Simple Skincare: Inside Our Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum

Do you ever feel like you need a PhD just to read and understand all of the ingredients in your skincare, makeup, or hair products? You hope that all of those ingredients are there for a reason, but sometimes, that reason isn't so great. Fillers and chemicals can dominate products. 

A few years ago, consumers started speaking up about the chemicals and fillers added to their food, and now, people are taking notice of what's in their cosmetic products. It makes sense, if you're concerned about what you're putting in to your body, you should also take notice of what you're putting on it. For many, starting with a gentle hyaluronic acid serum is an easy first step toward cleaner skincare.

Limited ingredient makeup and skincare are going to pop up more in 2018, and frankly, we're stoked. At Cosmedica Skincare, we've been using limited ingredients in our number one selling product since its inception. We believe in simple, effective, and cost-conscious skincare.

So, let's break down all 3 of the ingredients in our Pure Hyaluronic Acid serum, and why they're there:

1. Distilled Water

This is the most gentle and hypoallergenic base to a skincare product. Individuals do not have a reaction to distilled water, and it acts as a great carrier for the active ingredient.

2. Sodium Hyaluronate

This is the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid (HA), and occurs naturally within the body. It's used in skincare because of its water-binding and water-attracting capabilities. Sodium hyaluronate is a smaller molecular size than traditional HA, which means it is more readily absorbed into the skin. It's the key active in our hyaluronic acid serum, drawing moisture to help skin feel plump.

Cosmedica Skincare uses a 2% formula concentration. Anything more would make the product too gelatinous, and anything less would feel too thin. We use a combination of low and medium weight molecular HA.

Need a crash course on why hyaluronic acid is so great? Check that out here. Don't want to read? That's OK too.

3. Benzylalcohol-DHA

This is the preserving agent, and keeps the product stable and effective. We prefer this ingredient because it is a paraben-free preservative. It's also a great delivery agent to get product deeper into the skin. Because it's an alcohol, once it's done working, it will evaporate. And don't worry about over drying, as it's too small a percentage to dry out the skin.

Three simple, effective ingredients are really all you need for hydrated, plumper, and happier skin. That's the beauty of a well-formulated hyaluronic acid serum.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Why does the Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum only have three ingredients?

Short answer: The formula is intentionally simple to avoid unnecessary fillers and keep the focus on effectiveness. Distilled water serves as a gentle, hypoallergenic base and carrier; sodium hyaluronate is the key active that binds and attracts water to plump the skin; and Benzylalcohol-DHA preserves the formula without parabens so it stays stable and effective.

Question: What is sodium hyaluronate, and how is it different from hyaluronic acid?

Short answer: Sodium hyaluronate is the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid and occurs naturally in the body. It has a smaller molecular size than traditional HA, which makes it more readily absorbed into the skin. In this serum, it’s used at a 2% concentration—more than that would make the texture too gelatinous, and less would feel too thin. The formula includes a blend of low and medium molecular weights of HA.

Question: Will the alcohol in Benzylalcohol-DHA dry out my skin?

Short answer: No. Benzylalcohol-DHA is a paraben-free preservative that keeps the product stable and also helps deliver the product deeper into the skin. Because it’s present at a very small percentage and evaporates after doing its job, it won’t over-dry your skin.

Question: Why use distilled water as the base?

Short answer: Distilled water is extremely gentle and hypoallergenic, making it an ideal base for sensitive skin. It acts as an effective carrier for the active ingredient (sodium hyaluronate) without introducing common irritants.

Question: How does this serum fit into “clean” or limited-ingredient skincare?

Short answer: It exemplifies the limited-ingredient approach that’s gaining momentum—fewer, purposeful components with no unnecessary fillers. As a gentle hyaluronic acid serum, it’s an easy first step toward cleaner skincare, aligning with Cosmedica Skincare’s commitment to simple, effective, and cost-conscious formulas.