5 best hyaluronic acid serums

Is your skin begging for moisture lately?

Welcome to winter. The low temperatures, freezing cold winds and indoor heating all plot together to suck all the moisture out of your skin.

All of a sudden, your skin feels tight in the middle of the day. It gets a little red. It flakes, even.

That’s your cue to add a hyaluronic acid serum to your skincare routine. A nice addition in the summer, it becomes an absolute must-have in the winter months. It doesn’t matter what skin type you have – hydration is the foundation of happy skin.

What Is Hyaluronic Acid?

Hyaluronic Acid is a humectant. In plain English, a moisture magnet.

Humectants attract moisture from the air and drop it into your skin. That extra moisture is a godsend for skin: it plumps it up so wrinkles look smaller, it makes it as soft as a baby’s, and gives it a radiant glow.

Hyaluronic Acid does the job particular well: it can attract and bind to the skin up to 1000 times its weight in water!

Oh, by the way, Hyaluronic Acid comes in many forms. Some are so big, they can’t penetrate skin. They just stay on the surface and hydrate the superficial layers. Others are smaller and can penetrate skin, hydrating it from within.

If your skin’s oily or normal, you may get away with using only one form. But the drier your skin gets, the more forms of hyaluronic acid your serum should include.

Related: The Complete Guide To Hyaluronic Acid In Skincare


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Here are the best hyaluronic acid serums out there, in my humble opinion:

Best For Very Dry Skin: NIOD Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Complex (£25.00-£38.00)

If you can only try one hyaluronic acid serum, make it NIOD Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Complex. It has a whopping 15 different forms of hyaluronic acid and hyaluronic acid precursors. 15, ladies! I’ve never seen a serum that has this many. Some of these forms stay on the surface of your skin, hydrating the superficial layers, while others get deep into your skin, hydrating it from within. Add a few amino acids to the mix and you’ve got one of the most hydrating formulas on the market today. It’s a keeper.

Available at: Asos, Beauty Bay, Cult Beauty, Escentual, Feel Unique, and Net-A-Porter

Related: My Full Review Of Niod Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Complex

niod multi-molecular hyaluronic complex

Best Breakthrough Formula: Skinceuticals Hyaluronic Acid Intensifier ($100.00)

I wasn’t sure about including Skinceuticals Hyaluronic Acid Intensifier here because it contains alcohol, which can be problematic for some skin types. But as it didn’t bother my skin and contains a cool new technology, I had to. What’s special about this serum is the inclusion of 10% Pro-Xylane, an ingredient developed by L’Oreal, that can boost hyaluronic acid in your skin by 30%. OK, I don’t know if the 30% figure is correct but it definitely made my skin feel a lot more hydrated and plumped it well up. And yep, it has hyaluronic acid, too. 😉

Available at: Dermstore and Look Fantastic

Related: My Full Review Of Skinceuticals Hyaluronic Acid Intensifier

skinceuticals ha intensifier

Best On A Budget: The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (£5.90)

If you love Skinceuticals Hydrating B5 Gel, wait until you try this. The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 is an improved dupe. They both contain vitamin B5 but Skinceuticals only has one form of hyaluronic acid while The Ordinary serum managed to sneak in two. Not much else to say. It’s a pretty basic formula but it works.

Available at: Asos, Beauty Bay and Cult Beauty

Related: The Best Skincare Routine For Dry Skin

Best For Versatility: Paula’s Choice Resist Hyaluronic Acid Booster ($46.00)

Don’t know where hyaluronic fits into your skincare routine? With Paula’s Choice Resist Hyaluronic Acid Booster you can make it fit wherever you want. A booster is something you can use alone or mix with your fave serums and moisturisers to supercharge their hydrating powers. This booster features two forms of hyaluronic acid + other humectants like glycerin and moisturising agents like ceramides – everything thirsty skin needs.

Available at: Cult Beauty, Dermstore, Paula’s Choice, and SpaceNK

Related: The Complete Guide To Skincare Boosters: What They Are, What They Do, And How To Use Them

vichy mineral 89 daily booster

Best For Sensitive Skin: Vichy Mineral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster ($29.50)

Vichy Mineral 89 Hylauronic Acid Booster has a lightweight gel texture you wouldn’t think of as hydrating, and yet it packs a huge moisture punch. The combination of Hyaluronic Acid and Glycerin (a fellow humectant) draws a waterfall of water to your skin, helping it to stay soft and supple. But it’s the mineral water base that makes it such a good option for sensitive skin. This water is enriched with minerals and nutrients that soothe irritants and help keep skin in top shape. Did I mention it’s fragrance-free, too?

Available at: DermstoreEscentualFeel Unique and Ulta

Related: My Full Review Of Vichy Mineral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster