The 14 Best Hyaluronic Acid Serums We Tested for a Hydrated, Glass-Skin Glow

Best Overall

Isdin Isdinceutics Hyaluronic Concentrate

$115 at Amazon $115 at Dermstore $115 at Lovelyskin.com

Why We Love It: We hate to throw around the term “skin care magic,” but it’s the best way to describe how our tester felt about the Isdin Isdinceutics Hyaluronic Concentrate. It efficiently solved some of her biggest skin issues, including acne, dryness, and dull texture. Of course, this serum is better than any magic trick because the ingenious formula, which contains two types of hyaluronic acid and skin-barrier strengthening peptides, gave her skin a pillow-soft texture that was absolutely real.

Who It's For: We'd feel good recommending this to any skin type. Its lightweight, nonirritating formula is safe for sensitive skin types and has powerful ingredients that can turn hopelessly dry, flaky skin into an ultrasmooth canvas.

Worth Noting: It's a desert island product for aging and extremely dry skin, but people with normal skin may be able to get the same results from a less expensive serum.

Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, biomarine (low and medium molecular weight), peptides, lentil extract | Size: 1 oz

Amanda, tester with dry, combination skin: "My skin texture used to be very uneven and dry in most places, but now I feel like it is more consistent throughout my whole face, and the serum is to thank for that. It feels hydrated and moisturized more now than ever."

Best Budget

The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Serum

$13 at Amazon $13 at Sephora $13 at Kohls.com

Why We Love It: This quick-drying formula has a gel-like consistency that sunk into InStyle tester Jaylyn's skin in under 30 seconds. It left a lovely, even base for the skin care and makeup she layered on top of it. Additionally, its trademarked formula of peptides helped give her skin a bouncy, radiant texture after just a couple of uses. Meanwhile, the radish root extract's antimicrobial effects killed any acne-causing bacteria and mitigated T-zone sheen.

Who It's For: If you prefer to spend your time elsewhere (a.k.a. not on your skin care routine), the Inkey List provides a quick-absorbing product you can slap on and move on to other things. It pairs well with all skin types, makeup, and busy mornings.

Worth Noting: It doesn't come with a dropper, so be prepared to squeeze it directly onto your skin or in your hand.

Key Ingredients: Multi molecular hyaluronic acid 2%, brand's patented Matrixyl 3000 Peptide | Size: 1 oz

Jaylyn, tester with oily, combination skin: "I noticed that my skin seems to have a more even texture. I also have some rosacea-esque spots on the apples of my cheeks, and I noticed that those seem to have gone away while testing this hyaluronic acid serum."

Best for Plumping

SkinMedica Rejuvenating Hydrator

$184

$175 at Amazon $184 at Dermstore $184 at Dermskincare.com

Why We Love It: This formula's real power lies within the brand’s proprietary blend of five different types of HA. It includes a signature HA that releases hydration over time to keep skin moisturized for hours on end, alongside a faster-acting HA for immediate dewiness.

Who It's For: SkinMedica is the right choice for those who battle dry, dull complexions morning, noon, and night. It's easy for skin to look bright and glowing immediately after applying skin care, but only a truly exceptional formula like this one ensures it stays that way all day.

Worth Noting: Your skin barrier may need to adjust to the formula before achieving glowy, supple results.

Key Ingredients: Algae extract, amino acids, dimethicone, herbal extracts, peptides, plant stem cells, vitamin E, whey protein | Size: 2 oz

Jessica, tester with dry, dull skin: "My complexion was brighter and more dewy with each week of use of this lighter-than-air serum."

Best for Fine Lines

Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Serum

$72

$44 at Amazon $72 at Ulta $72 at Dermstore

Why We Love It: Peter Thomas Roth takes up a lot of real estate in the beauty industry, especially regarding anti-aging products. This Hyaluronic Glow Serum is a prime example of the brand's anti-aging innovations. Throughout the eight-week test, our tester saw the fine lines around her face nearly vanish while the deeper wrinkles around her eyes and cheekbones began diminishing.

Who It's For: We'd recommend this formula for anyone wanting a more lifted, sculpted appearance. It relies on a high percentage of hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and other skin-plumping ingredients to promote skin elasticity for a firmer appearance.

Worth Noting: The 75 percent refers to the hyaluronic acid complex, not the actual concentration of pure HA.

Key Ingredients: Proprietary hyaluronic acid complex, ceramide complex, and hydrafence | Size: 1 oz

Cathie, tester with dry skin and fine lines: "After eight weeks, my skin was softer. The extremely deep wrinkles faded, especially on my cheekbone under my eyes. I don't use a lot of makeup—only powder and eye products, but I did notice the powder went on smoother as I used the product more, and it blended in very well."

Best for Aging Skin

La Roche-Posay Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum

$40 at Amazon $40 at Target $40 at Ulta

Why We Love It: Leave it to La Roche-Posay to give us a more affordable product that still works twice as hard to tackle several issues simultaneously. It caters to a very specific but common skin type: Mature, sensitive, and acne-prone. The brand’s signature Prebiotic Thermal Water soothes and calms redness with its bounty of natural minerals and antioxidants. Dimethicone, a noncomedogenic silicone common in many smoothing face primers, fills in fine lines, which our tester says gave her a glass skin effect.

Who It's For: Think of this La Roche-Posay serum as the foundation that’ll prop up aging skin as it produces less hyaluronic acid and collagen—and an inexpensive, nonirritating one at that.

Worth Noting: It has a soft, clean scent.

Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, madecassoside, glycerin, vitamin B5, dimethicone, La Roche-Posay prebiotic thermal water | Size: 1 oz

Jenni, tester with combination, acne-prone skin: "I noticed a little difference in the number of lines around my eyes and my crow's feet. This serum plumped up this area of my face. This is my most wrinkled area; seeing even a little difference is amazing."

Best for Glowing Skin

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum

$18 at Amazon $20 at Target $23 at Ulta

Why We Love It: Affordable and gentle, this formula got the job done: It gave an immediate glow that lasted all day without irritating sensitive skin or causing it to look more oily. Lightweight ingredients like niacinamide hydrate dry areas without increasing the sheen in the T-zone. The brand’s patented MVE technology is clinically shown to release hydration slowly throughout the day and much deeper so that the skin feels rejuvenated and soft well into the next day.

Who It's For: When bronzing drops and highlighter aren't enough (or you prefer to leave the house sans makeup), try incorporating the CeraVe hyaluronic acid into your routine. It combats dullness and offers long-lasting hydration, making skin glow from morning to night.

Worth Noting: We didn't notice a plumping effect.

Key Ingredients: Ceramides, niacinamide, vitamin B5 | Size: 1 oz

Emma, tester with combination, dry skin: "My skin seemed more glowy and overall hydrated. Whether I had makeup on or not, my skin was consistently glowy all day."

Best for Uneven Texture

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Hyaluronic Marine Hydration Booster

$72 at Amazon $72 at Nordstrom $72 at Drdennisgross.com

Why We Love It: Even our tester's partner and friends called out her skin as looking extra radiant when using the Dr. Dennis Gross hyaluronic acid. Retinol gently exfoliated all of the dead skin that had built up on her skin’s surface, helping to lighten hyperpigmentation and unclog pores. She didn’t have to wait long until she noticed fewer blemishes.

Who It's For: Finding the perfect combination of skin care products to tackle uneven texture is frustrating, but we suggest starting here. This formula contains retinol and plant-based ingredients to smooth out rough texture, eliminate dry patches, and clear breakouts while providing the hydration HA is known for.

Worth Noting: Retinol-newbies may need to give this serum a grace period before seeing the glowy, hydrated results our tester received.

Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic chronospheres, saccharide isomerate, watermelon extract | Size: 1 oz

Kate, tester with combination, acne-prone skin: "The effect was subtle, but I felt like my skin is more hydrated and brighter than before. My partner asked me if I was using anything different on my skin because she thought my complexion looked 'glowing.'"

Best Lightweight

Olay Hyaluronic + Peptide 24 Serum

$30

$20 at Amazon $20 at Walmart $30 at Olay.com

Why We Love It: Our tester's sensitive skin looked luminous and moisturized all day after just one use. After a few weeks, InStyle tester Phoebe's extremely parched skin felt alive again. Although the serum is lightweight, it provides heavy-duty moisture, thanks to niacinamide, which serves as a hydration booster, allowing her skin to absorb even more watery particles.

Who It's For: It's an affordable, lightweight formula that wards off flakiness and tight skin without causing complexions to become greasy. If you experience skin tenderness from conditions like eczema and allergies, like Phoebe, consider incorporating this soothing serum into your routine.

Worth Noting: It may not be heavy-duty enough for those with dry skin, especially during winter.

Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, amino peptides, pro-vitamin B3 | Size: 1.3 oz

Phoebe, tester with dry, sensitive skin: "It has a pillowy texture which is felt for a few minutes but soaks in very easily and quickly. I could move to the next skin care step in less than three minutes. It's very lightweight, and it did not feel like there was anything on my face aside from the lightness that comes from feeling your skin moisturized."

Best Dermatologist-Tested

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid

$10 at Amazon $10 at Nordstrom $10 at Target

Why We Love It: Even after spending many summer days in chlorinated pools and hours lazing around in the sun, this serum saved InStyle tester Jodi's skin from drying out. In fact, it rewarded her skin care sins with a smooth, ultrasoft complexion. The formula leans on pro-vitamin B5, in the form of panthenol, to act as a powerful humectant and anti-inflammatory, preventing UV rays and arid weather from draining the skin barrier of moisture.

Who It's For: The Ordinary hyaluronic acid is made for damaged skin that could use some extra love, especially if you aren't always so kind to your sensitive complexion. It's gentle enough to prevent a negative reaction on sensitive skin and hydrates oily skin without contributing to shine.

Worth Noting: It can feel sticky as it absorbs into the skin.

Key Ingredients: Sodium hyaluronate, sodium hyaluronate crosspolymer, panthenol | Size: 1 oz

Jodi, tester with oily, combination skin: "It did a great job at evening out my combo skin—I didn't have dry areas. I am not always the nicest to my skin—pool, sun, lake water, it goes through everything—but I think this did a great job of keeping my skin looking much better and hydrated."

Best Splurge

Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum

$325 at Amazon $325 at Nordstrom $325 at Sephora

Why We Love It: The innovative ingredient lineup includes three types of hyaluronic acid with three different molecular weights to target different layers of the skin's surface. It took less than a month for our tester's skin to look like she had just come home from a long, restorative weekend spent at a five-star spa, but it was around the six-week mark when her skin really hit its stride. She experienced far less dryness, and her face looked brighter and plumper. Even her crow’s feet looked softer.

Who It's For: If you're splurging on a luxury skin care product, it better do more than simply hydrate dry skin. Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum is for anyone serious about tackling fine lines, wrinkles, and uneven texture.

Worth Noting: The biofermented purslane in this formula is especially great at improving skin vitality and supporting moisture retention from the HA.

Key Ingredients: Custom-blended hyaluronic acid, purslane | Size: 1 oz

Hannah, tester with combination skin and fine lines: "My wrinkles, fine lines, and dark circles looked far less visible in less than a month."

Best Hydrating

SkinCeuticals Hyaluronic Acid Intensifier

$120 at Dermstore

Why We Love It: At first, the texture of this product fooled our tester: It looked thick and clumpy, but once she applied it to her skin, she discovered it felt weightless. The serum also cleared away flaky, dry patches almost instantly. Purple rice extract gives the serum its groovy hue as one of its compounds, anthocyanins, releases its deep red pigments that suppress inflammation and stabilize dwindling collagen levels. 

Who It's For: No matter how great your moisturizer is for dry skin, sometimes you need an extra step. This splurge-worthy SkinCeuticals serum will finally eliminate flaky, rough patches on even the most winter-weather-whipped skin.

Worth Noting: The brand says it pairs well with dermal fillers, keeping skin looking supple, hydrated, and defined.

Key Ingredients: Proxylane, licorice root extract, purple rice extract | Size: 1 oz

Julie, tester with dry skin: "My skin looks bouncy with fewer fine lines. Some acne cleared, and I notice less irritation and inflammation overall. About a week into the test, my husband touched my face and said, 'Wow, your skin is so soft.'"

Best for Dry Skin

Dermalogica Circular Hydration Serum

$69 at Amazon $69 at Sephora $69 at Dermstore

Why We Love It: Even in the arid Colorado climate, Dermalogica’s hyaluronic acid serum prevented the sun and parched air from pulling all the moisture out of InStyle tester Brit's skin. Honestly, there were a couple of mornings when she forgot to apply it, and Brit didn’t even notice it because her skin remained hydrated and happy for days after each application.

Who It's For: Whether your skin is dry from the weather or your furnace is blasting hot air 24/7, we're confident this serum will plump it back up. Normally, our tester's skin is so dry that it feels tight, especially around her mouth and forehead, but after a few days of using this serum, the taut sensation gave way to a relaxed comfort.

Worth Noting: Apply it to damp skin for the best absorption.

Key Ingredients: Algae extract-infused moisturizing matrix, polyglutamic acid, amino acids, post-biotic blend of extracts, lactic acid | Size: 1 oz

Brit, tester with dry, combination skin: "This hyaluronic acid was able to keep my skin feeling completely hydrated for a long period of time—definitely throughout the day and then some. I noticed that my skin was smoother, and I experienced fewer issues with breakouts during the eight-week testing period. It gave my skin a noticeable plumping effect. I could tell the difference in all my wrinkles and fine lines, especially those that sit at the corners of my mouth."

Best for Oily Skin

Glossier Super Bounce Serum

$34 at Sephora $34 at Glossier.com

Why We Love It: After about four weeks of consistent use, InStyle tester Cara's skin was so moisturized that the fine lines on her forehead had plumped up and didn’t look as deep as before. Meanwhile, the redness around her cheeks neutralized. Lightweight ingredients like glycerin and capric triglyceride help make skin smoother and more even and won’t clog pores or contribute to shine.

Who It's For: This formula dissolved and absorbed into our tester's skin in under 30 seconds. Plus, it left zero stickiness in its wake, making it ideal for oily skin types who want a lightweight yet nourishing serum.

Worth Noting: It doesn't have a lasting glow like some of the other products on our list.

Key Ingredients: Proprietary hyaluronic acid complex, pro-vitamin B5 | Size: 1 oz

Cara, tester with combination skin: "The small bumps and texture on my forehead have improved, and the redness on my cheeks has also calmed down a lot."

Best for Dull Skin

Paula's Choice Hyaluronic Acid Booster

$39 at Amazon $39 at Dermstore

$39

$32 at Paulaschoice.com

Why We Love It: Our tester's dull, textured skin looked more radiant and felt smoother after just one application of Paula's Choice Hyaluronic Acid Booster. Though the short ingredient list may seem no-frills, this serum gets right down to business by swiftly making skin smoother using emollients like glycerin and pro-vitamin B5.

Who It's For: Since the dry-down time is so quick and doesn't pill with makeup or sunscreen it's a good option for skin care layering.

Worth Noting: It's a beginner-friendly option that hydrates and softens the skin barrier, but doesn't do much for fine lines.

Key Ingredients: Ceramides, pro-vitamin B5 | Size: 0.5 oz

Lauren, tester with combination skin: "It was very lightweight. I couldn't feel the product once it was on. I was very impressed."