The best hyaluronic acid serums are the ones that leave your skin feeling plumped, dewy and hydrated in the depths of dry, dreary winter. They’re a godsend in summer too, but if a hyaluronic acid serum can keep the cold season from sloughing away at your skin, you’ll know it’s a goodie.
Finding these hero hydration serums can be another task altogether. Indeed, a quick bit of browsing shows more than 400 results on Google’s shopping page and, even when we narrow that search down to take into account things like budget and skin type, we’re still left with too many formulas to count.
The solution? We put IndyBest’s beauty expert to work, testing brands from France, America and beyond in a bid to find you the very best hyaluronic acid serums for every skin type and budget. Scroll on to discover how they got on, plus expert intel on all things HA from Dr. Simon Ourian.
What is hyaluronic acid?
Speaking to IndyBest, Dr. Simon Ourian, co-founder of Simon Ourian MD and celebrity cosmetic dermatology doctor (to the likes of Kim Kardashian and Lady Gaga), told IndyBest that hyaluronic acid is “a naturally occurring molecule found in our bodies to help maintain moisture in our skin and lubricate the joints.” He clarified that in the skincare sphere, “we like to include hyaluronic acid as it helps to hydrate and plump the skin, reduce fine lines, maintain moisture levels and support the skin barrier.” Its unique selling point? It’s a humectant, meaning it attracts and binds moisture to the skin and has the “ability to hold up to 1000 times its weight in water”.
What does hyaluronic acid do?
When used in a skincare sense, Dr. Ourian explains that hyaluronic acid works by “drawing moisture from the environment and the deeper skin layers into the outer layers, creating a plump, smooth, and well-hydrated appearance.” Benefits of using the ingredient in your skincare routine include combating dryness, minimising the appearance of fine lines, reducing signs of ageing, and helping skin to appear more youthful and resilient
How we tested
Our beauty writer starting tested these serums more than three months ago, using a range of products with both multitasking and pure hyaluronic acid formulas. They noted both their first impressions of each product – as shown in the testing video above – and their opinions after 12 weeks of use, giving each formula at least five days of AM and PM use. We reviewed each serum carefully, assessing everything from texture and ingredients to price, packaging, feel on the skin, results and skin type suitability.
Why trust us
Lucy Smith is The Independent’s beauty writer, she specialises in skincare and make-up, and has a wealth of knowledge on everything from affordable serums to anti-ageing moisturisers. She’s also a lifelong user of hyaluronic acid serum (using her first one at 13 years old) and has spent months researching everything from ingredient lists to formula concentrations to get a grasp on the ones that perform well (and the ones that do not hit the mark).
The best hyaluronic acid products for 2024 are:
Vichy mineral 89 hyaluronic acid booster serum
This was one of the first serums we were introduced to in the skincare sphere and, while you might have seen it in its aqualia thermal infancy (which we’re convinced is being phased out in favour of the mineral 89), its younger iteration will provide you with the same instant drink of water.
While the phrase drink of water is used to describe a plethora of skincare formulas, it couldn’t be more applicable here with the whole appeal of the Vichy brand being its unique volcanic water base. After using the serum all these years, we’ve seen it bring our dry winter skin back to life each morning, not to mention being just the lightweight ticket for the warmer months, too. It pairs excellently with our other products without leaving a greasy residue and, though it’s hard to put any fine line minimising results down solely to the regenerative properties of the volcanic water (with other anti-agers at play in our routine), the addition certainly didn’t hinder.
Buy now £28.00, Lookfantastic.com
Simple 3% hyaluronic acid + B5 booster serum
It’s always a nice surprise to find affordable yet effective skincare and this serum from Simple is just that. It hydrates and softens without breaking the bank and, if you’re someone who’s overdone it with the AHAs/BHAs or perhaps a retinol, the included pentavitin here will be a welcome sight.
Plus, while it might not have the immediate clout of amber glass to protect its ingredients, it’s worth noting that this serums’s white glass is actually opaque for the same effect. For us, the formula felt both nourishing and quenching, working to negate tightness on the surface as well as providing hydration into our pores post-toning.
Buy now £6.32, Amazon.co.uk
Boots Ingredients collagen booster
Admittedly, the packaging of this serum is a tad unsightly and it’s not going to garner you oodles of likes on your next #bathroominspo Instagram venture. That said, the formula is a repeat sell out with Boots and it’s no surprise. If you’re using a stronger retinol at night, then the plant-derived collagen will work as a lighter means of keeping that anti-ageing theme going in the daytime, not to mention saving you from investing in two separate treatments.
Certainly, the collagen serum hydrates, plumps and – we found – leaves the skin looking and feeling satiny smooth in anticipation of your moisturiser, SPF and foundation.
Buy now £6.00, Boots.com
Dr Sebagh serum repair
We’re not entirely sure a hyaluronic acid serum is the step of our skincare routine we’d look to flock out in excess of £70; however, if you’re a fan of luxury products all round, then you’re going to want to look for a HA with a dual purpose. Dr Sebagh’s is that exactly with two types of peptides. The first (palmitoyl pentapeptide-4) works to boost the skin’s elasticity and reduce the appearance of even the deepest wrinkles, while the second (micro-molecular collagen peptide) stimulates collagen production to minimise signs of ageing going forward. In essence, we’re saying that this serum isn’t just a HA with a fancy price tag, in fact, we’d argue that the high cost is largely due to said peptides.
In terms of results, we found that the liquidy texture sank into our skin quickly and left a subtle dew without any sticky or greasy residue. Our face felt comfortable after applying and we’d imagine it’d be a wonderful way to cool down in the warmer months if you put it in the fridge before use.
Buy now £64.80, Amazon.co.uk
Glow Recipe plum plump hyaluronic serum
We were wowed at all the benefits offered by this serum from Glow Recipe. It works to minimise the appearance of current wrinkles and fine lines with peptides; it helps to prevent the creation of new wrinkles and fine lines with collagen; vitamin C aids with firming and brightness; and of course the hyaluronic acid helps to hydrate.
What’s more, thanks to the different weights of HA, it will not only hydrate but soothe, too, with the heavier molecular weight HA helping to heal and comfort inflammation while the lower molecular weight can provide moisture at a deeper level. For us, this serum was not only pleasant to apply from a scent POV (something Glow Recipe is known for), but left our skin feeling cooled, non-tight and flush with hydration.
Buy now £41.00, Cultbeauty.co.uk
Trinny London plump up peptide HA serum
Trinny Woodall herself is 60-years-old so it’s no surprise that her plump up peptide HA serum is a top pick for older skin types. The term peptides in this instance is not a mere marketing ploy and, on the contrary, this formula boasts as many as six peptides, with each setting out to perform a variety of plumping, firming and fine line-reversing tasks.
The product is expensive and its fancy packaging is undoubtedly part and parcel of that fact; however, peptides can prove a solid irritation-free alternative to retinol for more sensitive skin types, and this serum features not one, not two, but three types of moisture-attracting humectant. Yes, with the humectants in question – HA, glycerin and pentylene glycol – this formula not only boosts the hydration of your skin by using the moisture in the air around you, but the latter ingredient works to boost the absorbency of said boosted hydration for an even more amplified effect. Did we feel our most hydrated ever? Not quite, but our skin did appear more stretchy and bouncy straight after use.
Buy now £69.00, Johnlewis.com
CeraVe hydrating hyaluronic acid serum with ceramides
It’s no secret that we love CeraVe here at IndyBest and, as such, it’ll come as no surprise that this serum wowed just as much as our other vitamin C and eye cream faves. While our tester had oily skin, they had no issues with the creamier texture of this formula compared to traditional liquid-style products. We did acknowledge the aptness of the product for dryer skin types however, with the smoothing and comforting feel of the included ceramides making CeraVe’s hyaluronic acid a two-in-one nourishing and thirst quenching product, ideal for any winter dry patches.
In fact, with the added B5 (which helps to fast track healing), we actually think this formula comes into its own in the chillier months, especially for those of us who suffer with any flaking around our nose come cold/flu season. Our tester, who was suffering with some cracking around the mouth area during their trial, found this to feel eased and less brittle post-application. Another clean sweep for CeraVe, it would seem!
Buy now £18.40, Lookfantastic.com
Éclat hyaluronic acid serum for face
We must admit, our expectations for this serum were low. We can be guilty of overlooking products listed on Amazon, but upon discovering that Éclat’s hyaluronic acid serum was supremely popular with our friends in the ‘States, we knew we had to give it a whirl. And we’re so glad we did.
Much like Glow Recipe above, the sheer number of skin-loving ingredients here (especially for its superb price point) is sensational. In a unique two fold approach for the brand, the witch hazel will soothe and tend to inflamed blemishes for teen/acne-prone skin while, for more mature skin the Chinese ginseng will encourage elasticity and revitalised ‘skin energy.’ It’s really a serum for all, and upon reviewing it we enjoyed how our skin both looked and felt awake after use, even in the early hours of the morning.
Buy now £5.99, Amazon.co.uk
Neutrogena hydro boost hydrating fluid SPF 50
We’re always on the hunt for more multipurpose skincare in our routine as, at the end of the day, a routine with less products is always going to be the most sustainable longterm. As such, Neutrogena’s hyaluronic acid SPF started off strong and, with its lightweight and non-greasy finish, didn’t disappoint, either.
We found the niacinamide to be a much needed addition on our oily skin and, for SPF application in winter (wherein it doesn’t feel so natural to slather it on), the texture was light and easy to blend without whitecast.* Admittedly, the hyaluronic acid wasn’t as noticeable in a ‘drink of water’ sense in this product, but our skin was left comfy, soft and springy – what more could we ask for?
*For darker complexions, it’s worth noting that this result was deduced from our fair-toned tester.
Buy now £16.50, Lookfantastic.com
Drunk Elephant B-hydra intensive hydration serum
A formula that everyone from teenagers to 30-somethings are lusting after, Drunk Elephant’s aesthetic packaging is always an immediate draw but, with a full price RRP nigh on £50, we wanted to get down to brass tax with the product and see what its ingredients are actually going to do for your skin.
…And, while it does boast some lovely ingredients, ultimately we do think this formula is best suited to its teeny admirers. Yes, it features ceramides to moisturise and help with tightness, provitamin b5 to heal and coconut alkanes to soften, but for its higher price point we might look to see more anti-ageing buzzwords or even a more technical introduction of HA – with multiple molecular levels or a listed percentage, say.
As for its finish, it was creamy and comforting and left our skin looking dewy. It’d be aptly suited to most skin types, but as testers with fine lines on the horizon, we’re hesitant to spend so much without a few more youth-boosting properties. We’ll leave this one for the glass-skinned TikTok generation.
Buy now £33.75, Lookfantastic.com
Mixsoon glacier water hyaluronic acid serum
You’d be forgiven for confusing Mixsoon’s hyaluronic acid serum with a micellar water given its extremely generous size and relatively reasonable price. We, too, were caught by surprise with the hefty and adorably polar bear-adorned bottle but, with a simple yet effective formula, we’d argue it’s the product’s USP: quality and quantity.
As another Korean skincare brand in this round up, Mixsoon prioritises simplicity and the idea that less can be more, but only when the ingredients are extracted correctly without any harmful additions and – to keep the price down – without excess packaging, too. The brand’s HA follows this ethos to a tee, with just four ingredients coming together to create a hydrating and skin barrier-friendly step in your routine. With a looser texture, this ‘serum’ works more as a toner and that’s exactly what Mixsoon wants: for you to pare your routine down to three simple steps. So, using the product in accordance with that goal, we found our morning skin to feel fresh and, when used as part of our PM routine, it was as though it had calmed our complexion after a day exposed to pollution and sweaty tube rides. Simple, yes. A delight to use, also yes.
Buy now £23.95, Facethefuture.co.uk
L'Oréal Paris 1.5% hyaluronic acid revitalift filler serum
Don’t let the title of ‘best scented serum’ put you off L’Oréal’s HA revitalift filler serum. In fact, the fragrance was actually one of the draws of this product, aside from its renowned purple packaging, of course. With a scent akin to a clean and apple-y L’Oréal shampoo, the revitalift hyaluronic acid feels soft and slippy on the skin and, in the 10 seconds before it whooshes into the skin, it has a stretchy sort of texture.
We do think the ‘filler’ branding is a little misleading as there aren’t any directly wrinkle-filling properties to this serum; however, if you put that to one side, it’s a perfectly lovely hyaluronic addition to your daily skincare steps. A few things to note – the addition of alcohol denat might leave dryer skin types inadequately hydrated while linalool can cause skin sensitivity, so it’s perhaps not one for those with more irritated complexions, either. For our tester with oily skin, the ‘whooshing’ effect of the serum’s absorption was similar to the ‘whooshing’ and revitalising feel that it left on their face – perfect for a bleary-eyed morning routine.
Buy now £24.99, Lookfantastic.com
The Ordinary hyaluronic acid 2% and B5
Much like CeraVe, The Ordinary is an affordable skincare brand that we find ourselves impressed with time and time again. For its price, aesthetic packaging and FIVE types of hyaluronic acid, you probably can’t get a more effective form of HA alone. And The Ordinary’s product is much more than ‘just’ HA, too, featuring ceramides to combat flaking and dryness, pro-vitamin b5 to heal inflammation and fatty acids to prevent the development of fine lines.
As always, The Ordinary’s formulas are simple in an application sense – scent-free and without any capsule-bursting bell and whistle-elements – but we found this one to be a solid hydrator come morning or night, with a more liquid versus stretchy feel. Layer it with a moisturiser to suit your skin type, as we did, and you’ll be left with a healthy-looking glow all day long.
Buy now £8.80, Lookfantastic.com
Medik8 hydr8 B5 serum
A serum that’s quite premium at just shy of £50, Medik8’s hydr8 serum doesn’t impress on the packaging front. It’s simple and understated, but the matte coating on our bottle did start to shed after a few months. This leads us to believe that the brand’s budget went largely into ingredients, which we’re certainly not opposed to. Indeed, the brand does describe how the serum possesses multiple molecular weights of hyaluronic acid to give shoppers skin hydration that delves beyond surface-level.
With this in mind, we did feel that our skin was left hydrated more so than, say, with a face mist, but the brand does call for six drops upon application – something which felt like a lot given both the small quantity (30ml) in the bottle and the high price.
Buy now £45.00, Lookfantastic.com
Revolution skincare plumping and hydrating serum - 2% hyaluronic acid
It does what it says on the tin is the theme with Revolution’s 2% HA and we’re perfectly satisfied with that for its sub-£10 price. Plus, with a guaranteed 2% (versus some brands including a mere sprinkle of the stuff), this is a great dose of pure hydration to send you out on your way in dry, winter weather and, equally, the dry heat of summer.
It’s without fragrance (and it’s natural scent is inoffensive) and we found it to put our skin in a springy state, perfectly spongy and ready to absorb all the goodness from our oncoming moisturisers and SPFs.
Buy now £7.00, Lookfantastic.com
Cosmedica pure hyaluronic acid serum
A serum that’s very popular over in the US, Cosmedica’s pure hyaluronic acid serum is, well, pure hyaluronic acid (with a touch of water and preservative). It’s effective, left our skin quenched in the way a HA serum should and even comes in a larger 60ml bottle with a non-large price tag.
Our only bug bear? It smells in a way we can only describe as…like marmite. It’s a real shame because its unscented nature makes it a top choice for sensitive skin types, and its ingredients and price make it a good entry-level HA serum. Marmite lovers, rejoice, your breakfast-in-skincare serum has arrived. As for the rest of us, it’s perhaps one to skip.
Buy now £15.94, Amazon.co.uk
Hyaluronic acid FAQs
When should I use hyaluronic acid, and how often?
For the best results, use your hyaluronic acid products both morning and night, post-cleansing. Like moisturiser, it’s a great way to seal in the rest of your skincare products. Dr. Ourian says: “It’s best to apply it on damp skin and follow up with a moisturiser to lock in that moisture—this way, it doesn’t pull hydration from the skin itself, especially in dry climates.”
Can hyaluronic acid be used for all skin types?
Part of the beauty of hyaluronic acid is it suits all skin types, even sensitive or acne-prone. While some brands may specialise their product towards certain skin types, it’s generally a very safe and kind product for all to use.
Can hyaluronic acid and retinol be used together?
In short: yes. Retinol is a very strong skincare product (read our article on the best retinol, for more information on how best to use it) and, when combined with hyaluronic acid, they work together to help with a multitude of skincare concerns, creating a more youthful and radiant complexion when combined.
What does it mean when hyaluronic acids have different molecular weights?
While it sounds scientific and technical, Dr. Ourian breaks down the meaning of molecular weights for us in layman’s terms. “Hyaluronic acid molecules come in different sizes and are used in skincare products for various purposes,” he explains. “Small molecules penetrate deeper to improve elasticity, while larger ones sit on the surface, providing an immediate hydration boost.”
He adds that both weights of the ingredient can boost your skin’s moisture level but explains how “when you have different molecular weights, it’s the best possible outcome for immediate and long-term benefits, and ensures hydration reaches all layers of the skin”.
The verdict: Hyaluronic acid products
Ultimately, the HA serum we enjoyed using and reached for the most throughout the 12 week trial was Vichy’s mineral 89 with everything from its price and slightly bigger 50ml size, to its fragrance-free, springy formula leaving our skin and wallets feeling comforted. Honourable mentions certainly go to Glow Recipe’s plum plump and Éclat’s serum for their sheer quantity of skin-loving actives (think: peptides and vitamins C + E). While The Ordinary’s HA + B5 formula wowed with its hefty concentration of hyaluronic acid itself. The overall feel was that fleshing out lots of cash to secure an effective hyaluronic acid formula wasn’t really necessary, but that’s not to say that the likes of Medik8 and Dr Sebagh didn’t prove suitable, we’d merely suggest investing your skincare budget elsewhere – e.g. on a retinol or LED mask.
For more skincare heroes, read our best eye cream round-up for tackling dark circles and fine lines
