this is important for all of you looking for a quick fix: it will take some time for you to see results!
So now that we know how hyaluronic acid works on skin, we quickly need to talk side effects next.
Related: The best skin care youtubers to learn from
What are the side effects of hyaluronic acid?
As this substance occurs naturally in your body, you don’t have to expect any side effects when using a hyaluronic acid serum in your skin care routine. In rare cases, skin might react sensitively to it.
So if you’ve never used it before, definitely patch test it.
Another issue that could happen is dry skin. Confused? I know, it sounds counter-intuitive. Why would a product that’s specifically used to hydrate the skin cause it to dry out?
Well, it binds water. Any water it can find. So if you apply it to super dry skin, it can draw humidity out of the lower layers of your skin – taking out moisture instead of adding it in.
Because of this, it’s really important to use hyaluronic acid the right way and at the right time in your skin care routine.
Let’s talk about that next!
How to use Hyaluronic acid
When it comes to using any active ingredients in your skin care, you need to know about 3 things:
- When to use it in your routine
- How often to use it for maximum benefit
- Which other active ingredients you can combine it with
Let’s find out!
Related: What are active ingredients in skin care? A bit weird!
When to use hyaluronic acid in your routine
The first thing you need to know is when to apply hyaluronic acid serum. The rule of thumb in skin care layering is light to heavy. Meaning, you usually want to apply any serum before a cream or even an oil.
Related: Which is the best facial oil for Gua Sha massage?
Should you apply hyaluronic acid to damp skin?
But what if you use several different serums or sera? I’d recommend applying hyaluronic acid first, before any other serum.
The reason is that the best time to use hyaluronic acid is right after washing your skin, on skin that’s still damp. This way, it can use that humidity to fill up your skin instead of drawing water from your lower skin layers.
Gently press it onto and into your skin, carefully massaging in any leftovers.
Another reason why you want to use it first? Hyaluronic acid makes the skin more permeable. This means, any following serums you use will have a better chance of really taking effect. Think of it like a little boost of effectivity.
Is it safe to use Hyaluronic acid daily?
I can already hear your next question: how often should you use hyaluronic acid?
“Acid” sounds a little dangerous, doesn’t it? Usually, this words makes us think of a liquid that could burn our skin. So it’s super common to wonder: Can I use hyaluronic acid every day?
Don’t worry! Hyaluronic acid is totally safe to use every day. In fact, you’ll get better results using it twice daily – mornings and evenings!
Where to apply hyaluronic acid
SO now that you know where to use hyaluronic acid in your routine, you might still wonder where to apply hyaluronic-acid-serum. Just as with most skincare, gently spread it out all over your face. You might also want to use it on your neck, however, personally, I leave my neck skin alone. It’s sensitive!
Unlike other moisturisers, you probably won’t benefit much from putting a hyaluronic acid serum on your hands, as it will wash off as soon as you wash your hands. And, as we learned above, it’s only effective as long as it stays on the skin. So save yourself that extra product.
Related: Which skin care tools for your face actually help?
Combination with other skin care ingredients
Okay, at this point, you got the basics down. Let’s take it up a notch and talk about combining hyaluronic acid! If you know a little bit about skincare you are aware that some active ingredients really shouldn’t be combined with others. So the question is: How to layer hyaluronic acid? And in which order?
To make this easy for you, I’ll give you a quick list of common skin care ingredients in combination with hyaluronic acid.
Hyaluronic acid with retinol
Retinol is definitely the new popular kid of skin care “actives”. So, no surprise here, the question “Can hyaluronic acid be used with retinol?” is the first people ask.
The good news: You can – and you should! Both retinol and hyaluronic acid work to fight little wrinkles, so you’ll get more bang for your buck. Secondly, retinol can have a slight drying effect – which hyaluronic acid can help you counter.
BUT – and this is important – it might be a better idea to not use them both at exactly the same time. You could, for example, use Hyaluronic acid in the morning and retinol in the evening. Layering them could increase the potency of the retinol too much, causing irritation.
Hyaluronic acid with vitamin c
Both vitamin c and hyaluronic acid are great boosters for your skin, regardless of skin type. Still, if you want to layer them, you might get an unpleasant surprise. Vitamin C in itself can be a little irritating. It is a strong acid after all! So if you add the powers of hyaluronic acid in, making it even stronger – you might deal with red, burning skin.
Not the goal at all! My recommendation is to use these two at different times. Or start with a lower concentration of vitamin C and work your way up slowly. Better safe than sorry!
Hyaluronic acid with niacinamide
Ah, the dream team! Combining a hyaluronic acid serum with niacinamide serum is a great idea. These two work together perfectly and are destined to be layered!
Simply start with the hyaluronic acid on damp skin and then follow it up with a couple drops of niacinamide. Close it in with your favorite moisturiser or face oil and you’re all set!
Related: Niacinamide in skin care – Worth the hype?
Hyaluronic acid with glycolic acid
Glycolic acid is a alpha hydroxy acid, in skin known as one of the “AHA”s. And yes, you can combine all of the AHA’s with hyaluronic acid. It works, because the latter isn’t actually an exfoliant. So no double exfoliation here!
Layering glycolic acid with hyaluronic acid might even help to reduce irritation. Just remember the order: hyaluronic acid first, then everything else!
Hyaluronic acid with BHA
Next, the BHAs or alpha hydroxy acids. Lucky you, it’s the same as with the AHA’s. You can definitely combine them with hyaluronic acid and will probably benefit extra from that!
Hyaluronic acid with tretinoin
Tretinoin is a little bit difficult to layer – to say the least. Not only can it be extremely irritating, especially in the beginning. It also works slightly different for different people. So you might have to experiment a little.
How to use hyaluronic acid with tretinoin
I’ve personally never used tretinoin, but I’ve done my research. Tretinoin users love to use hyaluronic acid in the same skin care routine to counter the drying effects. But they don’t all do it in the same order.
The first group of people does the following:
They wash their face, apply hyaluronic acid to the damp face AND moisturize. Then they wait 15-30 minutes for everything face to dry completely and then apply tretinoin.
The second group of people does it exactly the other way around:
They wash their face, then let it dry COMPLETELY for about 10 minutes. Then they apply tretinoin and wait another 20-30 minutes. After that they apply hyaluronic acid and moisturiser.
To me, the first one sounds more logical. You use the moisture from washing your face and you create a little bit of a moisture barrier, keeping irritation down. However, you’ll have to try what works best for you!
Hyaluronic acid with b5
Hyaluronic acid and B5 work so well together, that you can even get them as a combined serum. The Ordinary put Pantothenic acid (B5) in the hyaluronic acid serum. And for good reason. B5 is both hydrating and anti-inflammatory, boosting the effects of the Hyaluronic acid and helping with the general health of your skin.
Hyaluronic acid with SPF
Both Hyaluronic acid and SPF are super important for your skin care routine. And yes, you can and should use both.
However, the order is important. For example, putting hyaluronic acid over your SPF product would have zero effect. Null.
Similarly, a product combining both doesn’t make a lot of sense. Simply use a hyaluronic acid serum as the first step in your skin care routine and end it with SPF. This way, both products can do their job!
What should you not mix with hyaluronic acid?
Ok, that was a lot of information. So, to keep it easy for you, here’s the summary: You can use hyaluronic acid with almost anything. However, try to not use it at exactly the same time as your retinol and your (high concentration) vitamin C. Mixed together, those could cause irritation instead of clear, glowy skin.
Where to buy hyaluronic acid
So now you’re ready to go and buy your hyaluronic acid serum! But where to get it?
The easiest way to get hyaluronic acid is ordering it online. And while you can definitely find The Ordinary products on platforms like Amazon, I recommend going directly to the source.
First of all, their products when sold on Amazon often have a significant price markup (you can check their pricing here!*). Secondly, you might get products that are being resold by someone else.
If you’re wondering what stores sell hyaluronic acid – simply check your nearest drugstore. By now, most of them carry at least one hyaluronic acid serum. You’ll find it in the usual skin care aisle.
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