Whether you’re focusing on anti-aging or simply trying to make yourself feel good, anyone who’s gotten into skincare knows how easy it can be to overdo it with some products. And it’s not just about overspending on certain items you can get for cheaper elsewhere: Some of the chemicals, serums, and masks on the shelves that promise astonishing results might not deliver in the long run. Unfortunately, this can still be true of incredibly popular skincare products and ingredients—including one that a plastic surgeon says is essentially a waste of time.
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One doctor says hyaluronic acid "doesn’t really do anything."
In a recent video posted to TikTok, Daniel Barrett, MD, a plastic surgeon based in Beverly Hills, was asked to share the one skincare product he would never use. He immediately responded that he “wouldn’t waste my time on hyaluronic acid,” adding that it “stays on top of the skin” without really doing anything.
The chemical makeup of the product is to blame.
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Since it entered the market, hyaluronic acid has been touted as a miracle moisturizer, able to bind with over 1,000 times its weight in water as a humectant, according to Harvard Health Press. However, there are still some limitations when used as a topical product.
“Hyaluronic acid is a very large molecule,” explains Barrett. “It doesn’t actually get inside your skin, it just sits on the surface and makes you feel good.”
Part of the issue is that hyaluronic is often touted as a “topical filler” on the shelf, which can be misleading to customers. The product is most effective when applied as an injection, treating everything from sunken cheeks and creases around the mouth and chin to under-eye circles and dry lips, per Harvard Health Press.
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Some pushed back against the doctor’s response.
Of course, not everyone agreed with Barrett’s assessment. Some TikTokers took to the video’s comment section to voice their own opinions.
“At the very least, it fills in your face lines before putting on makeup,” one replied. “Who cares if it’s just for a few hours until you wash your face?”
Another pointed out that not all versions of the product contain oversized molecules. “[Hyaluronic acid] does exist in three molecular weights, [and] small does penetrate the skin, so it does moisturize it,” one user explains. “Formula is important.”
There are still some cases where hyaluronic acid is useful.
However, Barrett says there are still some reasons to keep hyaluronic acid in your skincare lineup.
“It feels good, so I’m not going to say to never use it,” he admits. “Because if my skin is kind of dry and I kind of want to coat it with something, I would do it.”
According to Harvard Health Press, anyone with dry skin who who wants a “more dewy, moisturized feel to their skin during the cooler months,” can also use topical hyaluronic acid. However, it’s important to remember that it won’t deeply penetrate the skin as an injectable version would.
The takeaway.
According to one plastic surgeon, hyaluronic acid is one popular skincare product that can be a waste of your time. While it does work well as a topical moisturizer, many formulas of the product are made up of molecules that are simply too big to get absorbed into the skin. Still, it can be helpful for tackling dry skin and “feels good” to apply, stopping it from being a total loss.
