Hyaluronic acid and I began our relationship over a year ago, with The Ordinary’s Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 serum, and that relationship has since grown into quite the love story. HA is one of those ingredients I’d heard all sorts of lovely things about, but last year it wasn’t available in Canada and ordering it from the USA at $5+ USD/gram seemed like a big investment for something I wasn’t sure I’d like. The Ordinary’s serum provided an excellent low cost way to try it (on my face, not in my DIYs) and… swoon. It’s safe to say I like it! This silky humectant stars in many hydration and anti-aging formulas, lauded for its ability to plump and hydrate skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and generally leaving skin looking healthier and happier. I’ve found my skin to be significantly happier with a hydration focus featuring HA in my routine; blemishes are fewer and heal faster, and my skin glows. HA is a wonderfully fun and luxurious ingredient to work with, so I thought we’d learn a bit about it today in preparation for making some recipes with it!
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Hyaluronic acid (HA) occurs naturally in our bodies, with about half of the HA in our bodies residing in the epidermis and the dermis (another source). The stuff we use in our skincare products is “primarily obtained from bacterial fermentation and rooster combs” (ask your supplier to clarify which source their HA is from! This paper details how it is produced from each source.). It has been found to be very safe, and works well on sensitive skin (it can even help calm it). It is also extraordinarily good at holding water: “Hyaluronic acid has a greater capacity to hold water than any other natural or synthetic polymer. One gram of hyaluronic acid can hold up to 6 L of water” (source).
You can purchase hyaluronic acid in a variety of different weights. I’ve found low molecular weight (LMW) to be the most common if a supplier only has one variety, though Lotion Crafter carries a staggering array of varieties. The smaller the molecule, the deeper it can penetrate the skin. Many professionally formulated hyaluronic acid products contain a variety of weights of HA to get the full spectrum of benefits—the surface plumping of high molecular weight, and the deeper hydration of low molecular weight (source).”
LMW hyaluronic acid has been found to “increase the moisture level of damaged skin and to accelerate damage repair (source)”, while HMW HA holds moisture to the surface of the skin without penetrating into deeper layers of the epidermis. You will also see sodium hyaluronate and potassium hyaluronate on ingredient lists; they are, respectively, the sodium and potassium salts of hyaluronic acid (source). Sodium hyaluronate is more common than its potassium cousin, and is more readily absorbed than hyaluronic acid (it’s also less expensive).
Hyaluronic acid is one of the more expensive ingredients I work with—it’s usually at least $5/g, so you’ll want an accurate scale so you can be sure you’re not over-using it. The best way to use hyaluronic acid is to turn it into a 1% solution, and use that stock in the water phase of your recipes. I first learned how to do this from It’s All in My Hands, but as I kept reading about HA I learned that the stock process/concept is quite common. Some suppliers even sell a 1% stock in addition to the powder to save you the fuss, though you will pay for the luxury of pre-hydrated HA.
A 1% LMW HA solution is relatively viscous, though that viscosity will “decreas[e] sharply in the presence of electrolytes” (source). For this reason, HA can be used to thicken some formulations, which can definitely be useful! You can use a plain ol’ 1% HA solution as a serum on its own, or you can incorporate hydrosols and other water soluble ingredients like panthenol and herbal extracts to create a beautiful hydrating toner. The stock is also great in lotions (simply replace part of the water with the HA stock), and I’ve even tried it in conditioners (though I can’t say I’d do that again at this point in time—I didn’t notice enough of a payoff for the added cost). It’s super versatile and brilliant if you’ve got dry skin and are looking to splurge a bit!
So, where can you buy it? In the USA you can’t beat the selection at Lotion Crafter. Mine was a gift from Pure Nature in New Zealand, and is easily the most affordable HA I’ve ever found at $1NZD/gram (😱)—though they don’t ship internationally, so NZ, consider yourself lucky! For Canadians, Windy Point Soap Making Supplies in Calgary sells it. If you’re not in Calgary you’ll have to email Windy Point to place a special order, though, as it’s not on their web store.
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1% Hyaluronic Acid Stock
98.5g | 98.5% distilled water
0.5g | 0.5% Liquid Germall Plus™ (USA / Canada)1g | 1% low molecular weight hyaluronic acid (see pre-amble for sourcing)
Use your most accurate scale for this project; I’d suggest accurate to 0.01g with a maximum weight of at least 200g. I used this one.
Weigh the water and preservative into a beaker, and stir to combine. Sprinkle the HA overtop. Resist the urge to stir—cover the beaker with cling film and leave it for a few hours.
Come back and check on the HA periodically—you’ll see it slowly swell and turn transparent as it hydrates. You can tip the beaker to see the raft of HA shift, which is more amusing than it should be.
Once all the HA has hydrated you can stir it. I use my MiniPro Mixer from Lotion Crafter to quickly and thoroughly incorporate the hydrated HA blob into the rest of the solution.
That’s it—bottle it, label it, and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it (refrigeration isn’t strictly necessary since it is adequately preserved, but it can’t hurt if you’ve got room for it in your fridge).
Now you’re ready to make some lovely things with HA—or just use the plain stock as a hydrating toner 🙂
Yes! Let’s talk about hyaluronic acid!!!!
I actually got my hands on 3 bottles of Ha+Panthenol from The Ordinary a few months ago but haven’t had the time to play with using it as a stock! I want to unpack my kit and play tomorrow morning!
Excellent information! I am tickled to know more about HA! Now, I just want to play!
I definitely did not use The Ordinary’s product as a stock or in anything—I just put it on my face 🙂 It is a lovely and inexpensive serum—a great way to find out if your skin likes HA!
I’m so curious to start working with this. I was really hoping to incorporate it into my balms, but I’m assuming it won’t mix well with oils and waxes since it’s water soluble? I’m wondering how people are making lips balms with it? Are they just adding preservatives? Thanks for the post!
Great timing! I’ve been really loving HA in my face cream and was wondering if it was something a DIYer could replicate at home.
I have two questions about using it as stock for lotions and the preservative. When using it as stock, should it be used instead of all the water in the recipe or can it be used in a percentage? Since it already has a preservative, should we skip the preservative in the resulting lotion or do we need to add more?
Thank you so much for the article! I’m going straight to YouTube for the video.
Hey! You use it as part of the water; I wouldn’t use it as all the water as it’d be pretty expensive. You would absolutely not skip the preservative in the end product, but you could decrease it proportionately, especially if you know both the stock and the recipe call for liquid germall plus. For instance, if there was 20% HA stock in your product, you’d know there was already 0.1% LGP in the entire recipe (0.5% of 20% is 0.1% of the total recipe), so you could include just 0.4% instead of the more typical 0.5%—BUT this is only appropriate if the HA is not heated, and it would usually be part of your heated phase in a lotion recipe.
Hello Marie,
I am getting in touch as I tried to follow this recipe but the texture of the hyaluronic acid is very liquid, not thick. Do you know why this happened?
Many thanks
It sounds like you used a lower weight of hyaluronic acid—ultra low weight or something similar?
Hello,
I tried this recipe twice thinking maybe I got my numbers wrong but mines is all liquid like water. I bought from new directions https://www.newdirectionsaromatics.ca/products/raw-materials/sodium-hyaluronate-raw-material.html
Do you have recommendations? Maybe 2% instead of 1%?
If the solution is watery is that ok to use in your recipes or does it have to be a gel consistency!
My quest a year ago for a more affordable HA serum than the $60/ounce I had just finished–is what lead me to this new DIY obsession! One thing lead to another–a YouTube describing how to make HA with links to Lotioncrafters–and boom–the rest is history! A whole new world opened up! Ha. So happy to have found you and Susan’s Swiftcrafty worlds.
Ha! I bet many of us have a similar story of an expensive product that we figured couldn’t be that expensive—mine was lip balm 🙂 Definitely no $60 serum, but I was pretty tickled to be able to stop paying $5 a tube!
Can I assume that when using HA stock in an emulsion that it goes in the H & H phase? ….so, it tolerates heat?
Yes, I include it in the heated water phase when there is one. It tolerates heat about as well as oils—it will break down when exposed to heat for extended periods of time, but 20–30 minutes below 100°C is fine 🙂 Happy making!
Love incorporating HA pre-made gel into Rose Hydrosol toner with Panthenol/ alcohol-free witch hazel/green tea extract/Propanediol. Awesome.
Ooooh, that does sound divine! I’ve been using mine in a hydrating hydrosol toner with some similar ingredients—swoon!
That sounds amazing, I make my own toner as well, Is it possible to share that toner recipe and how long would it last.
Hi Diana,
I’ve tried to keep it basic, and then have added this and that to it. I’ve stopped using glycerin because it had a ‘sticky’ factor. Make it in 2 phases (I heat the water phase because I’m a germaphobe!):
Heated Water Phase: 35% Distilled Water; 25% Rose Hydrosol; 10% Alcohol-Free Witch Hazel Rose Petal scented (which I found on Amazon by Theyer’s); 3% Niacinamide; 2% Sodium Lactate; 3% Panthenol; 2% Propanediol. Heat to 160F, hold for 20 min.
Cool Down Phase: 10% Pre-Made Hyaluronic Gel; 4% liquid Cucumber Extract; 5.5% Liquid Green Tea Extract; .50% Germall Plus (Preservative). Add Cool Down to Beaker when under 100F. Bottle with a pump dispenser. Can be refrigerated–real refreshing on hot days! I’ve had it last 6 months before making fresh batch because I always run out of it-so not sure how long the ‘shelf’ life is, but I always use preservative when using water in a recipe.
Oh wow! That sounds like a brilliant recipe!!! I really want to try this recipe when I get my hands on some sodium lactate!
Thanks so much for sharing, Charlette! This sounds lovely 🙂
Can I use optiphen plus as a preservative?
Love your blog and I bought your book. Cheers Maris.
Yup! Happy making and thanks so much for buying my book!
You can also buy hyaluronic acid at bulkactives.com. They have two versions of it, plus other interesting ingredients. I have bought ingredients there for a long time now and I never had any problems/issues.
Lovely! Another great option for Americans (and international shoppers willing to pay the price of international shipping) 🙂
Thank you for posting about bulkactives.com had to add that to my supplier list they have some different stuff it’s cool i’m so happy to find another outlet for my DIY obsession ….i think lol !!
Hey Marie! I’ve been awaiting some recipes using HA and was so happy to see this. Could I safely make a 10% solution? I’d like to use ~1% HA in products for my aging skin ;-0
I have the exact same question Jane – although I was thinking 5% – just because I bought 5g when Marie gave us the heads up. It seems like we’d only have to make it up once every couple of months and could add less in to get to 1%. I’m also concerned we’re missing something as Marie’s way is usually super effective .. but then she has lovely young skin perhaps that’s a factor 🙂
UK based peeps might want to check ebay where there is a seller with mixed molecular weight HA at an excellent price – my friend who also makes her own products put me on to them.
Same answer, basically: I doubt it would be possible to make a 5% solution—with the stuff I’ve got, at least. The maker behind It’s All In My Hands writes about her experience trying to make a 2% solution here and it makes me think 5% would never happen.
Thanks for the eBay tip!
I am really glad I asked, and didn’t just try it -that’s a v helpful article thank you for the link
No worries! 🙂
I doubt it would be possible to make a 10% solution—with the stuff I’ve got, at least. It’s a very safe ingredient so I don’t think safety would be an issue, but I’m not sure you could actually hydrate a 10% solution. The maker behind It’s All In My Hands writes about her experience trying to make a 2% solution here and it makes me think 10% would never happen.
I take hyaluronic acid as a supplement! I don’t even remember how or why I started doing this… I think I read on the internet that my body produces less and less HA as I age, and I thought it might help me fight off wrinkles. my acne got a little better when I started taking HA, presumably because my skin was better hydrated and potentially producing less oil?
you’ve got me super curious what molecular weight this stuff is…
https://www.vitacost.com/now-foods-hyaluronic-acid-100-mg-120-veg-capsules-1
I’ve tried this, too! This is the product I’ve used. I should probably be more diligent about it, but I haven’t noticed much of a difference ay all.
Is there a difference between the bacterial fermentation and rooster combs, or is it a matter of preferenceÉ
They’d be chemically identical; I didn’t find anything comparing the two directly in skincare applications.
Can you replace the water with a hydrosol?
You could replace some of it with a hydrosol, but that definitely makes your stock more of a finished product 🙂
Hi Marie, so my question was the same about using a hydrofoil instead of the distilled water. So if you are saying it will be closer to the finished product. I am looking to make a face HA face serum. I wanted to make a 100% HA with Rose Hydrosol and add some gum for thickening and a few other active ingredients. Do you it will work? Powdered active ingredients or liquid? I know it will be a costly product but its for my personal use.
Hi Sha!
As Marie mentioned in a previous comment above, adding the hydrosol, some gum to thicken, adding in some actives, would make your HA into a finished product rather than a stock product. Have you checked out this post on a Soothing Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum? It sounds like it would meet some of your wants in your HA finished product! Let me know how it goes!
Do you know if heating HA during the water phase of making lotion, will affect or destroy any of the properties in the HA? Should the HA stock be added during the cool down phase? Thanks!
Great question! I found this really interesting paper that shows HA solutions, when heated, increase in viscosity before decreasing sharply in viscosity. That effect is amplified with heat. At 70°C (the temperature we aim for with heat & hold) it looks like it would take about 5 hours at 70°C for the viscosity to start dipping below the original un-heated viscosity. This presentation states it is heat stable at 80°C and below.
Knowing that it does break down with heat over time I’d probably err on the side of adding it during cool-down, especially since it’s so expensive!
😀
You are so knowledgeable. Thank you! I was looking for info on heat stability for a while before I found it on your blog.
Thanks for reading! I have started putting the HA in the heated phase for emulsions since the breakdown is so slow, and the stability of the emulsion is really important. It is a really interesting paper, though!
Hi, very informative post! Will u combine HA& vitaminC.. is this safe to combine with them or will prefer to use them separate!
It certainly can be done and makes for lovely products, but it’s far more advanced than I’d attempt. Here’s a good formula for something shelf-stable; you can see it’s not a simple undertaking 🙂
Lotioncrafter carries such a wide variety of HA. Can you recommend for me the strength you actually used for this recipe? Thanks.
They do! It’s crazy daunting. Look at the acronyms in the names. LMV = low molecular weight, which is what I used. The addition of a “U” is “ultra”, “HMW” will be high molecular weight 🙂
Hey Marie! I accidentally bought the HMW instead of the LMW! Do you know if it would still work or if there are any other applications for it? Thanks in advance!!!
Hey Kat! It should still be beneficial to some degree, and it’ll be a stronger gelling agent. You’ll want to see what dalton size you have, and then you can learn more here 🙂 Happy making!
Hello! Have you read much about pro-inflamatory responses from lmw hyaluronic acid? I’ve seen conflicting discussions, with some people saying to only use hmw hyaluronic acid and am wondering what your thoughts are? Thank you!
I read about it on LabMuffin and she’s got a good explanation:
“There’s some debate on how low molecular weight hyaluronic acid can act as an inflammatory signal and therefore be harmful, but it’s important to remember that inflammation isn’t always a bad thing. Studies on skin and skin cells have found that low molecular weight hyaluronic acid can improve the skin’s ability to repair itself, its defense against microbial attack and help with conditions like seborrheic dermatitis. Hopefully there’ll be more research into its effects on normal skin too.”
There’s also a link in her original post, so do click through 🙂
Thank you!!!
I bought some algae extract + hyaluronic acid from about 2.5 years ago. I know this is such a stupid question, since it says right on the bottle that it is only stable for ~12 months….yeah, I think I just need to toss it. I guess I was hoping it’d still be ok. It looks and smells fine….but I’m sure there is more going on that I can’t see. I’ll just need to pick up some new stuff from windy point.
Yeah… at 2.5 years I’d probably chuck it. If it was just a month or two past 12 months I’d probably roll with it, but 18 months past is likely a bit much 🙁 I hate it when that happens!
Hi Marie,
I have some hyaluronic acid powder from Pure Nature too and have never thought of using it until I read your post. The recommended usage is 0.5-5%. Can I just use the powder and add it in the cool down phase of an emulsion, or do I have to make an 1% solution and use it? It’s just the cool down phase isn’t that big and there are already many other ingredients I’d like to use in there such as essential oils, vitamin E, vitamin B5, glycerites, preservative.
Look forward to your reply and thank you,
Huong
Given the hydration time and the aggressive mixing required, I don’t think adding it as a powder to the cool down phase would be a great idea. It would be like adding powdered xanthan gum to the cool down phase… which I have tried, ha. It’s a pain in the butt!
I have started putting the HA stock in the heated phase, though. Even though it does degrade with extended exposure to heat, so do most of the ingredients we work with, oils included, and we readily heat those. As long as the HA stock isn’t being aggressively boiled for hours on end it is very likely fine!
I have some deionized water I am looking to use. Could I use it in place of the distilled water in this formula as well as your other formulas calling for distilled?
Deionized is probably even better- Should be pH neutral if not exposed to air for too long.
Yup!
So useful! I’ve been wondering how to make my own serum. Can you do one of these on niacinamide or vitamin c?? please
Niacinamide is definitely on my list! I find vitamin C to be very intimidating as I learn more about what’s required to formulate with it and keep it stable—this formula from The Acid Queen gives a good idea!
Hello Marie;
As Sodium hyaluronate is less expensive than Hyaluronic Acid, is it possible to only use it or is it an integral part of hyaluronic acid?
Thank you:)
Liz
Sodium hyaluronate is made, not derived, from Hyaluronic Acid, so you can either use them together or independently of one another 🙂 Sort of like how toast is made from bread, I guess? Once it’s toast it’s no longer bread LOL.
Thank you:)
Hi, Marie:
Would this version of HA be suitable?
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01GC2HTX0/?coliid=IWVMH86NJPU7Z&colid=1KNYWRLT9Y6G7&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
Secondly, what do you think about using vitamin C or ascorbic acid?
Thanks. C
That’s super low molecular weight; I’d recommend plain ol’ low molecular weight as anything lower may cause inflammation.
Vitamin C is a pretty tricky thing to formulate with effectively; check out this formula for an idea 🙂
Hi Marie!
I order from makingcosmetics.com and they use USPS 🙂
This is great! This will sound weird but I’m like a proud mama – I’ve watched you and your website and your recipes grow and flourish since …. a LONG time and you’ve come so far!
So proud of you ❤❤❤
Thanks so much 😀 I definitely feel like I’ve still got a long way to go, but it’s sure a fun journey!
For vitamin C use the magnesium ascorbate phospate – it’s more stable and doesn’t oxidize as quickly as the other kind of vitamin C 🙂
It’s not available in Canada 🙁
Hi Marie,
I have both a LMW and HMW, to get the most out of them, would it be better to make a solution of both, or to use half and half in one solution? Thanks for allowing us to pick your brains and knowledge 😀
I’d probably make a solution of each to give you a chance to see what they’re like in isolation, and then you can blend away to your heart’s content 🙂 Happy making!
I ordered HMW & ULMW from Lotioncrafter to make this. They had a recipe on the Hyaluronic Acid page adding dl-Panthenol and using Leucidal Liquid as the preservative. On the Leucidal Liquid ordering page they recommended using AMTicide Coconut along with the Leucidal for added protection against yeast & mold. The AMTicide Coconut has a PH as supplied as 7-9% & distilled water has a PH of 7. If our skin products should be a PH of 5, how do we lower it?
With citric acid, if you have a read of this recipe Vanilla Spice Hand Wash, Marie tells you how 🙂
Pauline is correct, but I would like to mention that Leucidal Liquid is an awful preservative and I really wouldn’t recommend working with it 😐 I know too many people who’ve had it fail on them, resulting in a very large financial loss for at least one of them.
I bought some from here makingcosmetics.com I hope I bought the right HA
HUM-HYAL-01-10 Hyaluronic Acid
Sizes: 0.35oz / 10g – $11.90
From the INCI that looks to be Sodium hyaluronate rather than hyaluronic acid, but it will still be lovely for the skin! 🙂 Happy making!
How long will the made solution last?
You should easily get a year or two of shelf life if it is properly preserved and kept pretty clean (not dipping into it with dirty fingers, etc.).
Hi Marie, I have both HMW and LMW HA. I would like to combine them for shared benefits. Could you suggest how I would adjust your recipe to do that?
I’d probably make two different 1% solutions so you get a feel for how each one performs, and then blend together those solutions 🙂
Hi Marie,
My compliments for your wonderful website! So much fun! I hope one day I can come to Calgary to your workshops.
Your HA experiments make me think about my recent Snow Ear experiments (Tremella fuciformis, high in glucuronic acid, trad. Asian). Cooking soaked Snow Ear with or without other ingredients (e.g. pear) and then pouring some of the broth over rose leaves (optional) gives a lovely hydrating serum base that can be stored in the fridge for about a week.
Thanks so much! I’ll have to keep an eye out for snow ear popping up in cosmetic trends, it sounds very promising!
Marie, I love your Rose Water Toner. But I was wanting to add something to it to turn it into a gel to make it a bit more user friendly. I’m kind of sloppy I guess. I was wondering if I could make the toner as usual, then just sprinkle 1g of HA over the top to hydrate, then blend. Good idea? or do I not know something that would make this a bad idea.
HA is sensitive to electrolyes, and that recipe has lots of electrolytes in it—the sodium lactate, silk, and aloe will be our main sources. So, while you could incorporate some HA, you aren’t going to get much thickening from it.
Hi Marie,
Your video is the best I’ve seen on hydrating HA. I’ve saved this from the day you posted it and now I’m ready to make serums and have a few questions.
1. Can this method work for a 2% HA stock?
2. How can I use this stock to thicken up an oil serum? I’m thinking an emulsifier is necessary but unsure if the formulation would need any other additions.
Thoughts??
Hey! So, from what IAIMH says, 2% is not a thing you should waste your HA on.
The stock really isn’t that thick; if you dilute it with oils and an emulsifier it isn’t going to contribute much thickening at all. I suspect it may actually be thinner than your original oil serum due to the inclusion of water.
Can we add in vitamin c in this stalk and will it still have the same shelf life?
Vitamin C oxidizes notoriously quickly (within days) unless properly stabilized. Here’s a good recipe using both vitamin C and HA.
Hi Marie – First comment on your blog.. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, love what you do! I’m actually a chemist experimenting with formulations in my kitchen 🙂
Could not find HA at windy point… Did you buy some recently? Trying to stay away from crazy shipping fees…Thanks!
You have to call them—it isn’t listed on their website 🙂
I usually catch myself going through your recipes when I can’t sleep at night. And then I lose track of time haha. Anyways, I found HA at $0.38/g on Amazon herehttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DPW5C5W/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B01DPW5C5W&pd_rd_wg=Kb7O6&pd_rd_r=1WZDR07YVXJHPH9E1XH3&pd_rd_w=dCFXd Is it ok? I’m a bit concerned because of the price tag being so low. Though it could be because it’s from corn? Thanks
Hmm. I do find that to be a bit suspicious. The reviews are good, but the product image is really poorly photoshopped (that text isn’t even trying to look like it’s actually printed on the bag!). That said, for the price… I’d probably order some and try it. Amazon customer service is pretty good, so I’d feel pretty safe about trying it and returning it if it’s junk.
Hi Marie,
Great recipe. I live in Germany & can’t get Liquid Germall Plus & wouldn’t know what to substitute it with. Can you recommend a few substitutes? Would cosmetic alcohol be too aggressive? I made some serum without a preservative but it just lasts 2 weeks in the fridge & Mist if it went to waste. The HA powder is too expensive to waste like that so I definitely need to preserve the next bottle. Also, how long will it last with a preservative?
Thanks in advance.
Stacy
Hey Stacy! I’ve detailed many different preservatives on this page—it’s hard for me to recommend anything without knowing what you have access to. Germaben II is popular, as is Optiphen Plus. I would not use alcohol. Properly preserved you should easily get a year or two (or more) out of the stock, but I suspect you will use it before then 🙂
If I make this, can it be used straight on my face as is? I have some that I just use alone and the bottle is almost done and I have the powder to make it.
Definitely! Enjoy 🙂
Hi Marie,
Love from India. I am a huge fan of you.
From past few days i have a doubt about HA and i know that only you can solve this.
I recently purchased HA (1.5 dak as described by the vendor) Now i have been hearing a lot about HA inducing cancer and causing cancer. It is very expensive and i don’t know what to do with it. please help me.. I am attaching a link below that also talks about it
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4791948/
I don’t mean to be a spoilsport, but I felt I had to send the following out to warn anyone in my situation..
Komal, Thank you SOOO much for raising this concern!! I started researching as soon as I read your comment, as I have had breast cancer. It was a long journey, I feel great and in remission so I certainly don’t want to take anything that could bring it back! I have pasted below the info I found.. It looks like external use is safe because it doesn’t pass through the skin.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/hyaluronic-acid-benefits
In the “Possible Side Effects and Precautions” section are the following warnings
There is also some evidence that cancer cells are sensitive to hyaluronic acid and taking supplements could make them grow faster (51, 52).
For this reason, it is generally advised that people with cancer or a history of cancer avoid supplementing with it (53). (the reference is a very trusted website, PunMed)
Abstract
Intra-articular administration of hyaluronic acid is a valuable therapeutic tool for the management of patients with osteoarthritis. However, in recent years numerous formulations containing hyaluronic acid administrable by oral route have entered the market. Even if there are some data in the literature that have shown their effectiveness, systemic administration may expose a greater risk in certain situations. In fact, although hyaluronic acid is not considered a drug it is certain that it can interact with specific receptors and promote cell proliferation. This interaction may be potentially hazardous in cancer patients for which these oral formulations should be contraindicated.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26410544
SUMMARY
Hyaluronic acid is generally very safe when used as a supplement, but people who are pregnant or have cancer or a history of cancer may want to avoid taking it.
Thank you for this, Diana! I’m glad you’ve noted that this is for supplements—it’s a good thing to be aware of, for sure, but from the sounds of it not too worrisome in the realm of skin care (phew!) 🙂
Good morning Komal!
I did a quick google search for topical use of hyaluronic acid relating to cancer, but that doesn’t mean that there is or there isn’t a relation. Just like any topic, it would require a lot more research and study. Just a quick reminder, this is a DIY blog and not a medical repository! Hopefully this helps you!
Hi Marie,
I bought acid hyaluronic SLMW from Making cosmetics.
I did the receipe 1% hyaluronic acid solution.
But my recipe is stay liquid.
Could you tell me what is my problem?
SLMW = super low molecular weight. I used low molecular weight, so your HA is a lower molecular weight than mine. Lower molecular weight HA produces less viscous solutions. That’s why 🙂
I used lmw and i was told it won’t gel that i should use hmw?
Is this what you used?
Low molecular weight should gel; ultra-low molecular weight typically won’t. I used low molecular weight.
I bought hyaluronic acid ELMW from Lotiin crafters but I see on that INCI that it says sodium Hyaluronic Acid. how do I make sure I’m buying the correct hyaluronic acid from lotion crafters because it’s all labeled as Hyaluronic Acid thank you
You’re right—in this case the INCI isn’t super helpful, so you need to look at the full product name and description. Lotion Crafter provides the dalton information, which indicates particle size, as well as acronyms that describe the weight. “HMW”= high molecular weight. “LMW” = low molecular weight. “ELMW” = extra low molecular weight. The higher the weight, the larger the particle, the thicker the gel 🙂
Hi, Marie. I read all the above comments and saw a pattern of asking again and again about using higher percentages of Hyaluronic Acid. There may some confusion among us because of the following content from Making Cosmetics.
According to them, the percentage used can be up to 10%. It is possible with this formulation..because it doesn’t gel..
I also unfortunately bought the SLMW. It’s true that it DOES NOT GEL, darn it!
https://www.makingcosmetics.com/Hyaluronic-Acid-SLMW_p_162.html
Use: Typically used at 0.1-10%, a higher percentage is possible because the Low-molecular weight HA does not gel like the HMW-Hyaluronic acid. It may still clump and therefore needs to be mixed very well. Adding some glycerin or using a high-shear mixer is recommended to avoid clumping. The consistency of the powder is less “fluffy” than compared to the regular high molecular hyaluronic acid. There is no thickening effect like with the high molecular hyaluronic acid, making a higher concentration easier to deal with.
Thanks, Diana! You are 100% correct, the weight makes a huge difference—I’ve finally got some SLMW stuff and haven’t had a chance to play with it yet 🙂
That said, you don’t really need that much HA, and given how expensive it is, well, 10% seems very indulgent (though if you want to use the stock as part of a bigger recipe that starts to make more sense!). If you check out this post from Simple Skincare Science there’s lots of information about different concentrations that have been found to be effective, and they are all below 1% 🙂 There’s also research discussing how lower molecular weight HA can be irritating, so there’s another reason to perhaps avoid a 10% solution of the stuff (though everyone’s skin is different!).
Thank you, Marie. So it doesn’t matter that it doesn’t thicken? It will still do the same to our faces? I would just need to find another thickener for any serum I use it in, I suppose.
Well, it doesn’t matter that it doesn’t thicken in that it’s not an error or a mistake, it’s just a characteristic of the lower weight. It does matter in the impact, though—did you read the article I linked in my previous reply? It discusses the differences in the different weights of hyaluronic acid in skin care applications, including the increased potential for irritation.
As for another thickener, both Aristoflex AVC and Hydroxyethylcellulose have worked well for me in serums 🙂 Happy making!
Quick question about acquiring hyaluronic acid. At lotioncrafter.com they have 5 different options, which would be the best to get?
I’d recommend Low Molecular Weight (LMW) 🙂
I ended up purchasing the ELMW 80,000 – 110,000 instead of the HMW 1 million – 1.5 million and so I thought I was doing something wrong when it didn’t produce a gel like substance. I used 98.5 grams of water but added 3 grams of the ELMW instead of the recommended 1 gram. I read further down in the comments and saw my mistake. Is there any way to use what I created or a way to fix it? I hope I didn’t waste $30 but if I did please tell me the truth lol.
I’d probably adjust the amount of water and preservative to make it a 1% or 2% solution so you’ve got a rounder number to work with, but you defintiely haven’t wasted $30! If it’s 98.5g water, 0.5g Liquid Germall Plus (INCI: Propylene Glycol, Diazolidinyl Urea, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate), and 3g hyaluronic acid, that’s a 2.9% solution. If you increase the water and preservative to get it to a 2% concentration you can include the stock at 10% in your formulations for a 0.2% concentration 🙂 Happy making!
Hi! I tried making HA serum using NA Hyaluronate . I prepared a 1 % concentration. Worked really great. But after sevral days , I noticed the solution turned really watery. What do you think happened? I didn’t use any preservative
I suspect the lack of preservative may be the problem as changes in viscosity can indicate microbial growth. To check, I’d make another 1% stock and include a preservative this time—see if the same thing happens or not 🙂
I followed the formula just as you outlined and my Hyaluronic acid powder disolved into the water solution within about 10-15 min, and after 1.5 hours it’s still pretty watery.
Did I do something wrong? : (
It sounds like you are using a lower molecular weight of hyaluronic acid than I did. Mine is low molecular weight, if yours is ultra-low or something to that effect, it will be a lot less viscous.
Hi Marie. I love your blog. You’ve taught me so much. I want to make this stock so I can incorporate it into my facial lotion, but the only preservative I have is regular Optiphen. The preservative chart you have on your site indicates that Optiphen is water soluble, which would be great, but I’m finding sources (Bramble Berry and naturesgift.com) that say Optiphen is minimally soluble in water and works better in oils. I was wondering what your source is for the water solubility, because I’d love to not have to wait for a product to get here before I get started. 😀 Alternatively, what are your thoughts on adding the HA powder directly to a batch of lotion? I’d be able to use Optiphen in that case as the lotion will contain oils.
Thank you for your input!
Hi Marie,
I was wondering how I can add H.A solution in a face serum (the face serum is only primrose and argan, the recipe from your book).
I wanted to add the H.A in there for an extra kick and I know it doesn’t blend together, it being oils and water, so what do you recommend doing?
Thank you !!
Hey Paula! You’ll want to choose a formulation that is already emulsified and uses hyaluronic acid—check out the encyclopedia entry for hyaluronic acid for a list of formulations 🙂 Happy making!
Hi again. From what I could see, the recipes you provided don’t have what I’m looking for. I just want my serum to be oils and Hyaluronic Acid. So I used the H.A Solution and added some to my serum but it doesn’t blend together so I was wondering what kind of emulsifier would work so that it doesn’t become a lotion and stays a serum.
I’m afraid I don’t have a foolproof solution for you at this point in time; a solubilizer would be the sort of thing you’d need, but refining the skin feel to be enjoyable is something I’ve found to take some time and work. Happy experimenting!
Hi Marie, I know that LMW hyaluronic acid with penetrate deeper into the skin, but it’s definitely more expensive than HMW, would you say it’s worth it to buy LMW ? It’s $29/17g (AUD) for HMW, and $38/17g for LMW, thank you!
I’m afraid I haven’t done any isolated tests devoted to comparing different weights of HA & their efficacy. Basically, it’s up to you, based on any research you’ve done 🙂
Can I formulate HA serum using water soluble ingredience and Oil?
W
You can, but you’d need an emulsifier. Please look up hyaluronic acid in the Humblebee & Me DIY Encyclopedia (https://www.humblebeeandme.com/diy-encyclopedia/) for a list of formulations I’ve shared using it 🙂
Hi Marie,
I apologize if you answered something like this already, but I couldn’t find anything in the comments already.
I’m wondering if the low molecular weight sodium hyaluronate from New Directions Aromatics would be appropriate. I notice it doesn’t say it’s extra low molecular weight, but it does say it does not form a viscous liquid when hydrated, so I’m just wondering if it would be the same as the stuff I got from Windy Point and would work appropriately in your recipes.
Thanks so much!
The stuff I got from Windy Point has been great so far, and hydrates just as you describe here 🙂
NDA sells Sodium Hyaluronate rather than hyaluronic acid, so there will be some differences there, but I suspect you can use them interchangeably unless you are counting on the viscosity as part of the formulation. Happy making!
Hey Marie,
I’m sorry if this has already been asked. I had a read through the comments and didn’t see this question so I hope a) it’s not a repeat and b) it makes sense!
I’m wondering about the preservation of the HA stock when being used in an emulsion formulation. So when you make the HA stock you’re adding a preservative to it and then if you are including it in the heated phase of an emulsion does that not mess with the preservative that you’ve added to the stock as it would be heated to over 40 degrees Celsius? Or is it just important not to heat it for an extended period of time as you’ve said before and therefore not interrupt with the preservation? I’m basically wondering if I was going to make the HA stock and use it in an emulsion on the same day, would I just avoid the addition of a preservative to the stock and then just add the normal amount of preservative to the cool down phase at the end of the formulation?
I hope that question makes sense, I know what I’m trying to say but often the way I phrase things creates furrowed brows!
Hi Marie,
Know this is an older post but I’m doing some digging to figure out why my 2% hyaluronic acid solution turned PURPLE in a matter of hours & thought I might be able to reach you. Only two ingredients: HA & Lavender hydrosol (which was 100% totally clear). I successfully mixed the two into a (clear) neat gel over the course of a few hours, then poured into my clean glass dropper bottle, and then watched as the purple hue appeared and grew into serious grape kool-aide territory over the course of another hour. (I didn’t use a preservative as this is just a short-term experiment, plus I can’t imagine it would grow bacteria in just a few hours? But maybe it can??? I will certainly have a preservative in my final product).
Idk. Of course I’m thinking lavender=purple, but that’s just a coincidence, right? Do you think somehow the HA reacted with the Lavender and turned purple? Have you ever seen anything similar? I kinda feel ridiculous asking but I’m totally perplexed.
Love love love your website, btw. Have had a ton of fun over the past year with your help! Thank you!
OK… yeah, that’s super weird! The first thing I’m wondering… where is your lavender hydrosol from? Are you certain it’s a true hydrosol? Perhaps there is something in there that is reacting, but dang… HA is not very reactive in my experience. Where’s your HA from? Bacterial spoilage would not account for it turning bright purple within a couple of hours! *insert spooky music here*
Wow-thanks for the quick response!!! Really appreciate your input. So hydrosol from New Direction Aromatics. We know they’re legit. So moving on to HA…….Amazon. :{ But it had great reviews & performed exactly as it should!?!? Except for the purple part. Soooo I guess I’ll get the good HA from Lotion Crafter & try again. Was wanting to get the mixed weight HA anyway. The stuff from Amazon didn’t at all say what molecular weight it was (maybe a missed clue there). I’ll report back, in case you’re curious. Thanks again, so much!
Can you store this in a plastic jug or must it be stored in a glass container? Thank you!
Plastic is fine 🙂
Thank you!
Great article and one of my favourite ingredients! That simple skincare science article is awesom too. 😀 I’ve learnt to know different HA varieties better during 2020 (thanks to you as well) after silly confusions. I’m currently into synergistic effect of HMW + LMW. Luckily I just found out that I have easy access to them both (locally) at relaviely affordable price. <3
Lucky you indeed! I’m still using my supply from New Zealand and it is so much more affordable there than it is here that I may well justify another trip there just to get more when I run out LOL.
Hello Marie, How can I determine for how long should I mix my product? and on high or low speed with my stick blender? -whatever it is a serum of body lotion for example-
It depends; I’d recommend browsing through a selection of the formulations I’ve shared and seeing what I do 🙂
Wow! It is January 2021, and it seems super challenging right now to find HA in LMW, with INCI being Hyaluronic Acid (and not Sodium Hyaluronate). I have tried Windy Point (since I am from Canada) and they cannot access any right now to have in stock. I’ve tried Lotion Crafters (and all their LMW stock seems to be the Sodium Hyaluronate). Same thing with Bulk Actives and other suppliers. Pure Nature in New Zealand has the right stuff, but cannot ship o/side of their country.
Does anyone have a lead on where to find HA, in LMW, with Hyaluronic Acid instead of Sodium Hyaluronate? Or maybe I am misunderstanding what is preferable to purchase???
I would like to know as well! I am VERY upset to learn how deceptive and misleading these suppliers are!
They list it as hyaluronic acid abs charge a LOT for it, and yet its actually Sodium Hyaluronate!
It’s impossible to find a seller that isn’t scamming!
The stupid from windy point is also misrepresented a hyaluronic acid, and is in fact Sodium.
I’d love to know if Marie has a list of suppliers that sell the REAL DEAL.
Hello Heather,
Sodium Hyaluronate is the INCI name for Hyaluronic Acid. that means is the same product.
The abbreviation “INCI” stands for “International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient.”. To ensure that cosmetic ingredients are consistently listed using the same ingredient name from product to product, INCI was established.
Ana—from everything I know about hyaluronic acid, this can’t be true. Sodium hyaluronate is the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid, so sodium hyaluronate is to hyaluronic acid as sodium lactate is to lactic acid—very definitely not the same thing. That said, sodium hyaluronate and hyaluronic acid do serve similar functions in skincare products, and are often referred to interchangeably in marketing, very likely because the average consumer has no idea what sodium hyaluronate is while hyaluronic acid has been well established as a fancy skincare ingredient. You can learn more here, and even notice that this product contains both sodium hyaluronate and hyaluronic acid, listed with individual INCIs 🙂
kor it is 1% in Korea, it contains low-molecular hyaluronic acid in 100ml.
Water type for sale
Weird
It’s like adding two or three drops of serum…