Hyaluronic acid is a sugar-based molecule that skin makes itself, and it can hold a great deal of water. Ours is made by biofermentation in Bohemia, about 500 km from our lab: microorganisms are fed a plant-sugar broth, produce the hyaluronic acid, and it’s then purified and dried to a fine powder. It once came from rooster combs; ours involves no animal source at all. On an ingredient list it appears as Sodium Hyaluronate, the salt form that dissolves easily in water.

We use it at 1.5% in the Edelweiss Hydrating Serum, split between three molecular weights. The largest stays on the surface for an immediate cushioned feel. The smaller ones help hold water in the upper layers of the skin for a plumper feel that lasts.

The honest detail is about how to use it. Hyaluronic acid holds the water it’s given, so it works best pressed into damp skin and followed by a moisturizer that keeps that water in. In very dry air, such as a heated room in winter, skipping the moisturizer means skin can feel tight again quickly. It’s a humectant, not a moisturizer on its own.