If you’re wondering how to use hyaluronic acid in your daily skin care routine, you’re not alone. The word acid makes it sound like a daunting ingredient to some, but hyaluronic acid is actually a gentle hydrator—far from a strong and potentially irritating active ingredient the name makes it out to be. It is “a humectant for retaining skin moisture,” says Jeanine Downie, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and director of Image Dermatology PC in Montclair, New Jersey.
There’s a laundry list of hyaluronic acid’s benefits: It helps plump, hydrate, and moisturize the skin (hello, improved skin texture and skin elasticity). This means it can help with the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and other signs of aging.
You’ll find that you get most of your hyaluronic acid in serum or moisturizer form (it’s often a key ingredient in skin hydration and moisturization), though brands also include it in makeup, sunscreen, and even hair care. Whether you’re treating dryness, skin-barrier dysfunction, or skin aging, it’s an essential step to any skin care routine.
How exactly, though, do you add it into your routine? We went straight to the source and asked Dr. Downie for all her tips on when to use it, which ingredients you can mix with hyaluronic acid, her favorite hyaluronic acid products, and more. Read on for everything you need to know.
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What is the best way to use hyaluronic acid?
If you’re using a hyaluronic acid serum, apply it immediately after washing your face with a cleanser. In the mornings, follow with a moisturizer (if needed for drier skin types) and sunscreen. In the evenings, follow with a moisturizer. If you’re using a moisturizer with hyaluronic acid in it, apply the moisturizer on clean skin (face and neck) after toner and serum. Finish your morning routine with SPF. If it’s your evening routine, your moisturizer can be your last step.
“Personally, I prefer hyaluronic acid serums best,” says Dr. Downie, though this all comes down to personal preference, and one is not better than the other. “Serum products are lighter weight and faster, absorbing most often in a more concentrated formulation in a smaller molecular size to target a more instant burst of deeper hydration into the skin,” she says. However, she continues, hyaluronic acid lotions or richer moisturizers also work well, since they add “a broader, more overall protective layer locking in hydration.”
As for what age to start using hyaluronic acid? All ages can benefit from hyaluronic acid, Dr. Downie notes, especially during “dry weather when there is little natural moisture in the air.” (Think winter weather.) She recommends starting to use it consistently in your 20s “to keep skin balanced and hydrated.”
Apply hyaluronic acid to damp or dry skin, depending on preference. “I recommend it be applied to dry skin,” says Dr. Downie. “You can also apply to damp skin, which can help draw moisture in.”
Is it okay to use hyaluronic acid every day?
Yes, and you can even use it twice a day (morning and night). As an ingredient that draws moisture into the skin, you’re not at risk of overusing it like with a retinol or exfoliating acid product. It “incorporates well into a daily routine,” says Dr. Downie. “A good quality, nonirritating hyaluronic acid can be applied to the facial and neck skin every day.”
Nearly everyone can reap the benefits from incorporating hyaluronic acid into their routine, but “those experiencing dehydrated skin benefit most,” says Dr. Downie.
Extremely oily skin types can skip hyaluronic acid, Dr. Downie notes, though you can still incorporate the hydrating ingredient into your skin care routine if you’d like. Hyaluronic acid serums are “lightweight and don’t clog pores, meaning they won’t affect those prone to breakouts,” she explains. “While it can hydrate without trapping or adding any additional oiliness, it may not be necessary.”
If you’re concerned you may have an allergy or irritation to hyaluronic acid, make sure to do a patch test by applying a small amount of the new product on your skin and seeing how it reacts. However, “most people are not allergic to hyaluronic acid,” says Dr. Downie. “It is generally well tolerated by most of the patient population.” If you have any irritation or contact dermatitis from a scented hyaluronic acid, it may actually be the fragrance in it, not the ingredient itself, Dr. Downie notes.
What shouldn’t you mix with hyaluronic acid?
The good news is that hyaluronic acid tends to play well with others (like retinol), making it a pretty easy ingredient to incorporate into your skin care routine with minimal side effects. It “can be layered and mixed with some moisturizers and your sunscreen, but it depends on the density, thickness, and ingredients included in each product,” explains Dr. Downie.
A general rule of thumb: Hyaluronic acid “can be mixed with water-soluble forms of retinol, vitamin C, AHAs, and BHAs,” says Dr. Downie. You may even see that some hyaluronic-acid-based products are preformulated to include other ingredients, like vitamin B5, antioxidants such as niacinamide, peptides, or ceramides. Talk about a skin care boost!
What not to mix with hyaluronic acid? Oils, says Dr. Downie. “When mixed with oil-based products (vitamin C oils, hydrating facial oils), it can look very uneven on the skin, which is not attractive,” she says.
If you mix your hyaluronic acid serum with something that it doesn’t play well with, you’ll know. Some “can pill when you put them on,” Dr. Downie warns. “Either the hyaluronic acid itself, biopolymers, or other additives (or layering with other products) can contribute to pilling in some individuals.”
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What should you consider when shopping for hyaluronic acid?
Not all hyaluronic acid products are created the same, so make sure you’re buying the best one for you.
“Depending on the percentage of hyaluronic acid, formulation, concentration, or molecular weight used, it can be very deeply moisturizing or very lightly more superficial moisturizing,” explains Dr. Downie. Usually, hyaluronic acid works well in skin care products in concentrations from 0.5% to 2%.
Using too low of a percentage of hyaluronic acid won’t do much for the skin and won’t penetrate deeply into the layers of the skin: You “want enough ‘gas’ in the tank to attract water molecules into the skin cells for not only hydrating the skin, but also for the benefits of plumping and deeply moisturizing skin,” says Dr. Downie. “Some of the lower percentage, less effective hyaluronic acids do not hydrate the skin enough.” Instead, they sit on the skin’s surface and don’t absorb.
When shopping for a hyaluronic acid product, take into consideration “the molecular weight and size,” says Dr. Downie. Asking if the product is “in the form of serum or moisturizer is first,” she explains. “Concentration also matters. Cost and effectiveness are the other two key things to be considered.”
To buy an effective hyaluronic acid for you, “consider your skin type, needs, and what ingredients the serum is combined with,” says Dr. Downie. For example, acne-prone skin likes lightweight, oil-free formulas with exfoliating acids. Sensitive skin types may want to see if their hyaluronic acid product has calming, soothing ingredients like aloe vera or glycerin.
Or, you may just want to buy a simple, pure hyaluronic acid product. Just make sure to keep an eye out for “sodium hyaluronate” or “hyaluronic acid” on the ingredient label—this will indicate it contains that moisture-attracting ingredient to give you the hydrating you’re craving.
Why does my hyaluronic acid feel sticky?
A common complaint with hyaluronic acid is that it feels sticky. If this happens, it may be a simple solution: It’s “usually because you pumped out too much, and the skin cannot absorb the product,” says Dr. Downie. “So it sits on top of the skin and feels sticky.”
However, it “can also be due to other ingredients included, [like glycerin] or additives,” she says. “They may also be old or cheaply formulated. Or, it may be that the product just takes more time to absorb.”
The best hyaluronic acid products we’ve tried, tested, and love:
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Catharine Malzahn is the contributing associate beauty editor at Glamour.
