Hyaluronic Acid: What It Is, Benefits, and Best Skincare Products
- Kavya Goswami
- 7 days ago
- 5 min read
The entire skincare industry has been raving about Hyaluronic Acid for the last few years, and every single face moisturizer, body lotion, serum, lip oil, and sunscreen is being made and marketed as a superstar ingredient containing Hyaluronic Acid.
But is Hyaluronic Acid worth the hype?
Do we really need hyaluronic acid in our skincare? Is there any alternative skincare ingredient to it?
What is Hyaluronic Acid?
Hyaluronic Acid (HA) is a special type of sugar molecule that is naturally produced by our body, and acts like a sponge, attracting and holding onto large amounts of water.
Our skin contains about 50% of the body's total Hyaluronic Acid. It is that one thing that gives our skin that plump, hydrated feel.
What are Humectants?
Humectants are like "water magnets," which help in bonding with water molecules to increase water content in the skin. It is a type of moisturizing skincare ingredient, aiming to make skin softer. But not all humectants work the same way, as some of them help in adding water to skin, aka skin hydration, and others act like occlusives, which are responsible for locking in water (eg, Petroleum Jelly).
Is Hyaluronic Acid Worth Using in Skincare?
It usually depends on what type of Hyaluronic Acid you are using in your skin, because not all forms penetrate that deeply into your skin. Hyaluronic Acids with High molecular weight are large in size and stay on the surface of skin, ones with low molecular weight enter the upper epidermis, while ones with can penetrate deeper. Sodium Hyaluronate is small in size and is the most common one; it absorbs better than Hyaluronic Acid.
But Hyaluronic Acid is found in the Dermis layer of our skin, it's a bit hard for Hyaluronic Acid to penetrate in Dermis and give perfect hydration to the skin. Usually, when hyaluronic acid penetrates that deeply, it dehydrates your skin rather than hydrating it. That happens because, to penetrate deeper into the skin, it absorbs water from the skin layer itself, hence making it drier. It happens when the air is already dry, rather than humid.
Alternative Skincare Ingredients for Hyaluronic Acid
The most common humectants you will find in skincare products, apart from Hyaluronic Acid, are:
Glycerin (most common, found in most of the skincare products)
Urea
Aloe Vera
Panthenol (Pro Vitamin B3)
Honey
Sodium PCA (It is a skin-identical ingredient and has great natural moisturizing properties)
Propanediol
Butylene Glycol
Polyglutamic Acid (It is a high-molecular-weight amino acid polymer, it is claimed to show better skin hydration properties than Hyaluronic Acid)
Betaine (It has skin-protecting and moisturizing properties, also controls cell-water balance)
Best Skincare Products with Hyaluronic Acid in India
Serums
Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum is a good skin moisturizing serum in Korean Beauty skin care products, as it has numerous moisturizing ingredients with different forms of Hyaluronic Acid.
Skincare Actives:
Butylene Glycol
Propanediol
Glycerin
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Glutathione (It is a powerful antioxidant, naturally produced by the body. It is made up of three amino acids, Glutamine, Cysteine, and Glycine.)
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Sodium Hyaluronate
Coptis Japonica Root Extract
Adenosine
Hyaluronic Acid
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Potassium Hyaluronate
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Minimalist 2% Hyaluronic Acid + PGA Face Serum is another serum you can add to your skin care routine to hydrate and repair your skin barrier. It is a must to use a thick moisturizer to lock in hydration after using any serum with Hyaluronic Acid.
Skincare Actives:
Hyaluronic Acid
Polyglutamic Acid
Glyceryl Glucoside (Humectant)
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Glyceryl Glucoside (Humectant / Skin Moisturizing)
Butylene Glycol
Glycerin
Sodium Polyglutamate
Sodium Hyaluronate
Saccharomyces/Copper Ferment
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Bacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract (Boost skin hydration and strengthens skin barrier)
Betaine
Panthenol
Pentylene Glycol
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Simple 3% Hyaluronic Acid + Panthenol Booster Serum is another serum you can try if you want to include a serum specifically with Hyaluronic Acid in your skincare routine.
Skincare Actives:
Panthenol
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (It's an Emollient, a skincare active that makes your skin feel nice and smooth)
Glycerin
Propanediol
Niacinamide
Coco-Caprylate (Emollient)
Cetearyl Alcohol
Sodium Hyaluronate
Pilgrim 2% Hyaluronic Acid Hydration Super Serum is another excellent Hyaluronic Acid serum I came across, and surprisingly, this serum has some very good skincare ingredients that not will not only improve skin barrier but also calm and repair skin.
Skincare Actives:
Sodium Hyaluronate (Hyaluronic Acid)
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Propanediol
Centella Asiatica Extract (It is an antioxidant and a humectant, which has excellent anti-inflammatory properties. It helps in calming red and irritated skin.)
Betaine
Sodium Lactate
Sodium Gluconate
Sodium PCA
Plum 2% Alpha Arbutin and Hyaluronic Acid Serum is a good serum to try, although this is not a Hyaluronic Acid-specific serum, because it has a very low concentration of Hyaluronic Acid in it. But this is a good serum to try if you have any form of pigmentation in your skin.
Skincare Actives:
Alpha-Arbutin
Glycerin
Propylene Glycol
Niacinamide
Citrus Junos Fruit Extract
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Ethylhexyl-Glycerin
Sodium Hyaluronate
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid and Panthenol Serum is a good skin moisturizing serum for repairing the skin barrier.
Skincare Actives:
Sodium Hyaluronate
Propanediol
Pentylene Glycol
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Phospholipids (It's a type of Lipid (fats) that makes up the major part of the cell membrane. It is a skin-identical ingredient with good moisturizing properties)
Sphingolipids (Emollient)
Panthenol
Ahnfeltiopsis Concinna Extract
Glycerin
Moisturizer
The Formula RX Hydraveil Hydrating Gel is a good skin barrier-improving moisturizer that you can use after using Hyaluronic Acid moisturizer to lock in moisture and protect the skin barrier from water loss.
Skincare Actives:
Glycerin
Propanediol
Panthenol
Sodium Hyaluronate
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer
Ceramide NP
Ectoin
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer,
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Xylitylglucoside
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Anhydroxylitol
Pentylene Glycol
Anua 3 Ceramide Panthenol Moisturizer Barrier Cream is a thick skin texture improving moisturizer to control transepidermal water loss and improve skin barrier.
Skincare Actives:
Panthenol
Butylene Glycol
Propanediol
Glycerin
Vinyl Dimethicone
Pentylene Glycol
Centella Asiatica Extract
Sodium Hyaluronate
Hyaluronic Acid
Betaine
Caprylyl Methicone
Ceramide NP (0.51%)
Phytosterols
Hydrogenated Rice Bran Oil
cureskin Hydration Gel Moisturizer is a new gel-form skin moisturizer I came across, and it is a good moisturizer for repairing skin.
Skincare Actives:
Aloe Vera Juice
Propylene Glycol
Glycerin
Butylene Glycol
Polyglutamic Acid
Sodium Hyaluronate
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream is the OG skin moisturizer by CeraVe and it is a thick moisturizer that is a must recommendation for the ,winter season, especially if you have dry skin.
Skincare Actives:
Glycerin
Cetearyl Alcohol
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Cetyl Alcohol
Petrolatum
Potassium Phosphate
Ceramide NP
Ceramide AP
Ceramide EOP
Carbomer
Dimethicone
Cleanser
CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser is a perfect moisturizer to go for if you have dry, sensitive skin, as it has skin hydrating ingredients to lock in moisture in your skin.
Skincare Actives:
Glycerin
Ceramide NP
Ceramide AP
Ceramide EOP
Sodium Hyaluronate
Cholesterol
Hyaluronic Acid has taken over the entire cosmetic industry; every skincare product that you see in the market revolves around it. But we have to know if it is worth using Hyaluronic Acid or not. Truth to be told, it is not really necessary to have a particular skincare product in your skin care routine with only Hyaluronic Acid in it because, honestly, there are numerous products in the market that already have Hyaluronic Acid, along with other promising ingredients.
There is nothing wrong with trying new skin care products, especially if you know you skin type very well.
Stay tuned for all things skincare, with La Peau!
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