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The Ordinary

Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5.

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5
Serums

About this product

A lightweight hydrating serum containing 2% hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5, designed to boost skin moisture and plump the appearance of fine lines.

Best for

Dry skinMature skin
Serums

The Guru Index verdict

71%

Approved

Approved · 71%
14Reviewers
10Approved
2Mixed
2Skip
#20 in Best Serums

What the gurus are saying

Gurus overwhelmingly praise this serum for its hydrating efficacy, affordability, and versatility in layering. The consensus is that it works best applied to damp skin and sealed with a moisturizer to lock in hydration. One reviewer noted improved compatibility with other products compared to The Ordinary's original HA formula, which previously caused foaming and irritation. A minority concern is that it alone may not feel sufficiently hydrating without proper layering technique.
Synthesized from 14 expert reviews

Key actives & flags

Hyaluronic acidFragrance-freeAlcohol-free

Full ingredients

Aqua (Water), Sodium Hyaluronate, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Panthenol, Ahnfeltia Concinna Extract, Glycerin, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Citric Acid, Isoceteth-20, Ethoxydiglycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol

Every take, in full

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Approved only Skip only Mixed only Hide sponsored
Approved
"I know that The Ordinary also makes a great one. I know that Timeless makes a great one, but I like this because of the pump and because of the size of it."
Approved
"I've been loving this one from The Ordinary. I love just straight up hyaluronic acid as a primer, and it's skincare, so you can incorporate that into your skincare routine. Morning, evening, and you can incorporate into your pre makeup skincare routine if you want. For me that's a good enough primer. It makes the skin feel even the whole way around. Those areas are a bit more oily, perhaps bit more dehydrated, and it gives you the most incredible texture to your skin."
Approved
"I love The Ordinary, all very popular hyaluronic acid serums."
All 6 takes from Dr. Daniel Sugai
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"I love The Ordinary, all very popular hyaluronic acid serums."
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"Whether it's Vichy Mineral 89 or if you have The Ordinary or the Inkey List hyaluronic acid or even CeraVe, you want to apply that to damp skin. The reason behind that is that hyaluronic acid is a carbohydrate, it's a sugar that's naturally found in our skin and after age 25 we start losing the production, we start having less production of hyaluronic acid and less stores of hyaluronic acid, and so our skin becomes more dull, a little bit more crepey, dehydrated look to it, more wrinkles. So we want to add more hyaluronic acid to the skin. We want to apply it to damp skin, meaning after a cleanse or if you have one of those thermal sprays. You get that temporary plumping and then follow up with a moisturizer over it. A lot of patients aren't following up with the moisturizer as well, so if you just have your hyaluronic acid on your skin, yes the sugar is soaking up all the moisture in your skin but it's not going to retain it. You need an emollient to seal it all in and that's where a moisturizer comes in."
Dermatologist Reviews: Essentials in your Winter Skincare Routine!
"The Ordinary, you got the Inky List, those are more affordable options that you can get like say Sephora. Those hyaluronic acid serums are just fine. Hyaluronic acid we talked about is a water magnet. Put that on to damp skin after you cleanse, trap in all that moisture, and then go ahead and put a moisturizing cream over it."
Dermatologist Explains: Three Ways to Improve Crow’s Feet!
"You want to put a hydrator like hyaluronic acid. You can get The Ordinary's hyaluronic acid. This is just great to put on damp skin and then what you do is you put a moisturizer over it to seal it in with your favorite moisturizer. The hyaluronic acid just soaked up all that moisture, so that is a nice way to reduce the fine lines."
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"The Ordinary is a very affordable brand. You could always do a hyaluronic acid serum with a moisturizer if it's very subtle and not too deep in the crease, and then layer with the moisturizer over it."
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"If you want a nice hyaluronic acid serum, I also like The Ordinary's hyaluronic acid serum."
~Mixed
"The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid, even this is not feeling the most hydrating."
All 2 takes from The Style and Beauty Doctor
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"The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid, even this is not feeling the most hydrating."
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"you're also going to get The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 hydrating serum so you know you're already in the name you know that that's going to hydrate"
Approved
"You can get 30ML of hyaluronic acid from The Ordinary for £8."
All 3 takes from James Welsh
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"The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid, one thing I very much started to dislike about their hyaluronic acid is that it just wouldn't play nice with other serums, moisturizers, and sunscreens in particular. It would foam for some reason, and it just wouldn't play nicely with other products in the rest of my routine. But with this product, it sits perfectly with any other product I've ever used. I've noticed a significant drop in how often my skin gets irritated and how often I have flare-ups. Last year it was a given that the moment I went outside and walked the dogs I would come back with rosy red cheeks and my skin would be very very dry, and that hasn't happened yet."
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"You can get 30ML of hyaluronic acid from The Ordinary for £8."
The Truth Behind The Tragic Downfall Of The Ordinary - When Beauty Turns Ugly 💜 James Welsh
"I don't think any of us knew what Hyaluronic Acid was before The Ordinary launched their serum. Thanks to The Ordinary, consumers are more clued up on ingredients in their skincare, but also the price points of skincare. The Ordinary really has changed the way the beauty industry and consumers see and consume skincare in so many different ways."
Approved
"I've taken a quarter dropper of the HA Serum by The Ordinary and their material peptide serum, put it in this little container, shook it up, and I have a concealer ready to go. Giving products a little rejuvenation with some of your more inexpensive serums, a little HA or a little peptide serum, is such a fantastic way to get a little bit more life out of our products."
Approved
"The Ordinary have a great hyaluronic acid that you can use which is really nice to just kind of hydrate the skin. Because the superficial skin is a bit more dehydrated with rosacea, it's going to hydrate both in the upper levels of the skin and also the mid layers of the skin as well because of the different molecule sizes that you see within a product, and your body will then draw in moisture to that area so it's going to help with hydration."
All 5 takes from Dr. Somji Skin
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"The Ordinary have a great hyaluronic acid that you can use which is really nice to just kind of hydrate the skin. Because the superficial skin is a bit more dehydrated with rosacea, it's going to hydrate both in the upper levels of the skin and also the mid layers of the skin as well because of the different molecule sizes that you see within a product, and your body will then draw in moisture to that area so it's going to help with hydration."
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"Hyaluronic acid 2% plus B5 with The Ordinary is a nice stable one to use. You want to start using the thinner stuff first, so you use the HA. Hyaluronic acid attracts a thousand times its weight in water, so you're almost seeding those lower levels with hyaluronic acid so you can gather more moisture as you add on each layer."
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"The Ordinary have a great hyaluronic acid that you can use which is really nice to just kind of hydrate the skin. Because the superficial skin is a bit more dehydrated with rosacea, it's going to hydrate both in the upper levels of the skin and also the mid layers of the skin as well because of the different molecule sizes that you see within the product, and your body will then draw in moisture to that area so it's going to help with hydration."
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"This is a good one from The Ordinary which I always is one of my favorites because of the price point and what's involved is the natural moisturizing factors and hyaluronic acid and you can feel it actually over here it's fantastic for moisture. Once you've cleansed and hydrated this is going to hydrate the area which is fantastic."
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"Using things like hyaluronic acid from The Ordinary are really quite good. That's like the main ingredient that most people use. And you can put different actives so if you suffer from pigmentation you can mix it up with some vitamin C as well, but you have to make sure that that vitamin C has no irritating qualities, nothing in there that's going to really kind of harm the skin."
Approved
"Hyaluronic serum from bobster um Sunday vitamin C MH L eye cream I just like it I like it"
~Mixed
"The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 is affordable and accessible. Is it exciting? Not necessarily. But is it effective? I think it can be for a lot of folks."
Approved
"This has recently been reformulated so the formulation isn't as sticky and as tacky as the original formula, but they've also added ceramides to the ingredient list which helps to repair and strengthen the skin barrier. Ceramides also help to prevent transepidermal water loss, so this serum is honestly really nice. I haven't experienced peeling with this one, which was one of my main reasons why I really didn't like the original hyaluronic acid from The Ordinary. I always had peeling with it, but I haven't experienced peeling with this yet, so I really like this one."
All 6 takes from Sincerely Miss Ash
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"This has recently been reformulated so the formulation isn't as sticky and as tacky as the original formula, but they've also added ceramides to the ingredient list which helps to repair and strengthen the skin barrier. Ceramides also help to prevent transepidermal water loss, so this serum is honestly really nice. I haven't experienced peeling with this one, which was one of my main reasons why I really didn't like the original hyaluronic acid from The Ordinary. I always had peeling with it, but I haven't experienced peeling with this yet, so I really like this one."
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"The Ordinary just recently reformulated their cult favorite hyaluronic acid serum. There were a lot of complaints that people were saying the formulation was just too sticky and too tacky, and I found that to be the same, but I also felt like this pilled a lot with my skincare products. Now the formulation isn't as sticky and tacky, it's more lightweight, and it also does not pill anymore, which is amazing because if you've ever experienced skincare pilling it's awful. They have added ceramides to the formulation, and ceramides are great to have in skincare because they really help to strengthen and repair the skin barrier. That's especially important when you are using actives like tretinoin or retinol as it really does help to prevent transepidermal water loss. With hyaluronic acid, as you know, it's very hydrating and it can plump up the skin as well. This can be used every day twice a day, but this formulation now from The Ordinary is especially great because of the added ceramides that really help to give our skin that extra support."
🚨THE ORDINARY REFORMULATED THEIR BEST SELLING HYALURONIC ACID SERUM AND THIS IS WHY🚨
"I am very excited that they have reformulated this serum because it is supposed to be a lot different in terms of texture and consistency. The reason being is because there were a lot of people that had the same complaints as I did. The formulation was too tacky, too sticky, and it was also very heavy on the skin, and I also found the same thing."
🚨THE ORDINARY REFORMULATED THEIR BEST SELLING HYALURONIC ACID SERUM AND THIS IS WHY🚨
"This was never my favorite formulation because it pilled all the time with my skin care products. I am very excited that they have reformulated this serum because it is supposed to be a lot different in terms of texture and consistency."
🚨THE ORDINARY REFORMULATED THEIR BEST SELLING HYALURONIC ACID SERUM AND THIS IS WHY🚨
"The formulation was too tacky too sticky and it was also very heavy on the skin. The hyaluronic acid just always pilled no matter what serum and product I put on top of it and even when I got to my makeup stage the same thing. Peeling is essentially where your products are reacting with one another and things are just balling off the skin, everything's rolling off the skin and it looks like dead skin on your hands although it's not, it's just your products not layering nicely and everything just starts peeling off the skin. So when this happens you have to wash your face again and start all over and start eliminating products. I always knew it was that hyaluronic acid serum so I stopped using it because of this."
🚨THE ORDINARY REFORMULATED THEIR BEST SELLING HYALURONIC ACID SERUM AND THIS IS WHY🚨
"With this new formulation this is going to give you softer smoother skin within 2 weeks of use, it can help to reduce the appearance of fine lines within 4 weeks of use, and it can help to promote skin elasticity within 4 weeks of use. The more consistent you are with this serum the better, so you can use this every day twice a day if you wish to, or you can just use this once a day if you want to. It's a very gentle formula that can be paired up with anything. Just remember to use your hyaluronic acid serum after cleansing, after a toner or an essence, and then use it within your water-based serums, and if you're using anything thicker like a milky serum or a moisturizer or sunscreen, you want to put those on after your hyaluronic acid serum."
Approved
"The Ordinary is the clear winner here."
Approved
"The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 would be a similar product because it's a relatively similar ingredient list but without the irritants and for like a tenth of the price."
All 2 takes from Hyram
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"The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 would be a similar product because it's a relatively similar ingredient list but without the irritants and for like a tenth of the price."
Specialist Reacts to Nicola Coughlan's Skin Care Routine
"I personally don't believe that hyaluronic acid serums are necessary in a skincare routine because 95% of the products you find on the market have hyaluronic acid in them already, so there's no reason to really have a dedicated one when it's already a component of the majority of skincare products out there. I would recommend instead going in with a serum that has a plethora and bigger range of beneficial ingredients for the skin in addition to hyaluronic acid. But you know, this product has a cult following for a reason and I'm not mad at it."
Skip
"Their EUK serum, this stuff to me felt a little too hydrating or slippery and it took a long time to absorb, so I didn't absolutely love that one."
Skip
"One of my least favorite products from The Ordinary is their hyaluronic acid serum. It's in everything as an ingredient. It's in everything. You do not need a standalone hyaluronic acid serum. And the fact that this is one of the best sellers from The Ordinary makes me really sad because actually a better product exists in the same collection. Hyaluronic acid is a humectant which draws in moisture. And if you're living in quite a dry and arid environment, it can actually end up sucking moisture from the deeper levels of the skin, actually being counterintuitive and dehydrating."
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"My issue with it is I just think there's too much hyaluronic acid in our lives. It's in every part of our skincare routine from our cleansers through to our serums, moisturizers, sunscreens. Hyaluronic acid is in everything and so I don't really feel we need a separate hyaluronic acid serum. A lot of people might find that they're overdoing it. Too much hyaluronic acid can lead to dryness and irritation. I would genuinely say if you're using a separate hyaluronic acid serum, try doing without it, see if your skin misses it. For a lot of people you might actually get better results cutting it out than what you're getting at the moment."
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"I use it in a targeted way on dynamic fine lines and wrinkles. I use it on the neck. I use it on the hands. It hydrates, it plumps, and it instantly reduces wrinkles. Does all of that for like £8. You can't go wrong."
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"One of my least favorite products from The Ordinary is their hyaluronic acid serum. It's in everything as an ingredient. It's in everything. You do not need a standalone hyaluronic acid serum. And the fact that this is one of the best sellers from The Ordinary makes me really sad because actually a better product exists in the same collection. Hyaluronic acid is a humectant which draws in moisture. And if you're living in quite a dry and arid environment, it can actually end up sucking moisture from the deeper levels of the skin, actually being counterintuitive and dehydrating."
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"There's a good dose of hyaluronic acid in here, so if you're using a separate hyaluronic acid serum, say like the one from The Ordinary, I personally would ditch that and use this in its place. You can have too much of a good thing, and because this has a decent amount of hyaluronic acid in it, you probably don't want to use a standalone hyaluronic acid serum alongside it. That might be too much for the skin. See this as like a two-in-one peptide and hyaluronic acid serum together. It'll save you a step in your skincare routine and I think it'll just prevent the risk of overloading the skin with that hyaluronic acid."
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