If dull, dehydrated skin is not your jam, then hyaluronic acid might just be your bestie when it comes to your skincare routine. While you've probably seen influencers raving about it and its name splashed across a tonne of products, there's no denying that the thought of splashing "acid" on your face is a little daunting. But what actually is hyaluronic acid?
A moisture-binding molecule, hyaluronic acid occurs naturally in our bodies and can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water—making it an ideal ingredient choice for laying in your skincare routine. When paired alongside your favourite moisturiser, hyaluronic acid serums work to lock in and retain the skin's water content, reducing overall water-loss for ultimately plumper, more hydrated looking skin. Game to try it? Here are Urban List’s top picks for the best hyaluronic acid serums that you can add to your routine.
Best Hyaluronic Acid Serums To Shop In 2024
- Best Overall: La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Hyaluronic Acid Anti-Ageing Serum
- Best Value: Go-To’s Much Plumper Skin
- Best Budget-Friendly: The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid
- Best Splurge: Skinceuticals Hyaluronic Acid Intensifier
- Best Multi-Tasking: Medik8 Hydr8 B5
- Best For Sensitive Or Breakout-Prone Skin: IS Clinical Hydra Cool Serum
- Best For Dry Skin: CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum
Best Overall: La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Hyaluronic Acid Anti-Ageing Serum
Price: $74.95
Image credit: La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Hyaluronic Acid Anti-Ageing Serum | Website
This fresh, re-plumping hydrating water gel is a big gamechanger. Filled with hyaluronic acid, vitamin B5 and madecassoside, this drugstore favourite will recover bounce (the kind you had when you were fresh out of the womb), suppleness and a healthy-looking complexion. Shop here
Best Value: Go-To’s Much Plumper Skin
Price: $48
Image credit: Go-To Much Plumper Skin | Website
This hydrating serum is definitely a Go-To to keep your skin happy and hydrated. Much Plumper Skin is light-weight, fragrance free and sits perfectly well under makeup. Providing an instant boost of hydration, the serum is filled with peptides, provitamin B5 and four types of hyaluronic acids to plump and replenish your skin. Expertly designed to protect you from extremely dry or dehydrated skin, as well as reducing fine lines and wrinkles, this serum will leave you with radiant and glowing skin after just a single use. Shop here
Best Budget-Friendly: The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid
Price: $17
Image credit: Sephora The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid | Website
This hyaluronic acid serum proves that you don’t need to spend to get results. Targeting dry skin, dullness and uneven texture, The Inkey List’s dynamic blend provides hydration that is essential for healthy skin, as the hyaluronic acid works as a magnet for moisture, working beneath the skin to help your cells retain as much water as possible. Use this serum daily and discover your plumper, glowier self. Shop here
Best Splurge: Skinceuticals Hyaluronic Acid Intensifier
Price: $169
Image credit: Skinceuticals Hyaluronic Acid Intensifier | Website
While it is a bit of a splurge, investing in potent hydration for your skin will deliver potent results. SkinCeuticals hyaluronic acid uses a patented mix of botanicals and pure hyaluronic to deliver plumpness like no other. It has a gentle texture, is superabsorbent, and provides long-lasting hydration too. Shop here
Best Multi-Tasking: Medik8 Hydr8 B5
Price: $90
Image credit: Adore Beauty Medik8 Hydr8 B5 | Website
Hydr8 B5 is a best seller in the Medik8 range, with its lightweight yet deeply nourishing hyaluronic serum. Perfect for even the most sensitive skin types, this product packs a punch with additional vitamin B5 thrown in to help with water retention and cell renewal. The ingredients list is satisfyingly small, meaning you get all of the benefits of hyaluronic acid with no fillers, oil, fragrance or irritants. Shop here
Best For Sensitive Or Breakout Prone Skin: IS Clinical Hydra Cool Serum
Price: $108
Image credit: IS Clinical Hydra Cool Serum | Website
Formulated to hydrate and visibly soothe the skin, IS Clincial’s Hydra-Cool Serum is an ideal match for sensitive, sensitised or breakout-prone skin. Combining Hyaluronic Acid, alongside antioxidants, botanicals and bio-nutrients this product will calm and soothe all skin types and can be used in combination with other active ingredients to help reduce sensitivity. Shop here
Best For Dry Skin: CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum
Price: $38.99
Image credit: Adore Beauty CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum | Website
Those with dry or dehydrated skin will know that sometimes you need a little extra help from your products. Ideal for dry skin, CeraVe’s Hyaluronic Acid Serum contains a combination of essential ceramides, vitamin B5, patented MVE technology, alongside hyaluronic acid to provide a long lasting dose of hydration that layers perfectly under other products. Shop here
Still shopping? Check out:
- 22 Of The Best Activewear Brands To Shop In 2024
- Stanley Cup Dupes: Stay Hydrated With These Top On-The-Go Alternatives
- The Best LED Face Masks Available In Australia
Image credit: Medik8 Instagram | Go To Website | Go To Instagram
Urban List editors independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. Urban List has affiliate partnerships, and if you purchase something through the links in this article, we will earn a commission from those partners. To find out more about who we work with and why read our editorial policy here.