12 Best Hyaluronic Acid Serums We Tested, Reviewed by Dermatologists
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As someone with a dry complexion, I’ve tested some of the best hyaluronic acid serums to add hydration back to my skin. In case you’re unfamiliar with this potent hydrator, it’s a nonirritating ingredient that leaves skin glowy and plump, and it fits into any skin care routine because it’s available in tons of formats, including cleansers, toners, and moisturizers—though, personally, I’m partial to hydrating serums.
Below, I’m sharing the ones I reach for the most, plus formulas approved by dermatologists, beauty writers, and Glamour reviewers, that work for oily, combination, acne-prone, and mature skin types. Each pick is targeted to specific skin concerns, but for a no-fail option, look to the Vichy Mineral 89 Skin-Fortifying Daily Booster. It’s a gentle, fragrance-free formula that’s backed by experts and testers, and will give you a boost in hydration.
The best hyaluronic acid serums, at a glance
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How we tested
We tested hyaluronic acid serums by evaluating their ingredients, how well they absorbed into the skin, and how effectively they plumped up skin and added moisture.
| By Absorbancy | By Ingredients | By Efficacy |
|---|---|---|
| The best ones absorbed quickly and didn’t pill or flake when we layered facial sunscreen and makeup on top. | Our winners included skin-boosting ingredients like niacinamide, glycerin, vitamin C, and other antioxidants to help make skin look glowy and smooth-textured. | All of the hyaluronic acid serums on this list gave us bouncy, plump and more youthful-looking skin after use. Some of our mature testers even noticed that it helped reduce the appearance of fine lines. |
Best Overall: Vichy Mineral 89 Skin-Fortifying Daily Booster
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- What we like: Dermatologist-recommended for all skin types; lightweight texture
- What could be improved: The nonshiny finish isn’t for everyone; doesn’t leave as much visible dewiness as some other serums on this list.
This serum’s gentle formula makes it an ideal option for all skin types and concerns. “It’s formulated with natural origin hyaluronic acid and Vichy volcanic water to help hydrate and plump skin. It’s been clinically proven to strengthen and repair the skin barrier,” says Marisa Garshick, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist. Depending on how much moisture your skin type needs, “It can be layered underneath a thicker moisturizing cream or used by itself for complete hydration to boost moisture and give the skin a healthy, hydrated, and dewy glow,” says Dr. Garshick.
Testing notes: “I love the consistency of this serum; it comes out of the pump feeling gel-like but bursts into a lightweight, watery consistency that glides on and layers beautifully under moisturizers and makeup. The cooling feel offers a refreshing pick-me-up in my morning skin care routine. Most importantly, though, my skin looks and feels noticeably softer and more hydrated all day following application,” says Glamour contributor Ariel Wodarcyk.
Best for Dry Skin: Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Serum
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- What we like: Its potency, absorbency, and how well it evens out skin texture and addresses dryness
- What could be improved: Pricey for the size
This glowy serum offers deep hydration with a potent blend of a 75% hyaluronic acid complex plus sodium PCA and silk proteins to help make skin silky soft and matte.
Testing notes: “I absolutely adore this glow serum because it’s super lightweight, absorbs into the skin like lightning, and makes me look plump and smooth. I always apply this one on damp skin right after I wash my face, and I find that my skin feels and looks more velvety every time I do, making it a must for premakeup application. My skin also stays matte throughout the day after using this one—it hydrates but doesn’t make me look shiny or overly dewy,” says Glamour commerce writer Alanna Martine Kilkeary.
Best for Oily Skin: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hyaluronic Acid Serum
- What we like: An affordably priced serum that’s fragrance-free and nongreasy on oily skin types
- What could be improved: Some users dislike the tacky feel
Glamour reviewer Alex Bailey swears by this hyaluronic acid serum for her acne-prone, oily, and “dramatic” skin. Dr. Garshick seconds Bailey’s recommendation. Because the formula is oil-free, lightweight, and noncomedogenic, she explains, it will sink in quickly and won’t make oily skin look or feel greasy.
Testing notes: “The serum has a watery texture that absorbs into my skin almost instantly, which I especially appreciate on busy mornings,” Bailey says. “It can be hard to find products that play nicely with makeup, but I love that this serum doesn’t make my usual routine slide off halfway through the day. Its affordable price point makes it a product I feel good about using every day, without feeling a pinch in my wallet every time I apply it.” She also appreciates that the serum is both fragrance-free and affordable, a combination she says has been “hard to find” in a formula that performs well for her skin type.
Best for Acne-Prone Skin: SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 Gel
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- What we like: Oil-free formula is ideal for oily, acne-prone skin and clogged pores
- What could be improved: High price point; not hydrating enough for skin that is dry and acne-prone
“A lightweight, noncomedogenic serum like SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 Gel is ideal for those with acne-prone skin,” says Dr. Garshick. “It provides hydration without adding greasiness and absorbs easily.” Formulated with hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5, this serum also draws in hydration and supports the skin’s barrier repair.
Testing notes: Glamour’s Kilkeary loves that this serum is oil-free and absorbs quickly so it doesn’t clog pores, add shine, or trigger breakouts. “I liked that it didn’t make me look or feel overly shiny or oily—my makeup stayed pretty matte throughout the day, but my dry spots were totally eradicated and flake-free,” she says. Plus, she says, it offered an unexpected added bonus: “I was especially a fan of this one because I think it did the most work to minimize my fine lines, and it gave me the look of youthful, baby-cherub-like cheeks—the perfect smooth canvas for moisturizer and makeup.”
Best K-Beauty: CosRx The Hyaluronic Acid 3 Serum
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- What we like: Provided the most immediate and noticeable glow out of the serums on this list
- What could be improved: Small size; slightly tacky feel
This Korean serum blends hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and an amino acid complex for a protected moisture barrier and skin that’s visibly plumper and more hydrated. Dr. Garshick notes that this combination of ingredients makes it especially great for dry and sensitive skin types.
Testing notes: “It has a plush, gel-like texture that gave my skin the most noticeable glow out of all of the serums upon application,” says Wodarcyk. “I noticed a boost in plumpness, too, especially in my very dry cheek and eye area. While aesthetics aren’t the most important factor in grading a serum, I have to add that CosRx has my favorite packaging of the bunch—the dark, hefty glass bottle makes the product look and feel more expensive than it really is. I only wish the formula had less of a tacky feel, but that went away as my moisturizer dried on top of it.”
Best for Fine Lines: Glow Recipe Plum Plump Hyaluronic Acid
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- What we like: Lightweight, gel texture that sinks into skin upon contact
- What could be improved: Can be a little bit sticky
This Glow Recipe HA serum is as juicy as its packaging hints at: It has a really gorgeous blend of vitamin B5 and hyaluronic acid to help eliminate fine lines and give the skin a fresh, glowy finish.
Testing notes: “I always reach for this when I feel like my skin needs a bit of a boost (especially in -10 degree winter weather), and it never fails to give me some radiance without making me look overly shiny. The gel-like texture is perfect for my combination skin, too, because it absorbs quickly and doesn’t feel sticky or leave a film behind like some hyaluronic acid serums do. It also has a touch of vitamin C, plus vegan collagen, which leaves me looking brighter and tighter—it’s kind of the perfect potion!” says Glamour’s Kilkeary.
Best for Discoloration: Westman Atelier Skin Activator Serum
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- What we like: Lightweight; smooths skin; calms redness
- What could be improved: Bottle is very small; tacky finish
If you deal with discoloration, redness, and dark spots, let us point you to this hyaluronic acid formulation that’s chock-full of niacinamide, meaning that it can visibly even skin tone and reduce areas of hyperpigmentation. It also has prickly pear extract, which helps soothe skin and leave your skin looking bouncier, fresh, and resilient.
Testing notes: “This serum is extremely hydrating, so if you have dry skin, this is like a water bottle for your face. I have oily, combination skin and found it to be very lightweight. However, it does have a tacky finish, so I would recommend using it for your nighttime skin care routine,” says Glamour senior commerce editor Jenifer Calle.
Best Combination: Biossance Squalane + Copper Peptide Rapid Plumping Serum
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- What we like: Hydrates dry patches but keeps an oily T-zone matte
- What could be improved: Price; slightly sticky feel
Formulated with a three-ingredient “plumping complex,” this intense hydration serum combines hyaluronic acid, copper peptides, and squalane to support skin’s collagen production, leaving it bouncy and smooth. Glamour’s Kilkeary can attest to the formula’s hydrating and plumping benefits on her combination skin type.
Testing notes: “This hyaluronic acid serum is probably one of the best I’ve ever tried, not only because I see immediate plumping effects after I use it, but because my skin simply drinks it up,” says Kilkeary. “My skin is combination, and I love that this doesn’t overly hydrate it or make it feel greasy or dewy. Instead, it hydrates my dry patches but keeps my usually oily T-zone matte. My skin looks a lot smoother, flake-free, and plump—all the good things.”
Best Budget: The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5
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- What we like: Only $10; so lightweight that it feels like nothing
- What could be improved: Not as hydrating as some other serums on this list
When it comes to finding the best hyaluronic acid serum to wear under makeup, celebffrity makeup artist Kasey Spickard says this low-cost formula does a great job. “It performs well under makeup because it’s a super-lightweight, water-based formula that absorbs quickly into the skin without causing pilling or separation of the makeup,” Spickard says. “It rapidly plumps, smoothes, and pulls moisture deep into the skin.”
Testing notes: “On my first day trialing this serum, I wore it under my base makeup for a photo shoot, which I knew was risky,” says Wodarcyk. “Luckily, the risk paid off—my foundation, concealer, and the rest of my base routine glided on smoothly, and I didn’t notice any pilling or breaking up of my makeup throughout the day. Since then, I’ve tested this under a variety of other base products, including skin tints and a simple spot-concealing routine, with equally successful results. As Spickard noted, this serum has a silky, lightweight consistency that I can hardly feel upon application. Despite its barely there feeling, I was pleasantly surprised by the noticeable glow the serum gave my skin.”
Best for Redness: Innisfree Green Tea Seed Hyaluronic Serum
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- What we like: Bigger bottle than most of the formulas on this list; improves dryness
- What could be improved: A little sticky after application
If you struggle with redness, a hyaluronic acid serum can do wonders in minimizing and subduing a ruddy appearance. This gentle HA serum does just the trick thanks to its addition of niacinamide and Korean green tea.
Testing notes: “This serum has become one of my new favorites because it’s nonsticky, absorbs like lightning, and makes my skin feel much more hydrated and plush. I like to use on days that I’m looking particularly dull or tired—it has the ability to instantly wake my skin up and make it look brighter and more even-toned—literally like a cup of green tea,” says Glamour’s Kilkeary.
Best for Wrinkles and Mature Skin: SkinCeuticals HA Intensifier Multi-Glycan Serum
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- What we like: Very potent; instantly plumps the skin
- What could be improved: Expensive
SkinCeuticals calls this serum “multi-dimensional” and “volumizing”—and it adds plumpness to the skin. It has a blend of 1.3% hyaluronic acid, plus licorice root extract, soybean ferment, and proxylane, a proprietary ingredient that works to improve skin resilience and firmness.
Testing notes: “This serum has become a regular part of my skin care routine. I’m a big fan of the SkinCeuticals line, especially for the Triple Lipid Restore cream and now this HA Intensifier serum. After reading that hyaluronic acid works by binding to water, I applied this serum directly after washing my face, while my skin was still slightly damp. I noticed the plumpness in my skin immediately after the first use. It felt firm and bouncy, and the crepey lines around my mouth and forehead were less defined. And when I don’t use the serum for a few days, I see a difference. I’ll happily be keeping this in my routine for the near future,” says Glamour contributor Charlotte Twine.
Best Plumping: Laneige Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Serum
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- What we like: Gentle; lightweight; leaves skin supple
- What could be improved: Pricey
This antiaging hyaluronic acid serum is a must-try if you want to minimize the appearance of fine lines and improve skin resilience. It has a blend of peptides, plus green tea and aloe to deeply hydrate and plump the skin, and will give you results pretty much after just one use.
Testing notes: “I love the gel consistency of this formula, and it’s such a luxury to apply,” says Glamour’s Kilkeary. “It absorbs quickly and leaves skin looking taut and feeling dewy, without being greasy or shiny. I’m also a fan of how well my makeup applied after using this one—my foundation glided on like butter.”
Frequently asked questions
What are the benefits of a hyaluronic acid serum?
According to Jodi LoGerfo, DNP, a family nurse practitioner certified in dermatology, the beauty of hyaluronic acid lies in its astounding humectant properties, which enable the ingredient to attract and hold on to up to 1,000 times its weight in water. Not only does this keep the skin supple and hydrated, but it also helps uphold elasticity, soothe irritated skin, and decrease the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, making it great for antiaging. “Using it topically will never make you look ‘overdone’ or ‘cosmetic,’ but only make your skin look healthier. Because it’s a natural substance, it’s also well tolerated by just about everyone. There’s really no skin type that can’t use it,” says Rachel Nazarian, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology.
How to use hyaluronic acid serum
When pairing hyaluronic acid with other serums and ingredients, it’s important to apply products from thinnest to thickest consistency. Most hyaluronic acid serums are lightweight, meaning you’ll likely apply them immediately after cleansing. Our experts suggest applying hyaluronic acid serum to a slightly damp face—this will help give the hyaluronic acid something to bind onto, locking moisture into the skin. Follow with your heavier serums and a moisturizer for glowy skin. Since hyaluronic acid isn’t an active ingredient, it’s safe to apply morning and night, though be sure to check that the other ingredients in your serum are easily tolerated on a twice-daily basis.
What is the most effective hyaluronic acid serum?
A good hyaluronic acid may vary based on your skin’s needs, but there are a few golden rules to keep in mind. “Look for a serum with multiple molecular weights of hyaluronic acid for layered hydration and complementary ingredients like niacinamide, ceramides, or vitamin C for added benefits,” says Marisa Garshick, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist. She also stresses that if your skin is oily and/or acne-prone, it’s important to find a serum that is noncomedogenic.
Can I mix hyaluronic acid with other skin care?
“Hyaluronic acid is generally safe to mix with other ingredients as it boosts overall moisture, helping to minimize irritation from other active ingredients,” says Dr. Garshick. Unlike actives like retinol, hyaluronic acid is easy to incorporate into your existing skin care routine and can help reduce irritation from your products that contain actives. “Hyaluronic acid is extremely gentle and versatile, so it is okay to use with other products,” Dr. LoGerfo explains. “Sometimes it’s helpful to use hyaluronic acid with other ingredients that can be slightly irritating—like vitamin C, alpha-hydroxy acids, salicylic acid, retinol—because it can help tone down the irritant nature of those products.”
What percentage of hyaluronic acid works best?
According to Dr. Garshick, most formulas contain hyaluronic acid in concentrations that range from 0.5% to 2%, but the ingredient is most effective at concentrations of 1% to 2%.
Is hyaluronic acid serum good for mature skin?
The short answer is yes, says Dr. Garshick. “Hyaluronic acid benefits mature skin by deeply hydrating it and plumping fine lines and wrinkles, which can contribute to a more youthful and supple appearance,” she explains. As recommended above and in our top pick for mature skin, different molecular weights of hyaluronic acid will better penetrate the layers of your skin and contribute to a firm, plump appearance.
Which is better—vitamin C or hyaluronic acid serum?
Vitamin C serums and hyaluronic acid serums serve two different purposes. “Hyaluronic acid serums help boost moisture and plump the skin, while a vitamin C serum helps brighten and protect the skin from free radical damage,” says Dr. Garshick. “Using the two ingredients can help address different concerns, which is why it can be helpful to use [both] in the same routine.” You can also use a formula that contains both ingredients in one product, like the TruSkin Vitamin C Serum that our editors love.
Can you use retinol and hyaluronic acid together?
The good news is that hyaluronic acid also plays well with retinol, according to Howard Sobel, MD, and clinical attending cosmetic dermatologic surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital. “Hyaluronic acid can be used to reduce any dryness that may be caused from using retinol,” he notes. You can use it right after applying retinol at night, and follow with a moisturizer to lock everything in.
Meet the experts
- Marisa Garshick, MD, FAAD, board-certified dermatologist
- Rachel Nazarian, MD, board-certified dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology
- Jodi LoGerfo, DNP, dermatologist and family nurse practitioner
- Margarita Lolis, MD, board-certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon
- Howard Sobel, MD, clinical attending cosmetic dermatologic surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital
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