If you want more luminous, smoother skin, hyaluronic acid is the key to taking your complexion game up a notch. 

This much-loved ingredient can be found in many different forms – from cult creams to standalone serums, HA-infused sheet masks and injectable dermal fillers. Here’s why you need to add it to your skincare regime and the best way to do it…

Hyaluronic acid, also known as HA or hyaluronan, is a sugar molecule found naturally in our skin. 

It draws water in from the air to maintain hydration levels so your skin stays fresh, hydrated and plumped up. 

Interestingly, hyaluronic acid is found in the biggest amounts in our connective tissue, eyes and skin. 

It’s clearly a key ingredient for keeping our tissues well-lubricated and supremely hydrated where this is needed the most. 

When it comes to skincare, hyaluronic acid is an affordable and effective ingredient. 

The best part? It’s great for all skin types and can even be used on the most problematic skin such as those suffering with acne or rosacea as it’s ultimately non-irritating. 

It’s quite simple - hyaluronic acid boosts our skin’s hydrations levels. The result is a fresh-looking, healthy and plumped up complexion.

This sugar molecule binds to collagen in our dermis, the lower level of our skin, acting like scaffolding for a firmer complexion on the surface.

Perhaps what HA is best known for is its ability to hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water, which makes hyaluronic acid good for your face - your skin will look smoother and have more volume.

But like both collagen and elastin, our natural level of hyaluronic acid depletes with age and we become more prone to dry skin, lines and wrinkles.

Unlike collagen, which is a big molecule that can’t easily penetrate the skin, hyaluronic acid can be broken down into smaller molecules that can get in the skin and help to attract and hold water on the surface of the skin.

This form of HA is called hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid. As well, many skincare formulas often contain sodium hyaluronate, the salt form of hyaluronic acid. This form of HA softens and smoothes wrinkles in the lower layers of the skin as it can penetrate even deeper.

As we’ve mentioned above, hyaluronic acid is used in a wide range of products - from moisturisers to toners and serums - so the choice is yours as to how you want to get your fill of the plumping ingredient. 

However, it’s important to note that hyaluronic acid used incorrectly can also dehydrate your skin. 

The molecule needs water to plump, but without any moisture on the surface of your skin or from the air, it will pull the water from deep inside your skin. To avoid this, apply the product (we’re talking a serum or toner here) on damp skin, then quickly seal it in with a cream. 

Here, our top picks to get the right amount of hydrating goodness to your skin:

This is where this category of ingredients really shines. 

Known to have lighter textures compared to serums, both toners and essences are the best source for layering this marvellous ingredient, 7 skin style too. 

We love Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner, it nourishes and hydrates with a potent antioxidant and hyaluronic acid mix. 

Or try Sioris My First Essener. This toner-essence hybrid pairs triple hyaluronic acid with stress-busting organic green tea water and soothing mugwort leaf extract. 

This is probably the most traditional and well-known hyaluronic acid skincare product.

Huxley Grab Water Essencer is a must-try if you have oily or combination skin or want a glow-giving serum that works double duty as a hydrating makeup base. 

Thank You Farmer True Water Deep Serum banks on three heavy duty hydrators including HA to give more luminous, supple skin. 

And Dr. Ceuracle Hyal Reyouth Ampoule acts like a big gulp of water for parched skin thanks to moisture-boosting panthenol, niacinamide and a special 6-Hyaluronic Complex.

An HA-spiked cream works best to lock in the effects of a hyaluronic acid-based toner, essence, serum or ampoule.

For normal to dry skin try Huxley Antioxidant Cream; Anti-Gravity  which smoothes, firms and lifts too. 

All skin types will love Klairs Fundamental Water Gel Cream, which strengthens the skin’s barrier and nourishes with Jeju green tea water too. 

Top off your PM skincare routine with Dr. Ceuracle Hyal Reyouth Night Cream especially if you have dry or dehydrated skin. You’ll wake up to a more plumped up, line-free complexion in the morning.

Perfect before an event when you want your skin to look its best, sheet masks are known to give instant results.

Dr. Ceuracle Hyal Reyouth Lifting Mask works hard to create a red carpet-worthy glow thanks to six different forms of hyaluronic acid.

 Or indulge in Franz Microcurrent Dual Face Mask which uses microcurrent technology to push hyaluronic acid and other good-for-skin ingredients into the deeper layers of the skin.

Yes you can! Hyaluronic acid plays well with most other ingredients and can be paired with retinols, peels, vitamins, and other acids. 

One exception would be acids with low pH levels, like glycolic acid, because it may degrade the HA and make it ineffective. 

So, we would suggest to skip the HA and use another type of hydrator whenever you’re exfoliating with glycolic acid.

All skin types can benefits from hyaluronic acid, even those with acne or that are acne-prone. 

Here’s why: Hyaluronic acid can help protect the skin barrier, which is especially helpful for acne-prone skin, as this skin condition is typically associated with a damaged skin barrier. 

However, it’s important to note that HA is not a cure for acne and it doesn’t fill acne scars. It can help to improve the overall appearance of the skin, as it makes it ultimately smoother and softer.