Hyaluronic Acid for Skin: What Skincare Experts Say
The hydrator in nearly every product, and one of the most argued about. What it does, what the research shows, how to use it, and what 22 skincare experts said about it on camera.
Hyaluronic acid is in your serum, your moisturiser, maybe even your sunscreen. So do you need a bottle of it on its own? Does it have to go on damp skin? Is it true it can pull water out of your face and leave you drier than before? And is the serum anything like the filler you keep hearing about?
The experts' view is calmer than the hype. They agree it is a gentle hydrator that helps your skin hold water, and that it works best sealed in under a moisturiser. Where they part ways is on whether it deserves all the hype, and on how fussy it is to use.
That split shows in hyaluronic acid's Guru Score of 59%, which may be lower than you would expect for something on so many labels. The fans call it a safe, proven humectant. The sceptics say it is overhyped, that you rarely need a serum of it on its own, and that on dehydrated skin or in dry air it can leave you feeling drier. Not every Nay is about the serum, either: a few are about hyaluronic acid fillers or a single product's fragrance. Below, what the experts said sits right next to what the studies found, so you can see where the two line up.
The quick answer
Hyaluronic acid is a hydrating skincare ingredient: a humectant that helps the top layers of your skin hold on to water. The experts we track differ on how much fuss it deserves, but both camps want it sealed in under a moisturiser. In a 60 day trial, creams with 0.1% hyaluronic acid improved skin hydration and elasticity compared with a plain cream [2]. The sceptics' main point, that it works best sealed in under a moisturiser, matches how reviews say humectants should be used [3].
Before you buy
What to look for in a hyaluronic acid product
Check what you already useHyaluronic acid is already in so many products that a separate serum is optional. If your moisturiser contains it, you may not need another step.
Know the molecule sizeIn a lab study, small hyaluronic acid passed the skin's outer layer and large did not [5]. In a 60 day trial every size improved hydration, but only the smaller ones reduced wrinkle depth [2].
Something to seal it inOn its own, a humectant can let water escape from the skin's surface, so plan to finish with a moisturiser or occlusive on top [3].
What the product really isMany products with hyaluronic acid in the name are really something else, such as an exfoliating acid, with hyaluronic acid added. Treat those as an exfoliant first.
Hyaluronic acid at a glance
Question
What we found
What is it used for?
Hydration. It is a humectant, which means it binds water [1, 3].
Do skincare experts recommend it?
Opinions differ. The fans call it a safe, proven hydrator, while the sceptics say it is overhyped as a step of its own.
Is it an exfoliating acid?
No. It is a large sugar-based molecule your skin already makes, not an AHA or BHA [1].
Can it dry out your skin?
Humectants can draw water up from deeper skin, where it evaporates, which is why reviews pair them with occlusives [3]. Seal it in.
Does molecular weight matter?
Yes. In a lab study, small hyaluronic acid passed the skin's outer layer and large hyaluronic acid did not [5].
Is the serum the same as filler?
No. Hyaluronic acid filler is an injected medical device, not a skincare product [8].
Hyaluronic acid for skin: what does it do?
Despite the name, hyaluronic acid is not an exfoliating acid. It is a long chain of sugar units that your body makes itself, and around half of it sits in your skin, mostly in the deeper layer, the dermis [1]. Its talent is holding water, which makes it central to skin moisture, and its loss from the skin's outer layer is one of the changes seen with age [1].
In skincare it works as a humectant: an ingredient that attracts and binds water in the outer layers of your skin [3]. Moisturisers combine three kinds of ingredient. Humectants pull water in, emollients smooth the surface, and occlusives sit on top and slow water loss. Humectants on their own can draw water up from deeper skin into the surface, where it evaporates, so reviews of moisturisers recommend pairing them with an occlusive [3].
That is why the American Academy of Dermatology lists hyaluronic acid alongside glycerin, petrolatum and shea butter as ingredients to look for in a cream for dry skin [4].
The short versionHyaluronic acid is a hydrator, not an exfoliant. It pulls water into your skin, and it needs a moisturiser on top to keep it there.
What do skincare experts say about hyaluronic acid?
Here is what each of them said on camera, with a link to the moment they said it. We picked takes that show the range, from the fans to the sceptics.
Calls it a safe, well-proven humectant that can also help cushion the dryness retinoids cause.
hyaluronic acid is a humectant. It helps to improve water content in the skin. It is well established to be safe and to be effective for moisturizing the skin. It's formulated into well moisturizers as well as a variety of other products. hyaluronic acid also can help with the penetration of other ingredients of interest in a formulation. And it can help offset dryness and irritation that might occur from using certain topicals such as topical retinoids.Watch ▸
Wants it as one humectant in a dry-skin moisturiser, alongside emollients and occlusives.
Find a moisturizer that contains ceramide, shea butter, cocoa butter, glycerine, Hyaluronic Acid, niacinamide. All this helps in moisturizing the skin for a long time. You need something that has emollients, occlusives and also humectants. Humectants tends to pull water to the surface of the skin and plump the skin up.Watch ▸
Says it can make dehydration-prone skin worse when the air around it is dry.
But because it's a big molecule that attracts hydration from all directions, if there is not a lot of hydration in the environment around it, it will start to draw the hydration from deeper within your skin. [...] If you are prone to dehydration, it is probably going to start actively working against you, making your dehydration worse in the long term. [...] This ingredient is not the ideal hydrator for folks who are prone to dehydration.Watch ▸
Says you do not need a dedicated serum, because hyaluronic acid is already in so many products.
You do not need a Hyaluronic Acid Serum in your skincare routine because hyaluronic acid is in literally every single skincare product on the marketWatch ▸
Rates applying it to damp skin as a matter of preference, not a rule.
You're adding more water and that water makes your skin lose water more easily, so if you quickly slap on an occlusive when your skin is still wet, then that just sort of slows down that evaporation. [...] If you like having extra water, then use it. If you don't like using extra water, don't feel like you have to, because I don't know if your moisturizers are stealing your water. [...] It's entirely a preference thing.Watch ▸
Warn against putting hyaluronic acid on dry lips on its own, especially in a dry climate.
I do not recommend especially if you have dry lips especially if you live in an aid climate for you to just raw dog hyaluronic acid on your lips by itselfWatch ▸
Key takeawayThe fans call it a safe, effective humectant. The sceptics say it is overhyped and fussy. Both camps want it sealed in under a moisturiser.
Where do the experts agree?
The fans and the sceptics agree on more than you might think, and the caveats are where the useful detail sits.
Where they agree
It is a hydrator, a humectant, and it works best under a moisturiser or occlusive.
It is gentle, and plays well with most other skincare.
It is already in so many products that a separate serum is optional.
The caveats
On its own, a humectant can let water escape from the skin's surface, so seal it in [3].
Large hyaluronic acid molecules stay on the surface; smaller ones reach further [5].
Lips are where the experts are most cautious: always put something on top.
Some Nay verdicts here are about fillers, which are a medical procedure, not skincare [8].
What does the research say about hyaluronic acid?
The research backs it as a hydrator. In a trial of 76 women, creams with 0.1% hyaluronic acid were applied around one eye twice a day for 60 days, with a plain cream around the other eye. Every hyaluronic acid cream improved skin hydration and elasticity compared with the plain cream [2]. A 2022 review of topical hyaluronic acid concluded that it is well tolerated and effective for skin hydration [6].
Molecular weight: small versus large
Hyaluronic acid comes in different molecule sizes, measured in kilodaltons (kDa). In a lab study of human skin, low molecular weight hyaluronic acid (20 to 300 kDa) passed through the skin's outer layer, while high molecular weight hyaluronic acid (1000 to 1400 kDa) did not [5]. In the 60 day trial, the smaller sizes (50 and 130 kDa) were the only ones that also reduced wrinkle depth, which the authors put down to better penetration [2].
So Kelly Driscoll's point that the big molecules stay near the surface has support. That is not the same as useless: in the trial, the large sizes still improved hydration [2].
Does hyaluronic acid pull water out of your skin?
This is the sceptics' main charge, and the honest answer is: possibly, if you leave it on its own. A review of moisturisers notes that humectants can increase water loss by drawing water from the deeper skin into the surface, where it evaporates, and that this is why they are usually combined with occlusives [3]. That is a point about humectants in general.
We found no trial showing that a hyaluronic acid product dried out skin in dry air. The trials we found tested hyaluronic acid in a cream, and hydration went up [2]. So the claim is plausible as a mechanism, not proven as an outcome, and the fix both camps give is the same: put a moisturiser or occlusive on top.
Stretch marks
Some of our experts suggest hyaluronic acid for stretch marks. The evidence is thin. A systematic review of creams for stretch marks found one trial in which 10% of pregnant women using a cream containing hyaluronic acid developed stretch marks, against 70% on placebo, but it judged the evidence for creams overall to be lacking [7].
The thing to rememberGood evidence that it hydrates, and small molecules reach further than large ones. The drying-out worry has a real mechanism behind it but no trial showing it happens, and a moisturiser on top deals with it either way.
Hyaluronic acid serum vs hyaluronic acid filler
Several of our experts talk about hyaluronic acid fillers, and a few of the Nay verdicts in this guide come from those procedures rather than from skincare. They are different things. A filler is an injected gel regulated in the US as a medical device, used to add volume to the face [8]. A serum or cream is a skincare product you put on your skin.
Fillers carry risks a serum does not, including injection into a blood vessel, tissue damage and, rarely, blindness [8]. The FDA says needle-free pens are not approved for injecting filler, and warns against buying filler online or injecting yourself [8]. Hyaluronic acid filler can be dissolved with an enzyme called hyaluronidase, which is also used to treat filler complications [9].
What about supplements?
Hyaluronic acid also comes as a pill. A 2025 meta-analysis of 7 randomised trials found oral hyaluronic acid improved skin hydration, elasticity and wrinkle depth compared with placebo, but the trials were small and varied, and the authors called for larger studies [10].
If you remember one thingThis guide is about hyaluronic acid as a skincare ingredient. Filler is a medical procedure for a qualified injector, and the pill is a separate question.
How do you use hyaluronic acid in a skincare routine?
Hyaluronic acid shows up in serums, moisturisers, cleansers, sunscreens and masks. In the trial that found it improved hydration, people used a cream twice a day [2]. Whatever form you use, finish with a moisturiser or occlusive so the water it draws in stays put [3].
Do you need to apply it to damp skin?
It is a popular rule, and our experts do not agree on it. Lab Muffin Beauty Science, a cosmetic chemist, rates it a matter of preference: a product already holds plenty of water, and the extra water mostly matters straight after a shower. The American Academy of Dermatology does advise putting moisturiser on while your skin is still damp after a shower or bath, to trap moisture [4].
Morning or night?
Either. It is gentle and fits around most routines. If you use it in the morning, follow it with moisturiser and sunscreen.
On your lips
Here the experts are most cautious. Doctorly do not recommend hyaluronic acid on its own on dry lips, especially in a dry climate, and Dr. Shereene Idriss finds it irritates her own lips and uses glycerin instead. Dr Dray's version is a drop of hyaluronic acid serum sealed in with plain petroleum jelly. The common thread: never leave it on your lips without something on top.
Worth knowingUse it under a moisturiser, morning or night. Damp skin is optional; sealing it in is not.
What can you use hyaluronic acid with?
Hyaluronic acid is about as easy to pair as skincare gets, because it is gentle and does not exfoliate. The bigger question, as Dr. Shereene Idriss points out, is whether you need a separate step for it at all, since it is already in so many products.
Hyaluronic acid and retinol
Dr Dray says hyaluronic acid can help offset the dryness and irritation retinoids can cause. Introduce the retinoid slowly and keep a moisturiser on top.
Hyaluronic acid and exfoliating acids
Plenty of exfoliants add hyaluronic acid to the formula, including several of the products below. It does not cancel out the exfoliant, so treat the product as an exfoliant first and use it as often as your skin tolerates the acid.
Hyaluronic acid and occlusives
This is the pairing that matters most. Hyaluronic acid draws water in, and an occlusive such as petrolatum, or a rich moisturiser, slows it from escaping [3, 4].
The experts' picks, by what you need
The best one for you depends on your skin and your budget, so here is the top-rated pick for each need, from the products below.
A product's score is not the ingredient's score. Many products with hyaluronic acid in the name are really something else, such as an exfoliating acid, with hyaluronic acid added, and the formula decides the verdict. These are the highest-scoring products with hyaluronic acid in the name that at least three experts have rated, ranked by Guru Score.
Hyaluronic acid hydrates. It is a humectant, which means it attracts and binds water in the outer layers of your skin [3]. Your skin makes it naturally, and around half of the body's supply sits in the skin [1]. In a 60 day trial, creams with 0.1% hyaluronic acid improved skin hydration and elasticity compared with a plain cream [2].
02
Is hyaluronic acid overhyped?
Some of our experts think so. Dr. Shereene Idriss says you do not need a hyaluronic acid serum because it is already in so many products, and Kelly Driscoll finds it fussy on dehydrated skin. Others, like Dr Dray, call it a safe, well-proven humectant. The research backs it as a hydrator [2, 6], so overhyped mostly means oversold as a standalone step, not useless.
03
Can hyaluronic acid dry out your skin?
Possibly, if you use it on its own. Reviews of moisturisers note that humectants can draw water from deeper skin into the surface, where it evaporates, which is why they are paired with occlusives [3]. We found no trial showing a hyaluronic acid product dried skin out, and in trials of hyaluronic acid creams hydration went up [2]. The simple fix is a moisturiser on top.
04
Do you have to apply hyaluronic acid to damp skin?
No. Lab Muffin Beauty Science, a cosmetic chemist, calls it a matter of preference, since products already contain plenty of water. Damp skin does matter after a shower: the American Academy of Dermatology advises moisturising while your skin is still damp after bathing, to trap moisture [4]. Whether your skin is damp or dry, finish with a moisturiser.
05
Can you use hyaluronic acid every day?
Yes. It is gentle, and in the trial that showed it improved hydration and elasticity, people applied it twice a day for 60 days [2]. Use it under a moisturiser, morning, night or both. A 2022 review of topical hyaluronic acid found it well tolerated [6].
06
Do you need a hyaluronic acid serum?
Not necessarily. Dr. Shereene Idriss says you do not need one, because hyaluronic acid is already in so many skincare products, and that is a common thread among the sceptics. If your moisturiser contains it, a separate serum is optional. A serum makes most sense if your skin is dry and you like a lighter hydrating layer under your cream.
07
Low vs high molecular weight hyaluronic acid: which is better?
They do different jobs. In a lab study, low molecular weight hyaluronic acid (20 to 300 kDa) passed through the skin's outer layer, while high molecular weight hyaluronic acid (1000 to 1400 kDa) stayed out [5]. In a 60 day trial, every size improved hydration, but only the smaller sizes reduced wrinkle depth [2]. Many products combine several sizes.
08
Can you use hyaluronic acid with retinol?
Yes. Dr Dray says hyaluronic acid can help offset the dryness and irritation retinoids can cause. It is gentle and does not exfoliate, so it adds no irritation of its own. Bring the retinoid in slowly and keep a moisturiser on top.
09
Can you put hyaluronic acid on your lips?
Only with something on top. Doctorly do not recommend it on its own on dry lips, especially in a dry climate, and Dr. Shereene Idriss finds it irritates her lips, so she uses glycerin instead. Dr Dray recommends a drop of hyaluronic acid serum on the lips, sealed in with plain petroleum jelly.
10
Is hyaluronic acid safe in pregnancy?
Several of our experts consider it pregnancy safe, including Dr. Mamina, a dermatologist, and Nipun Kapur, a skincare consultant. We found little research on using it on the skin during pregnancy, though, so check with your doctor or midwife, especially for anything beyond an everyday moisturiser.
11
Does hyaluronic acid help stretch marks?
The evidence is thin. A systematic review found one trial in which 10% of pregnant women using a cream containing hyaluronic acid developed stretch marks, against 70% on placebo, but it judged the evidence for stretch mark creams overall to be lacking [7]. Some of our experts suggest it, mostly to keep stretching skin comfortable.
12
Is hyaluronic acid serum the same as hyaluronic acid filler?
No. Filler is a hyaluronic acid gel injected under the skin to add volume, and in the US it is regulated as a medical device [8]. It carries risks a serum does not, and should only be done by a qualified injector [8]. Hyaluronic acid filler can be dissolved with an enzyme called hyaluronidase [9]. A serum is a skincare product you put on your skin.
13
Do hyaluronic acid supplements work?
There is some early evidence. A 2025 meta-analysis of 7 randomised trials found oral hyaluronic acid improved skin hydration, elasticity and wrinkle depth compared with placebo [10]. The trials were small and varied, and the authors called for larger studies. Dr Dray, a dermatologist, also says there is some evidence that oral hyaluronic acid can improve moisture in the skin.
The experts behind the score
22 experts, 44 mentions, every one traced to a video you can watch. Sponsored takes are excluded.
Papakonstantinou E, Roth M, Karakiulakis G. Hyaluronic acid: A key molecule in skin aging. Dermato-Endocrinology, 2012. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23467280/
Pavicic T et al. Efficacy of cream-based novel formulations of hyaluronic acid of different molecular weights in anti-wrinkle treatment. Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22052267/
Purnamawati S, Indrastuti N, Danarti R, Saefudin T. The Role of Moisturizers in Addressing Various Kinds of Dermatitis: A Review. Clinical Medicine & Research, 2017. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29229630/
Essendoubi M et al. Human skin penetration of hyaluronic acid of different molecular weights as probed by Raman spectroscopy. Skin Research and Technology, 2016. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25877232/
Bravo B et al. Benefits of topical hyaluronic acid for skin quality and signs of skin aging: From literature review to clinical evidence. Dermatologic Therapy, 2022. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36200921/
Ud-Din S, McGeorge D, Bayat A. Topical management of striae distensae (stretch marks): prevention and therapy of striae rubrae and albae. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2016. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26486318/
Kroumpouzos G, Treacy P. Hyaluronidase for Dermal Filler Complications: Review of Applications and Dosage Recommendations. JMIR Dermatology, 2024. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38231537/
Amin P et al. Oral Hyaluronic Acid Supplement: Efficacy in Skin Hydration, Elasticity, and Wrinkle Depth Reduction. Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40911749/
How this guide was made
This guide combines two kinds of information. The expert consensus comes from 44 mentions of hyaluronic acid by 22 skincare experts in their YouTube videos. Each one was read, given a Yay, Mixed or Nay verdict and linked to the moment it was said. Sponsored takes are excluded. The mentions include takes on hyaluronic acid fillers and supplements as well as skincare, so the Guru Score reflects all three. The research sections summarise published studies and medical sources, listed in full above.
The Guru Score measures how warmly the experts talk about hyaluronic acid. It is not a measure of clinical effectiveness, and this guide is not medical advice. It has not been reviewed by a doctor.
This guide is general information, not medical advice. The Guru Score reflects how warmly the experts we track talk about hyaluronic acid; it is not a measure of clinical efficacy. Speak to a dermatologist or doctor about a diagnosed skin condition, and before using any medicine.
Dr. Aleksandra Brown
Dr. Daniel Sugai
Dr. Mamina
Dr. Somji Skin
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Nipun Kapur
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