Hyaluronic Acid Serum Guide: Everything You Need to Know
Hyaluronic acid (HA) is in almost every hydrating product now, and for good reason: it is one of the most effective ways to make skin look plumper and smoother quickly. But it is also the ingredient people most often say "did nothing" or even "made my skin feel tighter". Almost always, that comes down to how it was applied.
What hyaluronic acid does
HA is a humectant: it attracts water and holds it in the top layers of the skin. Your skin makes its own, but less as it ages and when the barrier is stressed by sun, harsh cleansers or strong actives. A serum tops it up, so skin looks bouncier, fine dehydration lines soften and makeup sits more smoothly.
It is not an exfoliant or an acid in the stinging sense, it suits every skin type including oily and acne-prone skin, and it layers with almost everything.
Why it sometimes makes skin feel drier
A humectant needs water to hold. Apply HA to dry skin in a dry room — a Lahore winter, an air-conditioned office — and it can pull water from the deeper layers of your skin, which then evaporates. The fix is simple:
- Apply it to damp skin, straight after cleansing or after a hydrating toner or mist such as the Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule Mist.
- Use a small amount — two or three drops for the face.
- Seal it in with a moisturiser within a minute or two. On dry skin, choose a richer cream like the CeraVe Moisturizing Cream.
Which hyaluronic acid serum?
- The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 — the simple, affordable classic; vitamin B5 adds extra soothing.
- COSRX Hyaluronic Acid Hydra Power Essence — a slightly thicker essence that suits normal to dry skin.
- Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule Serum — hydration plus PDRN for skin that also needs some repair and bounce.
- SKIN1004 Hyalu-Cica First Ampoule — hydration with centella for sensitive, red-prone skin.
Where it goes in your routine
Cleanser → toner → hyaluronic acid → other serums → moisturiser → sunscreen in the morning. It pairs well with niacinamide, vitamin C and retinol, and is especially helpful alongside retinol or exfoliating acids, which can dry the skin. In a Korean-style routine it often replaces or follows the essence step — see our Korean routine guide.
Summer vs winter
Humid summer: HA can be your main hydration, under a light gel moisturiser. Dry winter: keep using it, but always on damp skin and under a richer cream; our winter skincare guide has more on this.
All our serums are original and delivered with cash on delivery across Pakistan.
