Topical Hyaluronic Acid: Wrinkle and Dry Skin Trials
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Topical Hyaluronic Acid (Serum and Cream): half-life, strengths and approval status

Amounts studied · Approval status · Half-life notes

What is topical hyaluronic acid?

Hyaluronic acid (hyaluronan) is a substance in skin that holds water. In serums and creams it is used to moisturize the skin. It comes in different molecular weights (sizes), which may change how far it gets into the skin.

Also known as: hyaluronic acid serum, sodium hyaluronate cream, HA serum.

Amounts studied

Products are labeled by percent and sometimes by molecular weight. One trial used 0.1% creams of five molecular weights twice a day for 60 days (Pavicic 2011). These are study protocols, not a recommendation.

Approval status and how it is used

What studies show: in 76 women aged 30 to 60, 0.1% hyaluronic acid creams around one eye twice a day for 60 days all improved skin moisture and elasticity compared with a plain cream around the other eye; wrinkle depth improved only with the two smallest sizes, 50 and 130 kDa (Pavicic 2011). In 36 nursing-home residents aged 60 to 80 with dry skin, a low-molecular-weight lotion raised skin moisture more than a high-molecular-weight lotion or a plain lotion after 4 weeks, with no differences in water loss or symptom scores and no side effects (Muhammad 2024).

Both trials were small and short. This page is about products put on the skin; oral hyaluronic acid has its own page, and fillers and knee injections are separate regulated medical products.

Topical hyaluronic acid half-life and time to peak

  • Half-lifeNot listed
  • Time to peak (Tmax)Not listed

We found no published half-life or time to peak for hyaluronic acid put on the skin, so we do not list one.

How to track topical hyaluronic acid in Dose Track

  1. Add topical hyaluronic acid as a custom compound. Start typing its name and Dose Track fills in the details from its research library for you to check, and it sits next to everything else you take.
  2. Log each application when you put it on, so your history shows how consistently you have used it.
  3. Set reminders on your own schedule, whether that is daily, weekly or every few days.
  4. Your log is stored on your phone and no account is needed. Data only leaves it for features you choose, like AI answers and lab reading.

How Dose Track handles peptides · Reconstitution calculator · Half-life calculator

Oral Hyaluronic Acidhyaluronan, sodium hyaluronate Topical Vitamin C (L-Ascorbic Acid Serum)vitamin C serum, L-ascorbic acid serum Niacinamide (Nicotinamide)nicotinamide, vitamin B3 Phytoceramides (Oral Plant Ceramides)oral ceramides, plant ceramides

Frequently asked questions

What is the half-life of topical hyaluronic acid?+
We found no published half-life or time to peak for hyaluronic acid put on the skin, so we do not list one.
Does the size of hyaluronic acid matter?+
In two small trials, smaller (low-molecular-weight) hyaluronic acid did better: it reduced wrinkle depth in one and raised skin moisture more in the other. The authors suggest smaller molecules get into the skin better.
Can I track topical hyaluronic acid in Dose Track?+
Yes. Topical hyaluronic acid is in Dose Track's research library, so when you add it as a custom compound its details are filled in for you to check. You can then log each application next to your other compounds, set reminders on your own schedule, and see your history next to your lab results. Your log is stored on your phone and no account is needed. Data only leaves it for features you choose, like AI answers and lab reading.

Sources

  1. Pavicic T, et al. Efficacy of cream-based novel formulations of hyaluronic acid of different molecular weights in anti-wrinkle treatment. J Drugs Dermatol. 2011;10(9):990-1000.
  2. Muhammad P, et al. Effectiveness of topical hyaluronic acid of different molecular weights in xerosis cutis treatment in elderly: a double-blind, randomized controlled trial. Arch Dermatol Res. 2024;316(6):329.

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