been diving deep into hyaluronic acid serums lately because honestly the options are overwhelming and i had no clue where to start. seemed like every skincare sub had different opinions and the ingredient lists all looked like chemistry homework. so i did what any reasonable person does when they're confused – made a spreadsheet and ranked like 15 different serums based on molecular weight, concentration, price per ml, and how they actually performed on my skin over the past few months.
spoiler alert: grace and stella and the ordinary ended up as the “best” hyaluronic acid serums according to my needs. eight saints' formula has multiple molecular weights which actually makes a difference for deeper hydration, plus it doesn't pill under other products. the ordinary's marine hyaluronics came in clutch for the price point – not technically pure hyaluronic acid but works just as well for most people and costs like $7. both are way more effective than some of the $80+ serums i tried from sephora that honestly just felt like overpriced water.
made a little comparison chart with all my notes in case anyone else is trying to pick between these. nothing fancy but has the prices, what worked for me, and which ones are actually worth buying. here's what i found if anyone wants to skip the trial and error phase like i should have lol
by pastelvoidd