Snapshot
- Overview
- A humectant that pulls moisture into the skin which helps minimize fine lines and wrinkles, plumpen skin, and reduce dryness.
- Category
- Hydration, Barrier Support, Sensitive Skin, Skin Conditioning
- Type
- Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid (Sodium Hyaluronate)
Hyaluronic acid, and its salt form sodium hyaluronate, is a humectant that pulls moisture into the skin. It helps boost hydration, plumpen skin, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Because it comes in a range of molecular weights, one formula can hydrate both the skin surface and go deeper.
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Our take
Is Hyaluronic Acid (Sodium Hyaluronate) a Good Ingredient?
Rated Great. It's one of the most studied ingredients in skincare, with a long track record of studied skin benefits. It can be formulated across molecular weights, from lightweight low-MW versions that sit closer to the surface to heavier high-MW versions that form a hydrating film. Irritation reports from hyaluronic acid are rare and there aren’t issues using with actives like retinol, vitamin C, or glycolic acid. It’s considered safe for all skin types, even for sensitive and acne-prone skin.
What it does
Skin Benefits
Hyaluronic acid pulls water into the skin, which plumps the skin and smooths the look of fine lines and wrinkles. Because hyaluronic acid comes in a range of molecular weights, blends can hit two jobs at once: smaller molecules penetrate deeper for lasting hydration while larger ones sit on the skin surface for dewy, glowing skin.
By plumping the skin, hyaluronic acid also helps even skin tone and texture. In addition, a well-hydrated skin barrier better handles everyday stressors like dry air and light pollution.
Where you'll find it
Uses in Skincare & Cosmetics
It’s very common in skincare. You’ll find in lightweight serums, eye gels, hydrating toners, sheet masks, and more. It’s a powerful ingredient to boost hydration without heaviness.
Before you use it
Safety
It’s considered safe and non-sensitizing, even for sensitive and acne-prone skin. But for sensitive skin, it’s still worth a patch test the first time you try a new formulation, especially for a higher-concentration serum.
The only real caveat with hyaluronic acid is that it needs water to bind to. This is why hyaluronic acid serums often recommend adding to damp skin.
Learn more
Is hyaluronic acid safe to use every day? Are there side effects?
Yes, it is safe for most people. Hyaluronic acid exists in your body, so serious reactions are rare. In rare cases you might notice a temporary tight or dry feeling if you apply it to dry skin or without following up with a moisturizer.
Is hyaluronic acid vegan?
Most skincare products use plant-based, vegan-friendly hyaluronic acid produced through microbial fermentation, although some may still use animal-derived sources. The plant-based source of hyaluronic acid is completely vegan and cruelty-free. It is produced using the fermentation of a safe bacterial strain. This is the most common option in skincare products given the cost and the impact on the environment.
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The non-vegan source of hyaluronic acid is produced from the red flesh on the top of the rooster’s head. Needless to say, this sourcing option is not vegan. This option has mostly been phased out since the discovery of the plant-based option in the 90s. But if you’re concerned about smearing a rooster-flesh product all over your face, it’s best to check with the product manufacturer if the product isn’t explicitly advertised as vegan.
- Animal-based hyaluronic acid. It is produced from the combs of roosters (also known as coxcomb) – the red flesh located at the top of the rooster’s head. This type of hyaluronic acid is very close to the one that is found naturally in the human body.
- Not-animal based hyaluronic acid. It is produced through microbial fermentation. A bacterial strain, naturally containing hyaluronic acid, is fermented to yield the perfect molecular weight that is ideal for skincare purposes. Some fermentation processes use soy, others use wheat, so it is important to double-check if you are sensitive to wheat products.
Sodium hyaluronate vs hyaluronic acid – What’s the difference?
Sodium hyaluronate, the salt form of hyaluronic acid, has a smaller molecular size, allowing it to penetrate deeper into the skin for enhanced hydration. Its water solubility and smaller molecular structure mean that it has an ability to penetrate deeper into the skin and provide deeper hydration. It is a component of anti-aging and moisturizing products due to its ability to hydrate the skin, reduce fine lines, and improve firmness levels. Sodium hyaluronate is often found in such cosmetic products as moisturizers and serums.
Both hyaluronic acid and sodium hyaluronate offer the same benefits. The primary difference between them is that sodium hyaluronate has a smaller molecular size, which allows it to penetrate the skin better where formulations with larger a larger molecule size target the skin surface for a dewy look.
What Ingredients can be used with Hyaluronic Acid?
Hyaluronic acid is especially effective in combination with some other ingredients, including retinol, vitamin C, and glycolic acid. To understand why they all work well together, let’s review first what these ingredients are:
- Retinol – It is one of the key anti-aging ingredients. It makes the top layer of skin to turn over faster, which gives skin a healthy and fantastic glow and reduces the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. Even if you are not concerned about aging yet, retinol still can be beneficial for you. This multi-tasking ingredient is able to address uneven skin tone and control your acne. By delivering increased collagen production at prescription strength, retinol improves the skin’s texture and tone. If you are concerned about the potential side effects of retinol for sensitive skin, consider trying Bakuchiol.
- Vitamin C – Doctors and cosmetologists love vitamin C because it is a great antioxidant and improves collagen production, which means increasing glow and evening out spots. For better results, the concentration of vitamin C in creams and serum should be not less than 20%. However, vitamin C also has its disadvantages. For example, if it is exposed to light and oxygen, it can break down. Therefore, it is important to keep it in airtight packaging and use it at night. In addition, vitamin C is an effective eye cream that helps soften spots and fine lines.
- Glycolic acid – It is one of the most common ingredients in many skincare products. It is derived from sugar cane and belongs to the alpha-hydroxy acid family. This ingredient has many benefits, including acne treatment and anti-aging effects. It also reduces wrinkles and fine lines, minimizes the appearance of pores, removes dead skin cells, and evens the tone of the skin. Another bonus of this ingredient is that it is absolutely safe for new mothers.
Can hyaluronic acid help with acne?
Acne is one of the most common skin disorders that can occur at different phases of our lives. According to scientific research, almost 80% of people experience some sort of acne between the ages of 11 and adulthood. It is usually caused by bacteria, lasting for years, and leave acne scarring. Today, there are many methods to reduce or even eliminate acne scars, and one of the most effective is the use of hyaluronic acid serum.
In order to get rid of the acne scars, you can get treatments with lasers, which are quite effective and give good results. However, it is also possible to use a hyaluronic acid serum that is able to identify water and bind it to skin cells by reducing the collapsed look of acne scars and encouraging healthy tissues over the long term.
However, it is also important to know that hyaluronic acid serums are not good for everyone because they may also contain comedogenic ingredients causing pore-clogging. These ingredients are lanolin (extracted from sheep’s wool) and silicone that traps debris in the skin pores by creating a thin and silky film over the outermost skin layer.
Also Known As:
When scouring the long list of hard-to-pronounce ingredients on the product label, it can be hard to pinpoint certain ingredients. Many of the ingredients we cover go by different names! You may also find hyaluronic acid labeled as followed:
- Sodium Hyaluronate – this is a water-soluble salt form of hyaluronic acid that is thought to be more effective penetrating the skin.
- Hyaluronan – same as hyaluronic acid, this name is often used in scientific nomenclature.
- Glycoaminoglycan – Technically hyaluronic acid is a type of glycoaminoglycan.
Sources:
Products with Hyaluronic Acid (Sodium Hyaluronate)
