The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5: a Guru Score of 75%

What the experts use it for.

The concerns the experts tie this product to, in their own words. Paid and founder takes don't count.

Fine lines and wrinkles2 experts

“I use it in a targeted way on dynamic fine lines and wrinkles.”

Mad About Skin, watch at 19:43

Irritated or reactive skin1 expert

“As part of repairing and soothing my skin after swimming, I rely on something like The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid + B5.”

Doctor Anne, watch at 5:04

Skin barrier support1 expert

“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.”

Sincerely Miss Ash, watch at 9:41

Dehydrated skin1 expert

“Those areas are a bit more oily, perhaps bit more dehydrated, and it gives you the most incredible texture to your skin.”

Robert Welsh, watch at 10:43

Flaky dry patches1 expert

“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.”

Sincerely Miss Ash, watch at 7:41

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 Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

Dr. Jenny Liu

324k subs

✓Yay

"You can try [...] The Ordinary, they're obviously a smaller size, but for its price, I think it makes economical sense."

Hyram

4.33M subs

✓Nay

"One ingredient focused serums like the Ordinary hyaluronic acid serum are no longer worth your money. [...] The skincare industry has evolved so much since these were recommended 8 years ago. [...] Now there are a million options with significantly better formulas. Hyaluronic acid was not that common back in the day, which is why these serums were constantly recommended. But now hyaluronic acid [...] is in pretty much every single formula."

All 3 takes from Hyram

Specialist Reacts to TWICE's JIHYO's Skin Care Routine

"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."

7 Things No Longer Worth Your Money (Skin Care Edition)

"One ingredient focused serums like the Ordinary hyaluronic acid serum are no longer worth your money. [...] The skincare industry has evolved so much since these were recommended 8 years ago. [...] Now there are a million options with significantly better formulas. Hyaluronic acid was not that common back in the day, which is why these serums were constantly recommended. But now hyaluronic acid [...] is in pretty much every single formula."

Darnell Cox | 50+ Healthy Aging Expert

55k subs

✓Yay

"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."

Lab Muffin Beauty Science

865k subs

✓Yay

"They tested their 2% hyaluronic acid and B5 serum on dry and damp skin, and it worked around the same on both. Plus, it's not drier after using hyaluronic acid, but unsurprisingly, it works better if you also have a moisturizer on top, but also there's no difference there between wet and dry skin. [...] The amounts of hyaluronic acid are going to be pretty low. [...] If you have hyaluronic acid and thickeners in a product, they can form a film on your skin."

All 2 takes from Lab Muffin Beauty Science

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"They tested their 2% hyaluronic acid and B5 serum on dry and damp skin, and it worked around the same on both. Plus, it's not drier after using hyaluronic acid, but unsurprisingly, it works better if you also have a moisturizer on top, but also there's no difference there between wet and dry skin. [...] The amounts of hyaluronic acid are going to be pretty low. [...] If you have hyaluronic acid and thickeners in a product, they can form a film on your skin."

Chemist Ranks Reddit's Top Skincare Products

"The main complaint that people have about it that I agree with is that it's just a bit boring as a humectant. There are so many other ingredients that can do more. Glycerin is in so many things and it's a really good humectant already. There's snail secretions which is just a heavy hitter. This is just a bit meh. I don't hate it but [...] I probably wouldn't recommend it, but if you're using it I'm not going to knock it out of your hand."

208SkinDoc

2.10M subs

✓Yay

"The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2 percent plus B5 costs about 10 bucks and works just as well as serums costing $100 or more. [...] If you are spending much more than $20 on a pure hyaluronic acid serum, you are really just paying for marketing, not necessarily better ingredients."

Robert Welsh

1.11M subs

✓Yay

"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."

The Style and Beauty Doctor

222k subs

✓Nay

"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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"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"

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"The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid, [...] even this is not feeling the most hydrating."

Beyond50Skin

32k subs

✓Yay

"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."

Dr. Somji Skin

361k subs

✓Yay

"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 3 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."

How to Effectively Treat Rosacea | How To Use The Ordinary Skincare for Rosacea

"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."

Doctor Anne

56k subs

✓Yay

"As part of repairing and soothing my skin after swimming, I rely on something like The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid + B5."

Caroline Hirons

250k subs

✓Yay

"Hyaluronic serum from bobster um Sunday vitamin C MH L eye cream I just like it I like it"

Kelly Driscoll

91k subs

✓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."

Dr. Daniel Sugai

723k subs

✓Yay

"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."

All 7 takes from Dr. Daniel Sugai

Fine Lines, Clogged Pores & Dandruff: What Dermatologists Really Recommend

"I love The Ordinary, all very popular hyaluronic acid serums."

You Are Doing Your Skincare Incorrectly: Common Skincare Routine Mistakes

"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."

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."

Dermatologist Recommended Anti-Aging Essentials- Dermatologist Reviews

"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."

Dermatologist Reviews: Holiday Skincare Picks for All Ages 2023

"I'd say know the Ordinary I don't really care for the brand but their hyaluronic acid serum good"

Dr. Aanchal MD

3.50M subs

✓Yay

"The ordinary hyaluronic acid plus B5"

All 2 takes from Dr. Aanchal MD

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"The ordinary hyaluronic acid plus B5"

Sincerely Miss Ash

196k subs

✓Yay

"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 3 takes from Sincerely Miss Ash

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"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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"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."

🚨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."

Dr. Vanita Rattan

1.23M subs

✓Yay

"The Ordinary is the clear winner here."

All 2 takes from Dr. Vanita Rattan

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"The Ordinary is the clear winner here."

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"I'd follow it up by a humectant serum before your moisturizer, such as hyaluronic acid from The Ordinary."

Cassandra Bankson

2.46M subs

✓Yay

"This is one of the Ordinary's best sellers. [...] For hydration it's one of the best that they make and one of the most hydrating. It does get a little bit goopy so just be aware of that. Again, if you're more oily you might not love this as much, but for those who are dry or for those who are dehydrated this is amazing."

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All 4 takes from Cassandra Bankson

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"This is one of the Ordinary's best sellers. [...] For hydration it's one of the best that they make and one of the most hydrating. It does get a little bit goopy so just be aware of that. Again, if you're more oily you might not love this as much, but for those who are dry or for those who are dehydrated this is amazing."

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"I love the Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% plus B5 Hydrating Serum. This specifically has B5 as panthenol which we love, and we also love hyaluronic acid because it is a humectant so it can hold on to moisture and draw that into the skin. It [...] also has glycerin, so it's very hydrating to the skin, and then it has a red algae extract, so really good for antioxidants. For $6 and 80 cents, like you cannot beat this. I know it's a small amount but it works well."

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"The Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin B—it's a good product but it's not great. [...] I find that it doesn't play well with the Natural Moisturizing Factors."

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"The Ordinary is actually the little sister of NIOD, [...] they're owned by the same parent company, and the hyaluronic acid mixed with lactic acid is a really good exfoliating serum that also imparts some hydration into the skin."

James Welsh

1.58M subs

✓Yay

"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."

All 6 takes from James Welsh

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"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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"And my Hyaluronic Acid from The Ordinary. I know you're not meant to touch the applicator to your skin. I don't really care."

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"You can get 30ML of hyaluronic acid from The Ordinary for £8."

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"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."

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"This gives hydration to your skin to help give you this temporary plumpness. It's great to use in combination on damp skin morning and night, and you can use both morning and night, but be careful when you're using this with other products. I would give this time to settle into the skin before putting products on top of it because a lot of people find that this kind of pills on the skin. But again, it's a very good basic. This is 6.40 depending on where you're looking."

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"The hyaluronic acid is good for stopping dry skin from getting worse, but glycerin will actually attract more moisture to your skin and will actually moisturize it rather than just preventing it from getting worse. The real reason I'm making this video is the hyaluronic acid serum from the ordinary is eight dollars for a 30 milliliter bottle, while vegetable glycerin is three dollars for 118 milliliters, so you're paying too much for that."

No BS Beauty

89k subs

✓Nay

"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."

Dr Dray

2.69M subs

✓Yay

"If you want to use hyaluronic acid, the Ordinary is pretty good, they have a lot of it and it seems to be their main product."

Doctorly

3.59M subs

✓Yay

"The Ordinary's hyaluronic acid is really good. I would just find the cheapest one since you're applying it to the hair rather than the face, and The Ordinary's one is a good option for that."

Mad About Skin

734k subs

✓Nay

"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."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Humectants and emollients

Ingredients like these draw water into the surface layers and slow how fast it leaves. The evidence is for comfort, softness and hydration rather than for changing the structure of the skin.

Source: DermNet

Frequently asked.

What is The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5?

A water-based hyaluronic acid serum with vitamin B5, designed to give skin a surface boost of hydration and leave it feeling plumper and smoother.

Is The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 worth it?

Mostly yes. 17 of the 22 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 75%.

What is The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5's Guru Score?

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 holds a Guru Score of 75%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 22 expert reviewers we have collected. At least one expert has named it a Top Pick in its category.

Who is The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 best for?

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 is generally suited to oily skin, dry skin, combination skin, normal skin and sensitive skin.

What is The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 good for, according to the experts?

In their reviews, experts say The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 is good for fine lines and wrinkles (2 experts), irritated or reactive skin (1 expert), skin barrier support (1 expert), dehydrated skin (1 expert) and flaky dry patches (1 expert).

Is The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 good for fine lines and wrinkles?

2 experts who reviewed The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 say it is. Mad About Skin put it this way: “I use it in a targeted way on dynamic fine lines and wrinkles.”