Ingredient Library
Hyaluronic Acid
Sodium hyaluronate
Hyaluronic acid is a moisture-binding molecule the body makes naturally, able to hold many times its weight in water. In skincare it draws water into the upper layers of skin so the surface looks plumper, smoother, and more comfortable. It suits every skin type, especially dry or dehydrated skin.
What hyaluronic acid does for your skin
Hyaluronic acid is a humectant, a molecule that attracts and holds water, able to bind many times its own weight in it. Your skin already makes hyaluronic acid, but the amount falls with age, which is part of why mature skin can look and feel drier.[1] A 2022 review in Dermatologic Therapy focused on topical hyaluronic acid and found it well tolerated and effective at improving skin hydration, with plumper, smoother-looking skin tied to its water-binding nature.[1] A broader 2018 review reached the same conclusion about hydration and the appearance of rejuvenation.[2] On the surface, that shows up as skin that looks more cushioned and fine lines that look softened.
Hyaluronic acid for dry and dehydrated skin
It is one of the best known hydrators for dry and dehydrated skin. A humectant works by holding on to water, so it performs best when there is plenty of water around for it to draw on, and that is exactly how we formulate ours. Our hyaluronic acid sits in a water-rich, balanced base, so the moisture it needs is built right into the formula, feeding the hyaluronic acid rather than leaving it to fend for itself. The result is comfortable hydration in any season. Pressing it into slightly damp skin and following with a moisturizer is a lovely way to get even more from any humectant, but you will not be left tight or dry, our formula brings its own water.
How to use hyaluronic acid
Apply it to clean skin, morning and night. If you like, press it into slightly damp skin and follow with a moisturizer or oil, a simple way to get even more from it. It is lightweight and layers under everything, so it belongs early in your routine, before your richer steps.
Pairs easily with:
niacinamide for barrier support, vegetable ceramides to seal and rebuild the barrier, bakuchiol for gentle overnight renewal, peptides for firmness, and vitamin C for brightness. It is friendly with nearly everything.
Hyaluronic acid vs niacinamide: do you need both?
Two of the most popular actives, often mentioned in the same breath, so people wonder whether they overlap. They do not, really. Hyaluronic acid is a humectant that hydrates and plumps the surface. Niacinamide, or vitamin B3, is a multitasker that supports the skin barrier, evens the look of tone, and calms. One draws water in, the other helps skin hold it and stay balanced. They work beautifully together, which is exactly why both sit in our Vitamin B serum.
| Â | Hyaluronic acid | Niacinamide |
|---|---|---|
| Main role | Hydration and plumping | Barrier support, even tone, calm |
| Best for | Dryness, dehydration, fine lines | The barrier, tone, the look of pores and redness |
| Skin feel | Water-light and cushioning | Lightweight and versatile |
| Use together? | Yes, they complement each other | Yes, they are even paired in our serum |
The bottom line: this is not a choice between them. Hyaluronic acid hydrates, niacinamide strengthens, and together they cover more ground than either alone. You can read more on our niacinamide page.
Why hyaluronic acid anchors our hydration
Pulling water into the skin is only half the job. The other half is keeping it there. That is why, in our Vitamin B Intensive Hydrating Serum, we pair hyaluronic acid with plant-derived ceramides and panthenol: the hyaluronic acid draws water in and plumps, the ceramides rebuild the barrier that seals it, and panthenol calms. Water in, and water held. It is the hydration backbone we build the rest of a routine on, gentle enough for reactive skin and made for any age that runs dry.
Shop the Vitamin B SerumA natural history
Hyaluronic acid is not an ancient botanical but a modern discovery with a tidy origin story. It was first isolated in 1934 by the American scientists Karl Meyer and John Palmer, from the vitreous fluid of the eye, and named for that glassy, gel-like material (hyalos is Greek for glass). What began as a laboratory curiosity is now one of the most studied hydrating ingredients in skincare.
References
[1] Bravo B, et al. Benefits of topical hyaluronic acid for skin quality and signs of skin aging. Dermatol Ther. 2022;35(12):e15903. doi.org/10.1111/dth.15903
[2] Bukhari SNA, et al. Hyaluronic acid, a promising skin rejuvenating biomedicine. Int J Biol Macromol. 2018;120:1682-1695. doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.09.188
Found in these formulas
Questions, answered
It is a humectant, which means it binds water. On skin it pulls moisture into the upper layers so the surface looks plumper and fine lines look softened, and skin feels more cushioned.
Yes, it is one of the best-known hydrators for dry and dehydrated skin. Ours sits in a water-rich, balanced base that feeds it, so it hydrates comfortably in any season.
No. It is lightweight and oil-free, so it hydrates without heaviness or clogged pores, which makes it friendly to oily and acne-prone skin too.
Yes, morning and night. It is gentle and layers under everything, so daily use suits most skin.
Either works with our formula, but pressing it into slightly damp skin and following with a moisturizer is a nice way to get even more from it.
Hyaluronic acid is the ingredient; a serum is the finished product built around it. On labels you will often see it as sodium hyaluronate, a stable form of the same molecule.
Yes. Hyaluronic acid hydrates while niacinamide supports the barrier and vitamin C brightens, so they layer well together.