Hyaluronic Acid Serums

Hyaluronic acid is a mainstay in the skincare industry these days, so we thought we'd explain what it is and give you a couple of recipes so you can make your own!

DIY Recipe - Make Your Own Hyaluronic Acid Serums 

Hyaluronic acid is essentially a very large sugar (or glycosaminoglycan if you prefer). It naturally occurs in connective tissue throughout our bodies, including in the skin, as a major component in the extracellular matrix - the framework in which our skin cells sit.

It’s a clever little sponge: one molecule can hold up to 1000 times its own weight in water. As we age, our natural production of it slows down, so some people go as far as injecting it back into skin to make it look plump. Most lip fillers are HA for that reason too.

Because HA molecules are large, they can’t penetrate the deeper layers of the skin topically. They do have a temporary effect on the skin’s appearance though, drawing moisture to make it look plump and hydrated. We love these hyaluronic acid serums for that reason - you can look noticeably fresh and youthful after one application! That’s not to say you can’t use it everyday if you so choose, though. We’d advise using a moisturiser on top to get the most from it - the HA will enhance the effects.

Simple 1% hyaluronic acid serum 

Ingredients
Makes 100g 

98% | 98g distilled water
1% | 1g hyaluronic acid powder
1% | 1g Geogard 221 (preservative)

Method

1. Add the Geogard 221 to water and stir.
2. Slowly sprinkle the hyaluronic acid powder over the surface of the water and stir. It will clump together but try to incorporate as well as you can. (You can use an electric beater to help speed up the process.)
3. Leave covered, preferably overnight, until all the hyaluronic acid powder has melded in.
4. Pour into 100ml bottle or 5 x 20ml dropper bottles You can use your 20ml dropper bottle for application and refill it as needed.

Hero hyaluronic acid serum

Ingredients
Makes 100g 

90.5% | 90.5g distilled water
5% | 5g niacinamide
2% | 2g glycerin, certified organic
1% | 1g hyaluronic acid powder
0.25% | 0.25g allantoin 
0.25% | 0.25g aloe vera extract
1% | 1g Geogard 221 (preservative)

Method

1. Make an aloe vera juice by stirring the aloe vera extract powder into the water.
2. Stir in the glycerin, Geogard 221, niacinamide and allantoin, sprinkling in powders slowly.
3. Slowly sprinkle the hyaluronic acid powder over the surface of the water and stir. It will clump together but try to incorporate as well as you can. (You can use an electric beater to help speed up the process.)
4. Leave covered, preferably overnight, until all the hyaluronic acid powder has melded in.
5. Pour into 100ml bottle or 5 x 20ml dropper bottles You can use your 20ml dropper bottle for application and refill it as needed.

Adjust batch volume with Go Native NZ's Batch Size Calculator 

Video Tutorial - Make Hyaluronic Acid Serum