You’ve probably seen hyaluronic acid (HA for short) serums at the beauty counter, or even the drug store, and you may have tried it. There are a lot of them out there now, at all price points and with varying degrees of effectiveness, depending on what else is in that bottle. I’ll break it down for you here, and give you a couple of my faves to try.
I first found HA when I moved from central Texas, where it’s hot and steamy, to the Rocky Mountains, where it is decidedly NOT. The change in humidity (from 10000% to 5%…ish) and the new exposure to extended cold temperatures did a number on my skin. Skincare has always been a particular hobby of mine, and this time was no different: I went down the rabbit hole, and discovered HA. At the time, it was still a pretty niche ingredient, and there weren’t a lot of clean beauty brands that made HA serums, but one of my pet brands did. It made mountain winters enjoyable, instead of barely survivable.
Okay, but what IS it? Hyaluronic acid is actually a sugar molecule that is hydrophilic, which just means it attracts and retains water. It is a tiny little thing that holds many times its own weight in moisture, so it keeps that moisture on your skin. It feels a little sticky at first, but that soon dissipates as it sinks into your skin, which is almost instantly. Apply HA serum right after washing your face, while your skin is still damp, and when it dries, you can add your regular moisturizer and sunscreen right on top of it. Unlike serums that take weeks or months to work, you will notice the difference with HA immediately. It’s not oily, and your skin feels hydrated right away.
I’m sharing my two favorite HA serums, because believe me, I’ve done the experiments for you in my very own bathroom, and I’m extremely picky about my skincare ingredients. Everything I use and recommend has to be as clean as possible, because I have sensitive skin that reacts to most mainstream beauty products.
Here are my two most highly recommended products:
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