While hyaluronic acid is typically found in skin, it “naturally depletes with age, which is why it’s important to incorporate it into your skin-care routine via topical products,” explains Markowitz. To do that, she recommends that her patients use a hyaluronic-acid serum a few times a week and only once per day. “If you use hyaluronic acid every day, your skin will adapt too quickly and the results won’t be as impactful,” she says.
Another pro tip, courtesy of aesthetician and Dior skin-care expert Sean Garrette, is to apply the serum on damp skin (either after cleansing or directly following your face essence or toner). New York-based aesthetician Samantha Mims is quick to second that application technique, noting that “it aids in penetration and helps the hyaluronic acid to perform optimally in the skin, creating a plump, dewy look and feel.”
Below, skin experts share their recommendations for the best hyaluronic acid serums to help you achieve your most radiant and hydrated skin in any season.
SkinCeuticals Hyaluronic Acid Intensifier
- Why We Love It: “This serum features a high level of H.A. (1.3%), making it extremely potent and effective. It is also considered a corrective serum since it targets fine lines and wrinkles with ingredients like licorice root and purple rice,” says Markowitz. “It is the perfect combination of ingredients to deliver hydration, which will, in turn, improve the overall texture of the skin.”
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, licorice root, purple rice
- Best For: Dry and mature skin types
iS Clinical Hydra-Cool Serum
- Why We Love It: “This is a hyaluronic-acid serum on steroids, and my favorite H.A. serum for so many reasons,” says aesthetician Candace Marino of this formula, which is suitable for all skin conditions. She notes its lightweight texture as well as calming, cooling, and anti-inflammatory properties. “It features hyaluronic acid for hydration alongside vitamin B5 to promote skin health and cell metabolism; mushroom extract, an antimicrobial ingredient that’s also brightening; and centella asiatica, an antiaging and healing powerhouse antioxidant.”
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, centella asiatica, vitamin B5
- Best For: Sensitive or redness-prone skin
La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum
- Why We Love It: Think of the La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 serum as the LBD of your skin-care cabinet—it never goes out of style. Whether you’re storing it in your travel beauty bag or whipping it out during your daily regimen, expect its hydrating blend of hyaluronic acid, glycerin, vitamin B5, and the label’s prebiotic thermal water to replenish skin’s moisture levels.
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, vitamin B5, madecassoside
- Best For: Sensitive skin
PCA Skin Hyaluronic Acid Boosting Serum
- Why We Love It: “This isn’t just an ordinary hyaluronic-acid serum,” says Garrette. It features multiple forms of hyaluronic acid, including sodium hyaluronate and hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, which “help to penetrate and deeply hydrate all layers of the skin,” he explains. “This formula also includes ceramides and niacinamide—two nourishing ingredients that are crucial for proper skin-barrier function. This blend of ingredients helps to soothe, hydrate, and nourish the skin.”
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, ceramides, niacinamide
- Best For: Very dry skin
Naturium Quadruple Hyaluronic Acid Serum 5%
- Why We Love It: Garrette leans on this as an affordable recommendation for his clients. He loves it because it contains multiple forms of hyaluronic acid accompanied by apricot-kernel oil, all working together to restore the lipid barrier of the skin.
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, apricot oil, vitamin C
- Best For: Compromised skin, dry skin
SkinMedica HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator
- Why We Love It: SkinMedica HA5 is another of Henry’s favorites: “It has many different molecular weights of hyaluronic acid to penetrate and hydrate at different depths of the epidermis.” It’s also fragrance-free, making it appropriate for sensitive types.
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, peptides, vitamin E
- Best For: Mature skin
Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum
- Why We Love It: The quenching, weightless texture of Dr. Barbara Sturm’s hyaluronic acid serum is only half the draw of its beloved formula. Powered by long and short-chain hyaluronic molecules alongside skin-soothing purslane, this serum instantly boosts moisture levels to reveal supple, glowing skin.
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, purslane, radish root ferment
- Best For: Mature skin, dry skin
Vichy Minéral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum
- Why We Love It: “Hyaluronic-acid serums should make your skin feel hydrated without drowning your skin,” explains double board-certified dermatologist Brendan Camp of this French-pharmacy find. “This lightweight, transparent, fast-absorbing, easy-to-apply H.A. serum does just that. It also includes volcanic water rich in nourishing minerals to strengthen skin and restore moisture.”
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, volcanic water
- Best For: Sensitive skin, eczema-prone skin
Rodial Dragon’s Blood Hyaluronic Mask
- Why We Love It: Mims loves this hyaluronic-laced mask because it “includes ‘dragon’s blood,’ which is a natural plant resin that reduces inflammation and can be worn on parched skin while in flight or running errands or as a weekly hydrating treatment.” While it’s not a serum, it does have a high concentration of hyaluronic acid to deliver immediate plumping benefits.
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, squalane, gransil
- Best For: Dry skin, mature skin
Kiehl’s Vital Skin-Strengthening Hyaluronic Acid Super Serum
- Why We Love It: Henry reaches for this serum because it “contains a small molecular-weight hyaluronic acid that gently penetrates to effectively hydrate the skin. It also contains ginseng root, holy basil, and other antioxidants to protect the skin from external stressors.”
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, ginseng root, schisandra berry
- Best For: Mature skin
Furtuna Skin Porte Per La Vitalitá Face & Eye Serum
Furtuna Skin
Porte Per La Vitalitá Face & Eye Serum
- Why We Love It: Marino is partial to this face and eye serum by Furtuna Skin—and not just because the chic, sustainable UV-coated packaging is vanity-worthy. “It will help restore hydration while delivering potent antioxidants, vitamins, and fatty acids to restore a more even youthful and radiant complexion,” she says. “Their formula also contains olive oil (J.Lo’s claim to fame) that comes from one of the 12,000 olive trees on the estate and is cold-pressed right on the property at their olive mill.”
- Key Ingredients: Organic beet extract, organic chicory extract, olive oil
- Best For: Mature skin, dull skin
Noble Panacea The Absolute Nourishing Lift Oil
- Why We Love It: You might think you can only get your daily dose of hyaluronic acid through a water-based treatment, but this Noble Panacea oil proves that claim wrong. The nourishing ingredient leads the formula and works in tandem with squalane, retinol, sea fennel extract, and hazelnut seed oil to lock in hydration and boost skin’s elasticity.
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, squalane, retinol, sea fennel extract, hazelnut seed oil
- Best For: Dry skin, sensitive skin, mature skin
Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Liquid Gel Cloud Serum
Peter Thomas Roth
Water Drench Hyaluronic Liquid Gel Cloud Serum
- Why We Love It: According to Camp, “this product boasts a 75% composition of hyaluronic acid to deliver intense skin hydration. It offers a matte finish to easily layer under a moisturizer and leaves skin feeling silky smooth.”
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, silk proteins, sodium PCA
- Best For: Dehydrated skin, oily skin
Dermalogica Circular Hydration Serum With Hyaluronic Acid
- Why We Love It: As the name suggests, Dermalogica’s serum offers “full-circle” hydration, according to Camp—without leaving a tacky finish. “It includes hyaluronic acid for penetrating hydration that leaves skin soft and supple, an algae-extract-infused moisturizing matrix that provides long-lasting moisture, and polyglutamic acid from fermented soy to boost the skin’s own natural hydrating reserves,” he says.
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, algae extract, polyglutamic acid
- Best For: Dry skin, dehydrated skin
Jan Marini Hyla3D Face Serum
- Why We Love It: Jan Marini’s Hyla3D serum is Marino’s pick for normal to dry or mature skin. “Its patented formula features four different types of H.A. at different molecular weights to address hydration and different levels of the skin, in conjunction with calcium ketogluconate, which is a hyaluronic-acid booster,” she explains. “This serum helps to hydrate and replenish the skin while restoring volume, delivering a more youthful, bouncy complexion.”
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, CoQ10, peptides
- Best For: Dry skin, mature skin
Yon-Ka Hydra No.1 Face Serum
- Why We Love It: With Yon-Ka’s Hydra No. 1 serum, you can wave goodbye to dry, dehydrated skin —just in time for the warmer months ahead. Despite its weightless feel, this gel-serum offers deep hydration through ingredients like micro-molecular hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, imperata cylindrica grass, and antioxidant-rich vitamins—93% of which are of natural origin.
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, imperata cylindrica grass, aloe vera
- Best For: Oily skin, mature skin
What is hyaluronic acid?
As we mentioned, hyaluronic acid is found naturally throughout the body, where it helps lubricate the joints and plump skin. “Hyaluronic acid is a humectant, meaning it acts like a magnet for moisture—it draws water from its surroundings and holds onto it,” says Geeta Yadav, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Toronto, Canada. Once in the layers of those, water molecules add volume, lending skin a plumper look.
What to look for in a hyaluronic acid serum
First, consider the size. Not all hyaluronic acid is created equal; they come in various molecular sizes, or weights. “Smaller molecules are able to penetrate the skin more deeply than larger molecules,” says Yadav. Meanwhile, larger sizes remain near the top of skin, offering more immediate (though temporary) plumping. “For comprehensive skin hydration, consider looking for a hyaluronic acid serum that contains multiple molecular weights,” says Yadav.
