Hyaluronic acid

Do hyaluronic acid supplements improve skin?

Updated 9 Nov 2026

Short answer

Small trials suggest they do. A 2025 meta-analysis of 7 trials found that hyaluronic acid taken by mouth improved skin hydration, elasticity and wrinkle depth compared with placebo. It found no clear effect on firmness or on water loss through the skin.[1]

What the trials found

A 2025 meta-analysis pooled 7 randomized trials of hyaluronic acid taken by mouth. Compared with placebo, it improved skin hydration, elasticity and wrinkle depth. The effects on firmness, wrinkle volume and water loss through the skin were not statistically significant. The authors said the trials were small and differed from each other, and that larger trials are needed.[1]

In one trial, 150 healthy adults took 60 mg or 120 mg of sodium hyaluronate a day, or a placebo, for 12 weeks:[2]

  • 120 mg a day raised skin hydration and elasticity, and lowered water loss, skin oil (sebum) and wrinkle depth around the eyes.[2]
  • It also made the outer skin layer thicker and the deeper layer denser.[2]
  • 60 mg a day had similar but smaller effects.[2]
  • Skin colour, red areas, pore size and gloss did not change.[2]

Other trials:

  • 40 healthy Asian men and women aged 35 to 64 took 120 mg a day for 12 weeks. Wrinkles, skin water content and elasticity improved more than with placebo after 8 and 12 weeks.[3]
  • 60 women with mild to moderate signs of skin aging took 200 mg a day or a placebo for 28 days. In the hyaluronic acid group, skin hydration rose by 10.6%, wrinkle depth fell by 18.8%, and elasticity and firmness rose by 5.1%.[4]
  • In 129 women, young and older, with different skin types, hydration improved after 2 to 8 weeks, skin tone after 4 to 8 weeks, and the outer skin layer became thicker after 12 weeks.[5]
  • 61 people with dry skin took 120 mg a day for 6 weeks. Their skin moisture rose more than with placebo.[6]

Who ran the trials

Authors of several trials worked for companies: Contipro in the 150-person trial,[2] Kewpie Corporation in the 40-person trial[3] and Bloomage Biotech in the 129-person trial.[5] The authors stated that Contipro had no role in the design, analysis or writing of the trial.[2]

Why it may work

In mice, only about 0.2% of swallowed hyaluronic acid was absorbed, after gut bacteria cut it into small pieces. The authors think that hyaluronic acid or its breakdown products work through effects on the whole body, not by reaching the skin directly.[7] A 2014 review reported that part of it does reach the skin and helps the body make more hyaluronic acid there.[8]

What EFSA said

In 2012, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) assessed a claim that hyaluronic acid protects the skin against dehydration. The applicant gave no human studies from which conclusions could be drawn, so EFSA found that cause and effect was not established.[9] Most of the trials above were published later, from 2015 to 2025.[6][2]

What is still unknown

The trials lasted 4 to 12 weeks, so the effect of longer use is not known.[4][2] The pooled trials were small, and their results differed from each other.[1]

Sources (9)

  1. Oral Hyaluronic Acid Supplement: Efficacy in Skin Hydration, Elasticity, and Wrinkle Depth Reduction. Amin P, Sarabi A, Choe S, Scott S, Suh S, Mesinkovska NA J Drugs Dermatol, 2025. PMID 40911749
  2. Oral sodium hyaluronate improves skin hydration, barrier function and signs of aging: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 150 healthy adults. Dolečková I, Kušnierik P, Berka V, Šimek M, Matějková I, Prokopec F, et al. Sci Rep, 2025. PMID 41422283
  3. Oral Hyaluronan Relieves Wrinkles and Improves Dry Skin: A 12-Week Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Study. Hsu TF, Su ZR, Hsieh YH, Wang MF, Oe M, Matsuoka R, et al. Nutrients, 2021. PMID 34203487
  4. Oral intake of a new full-spectrum hyaluronan improves skin profilometry and ageing: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Michelotti A, Cestone E, De Ponti I, Pisati M, Sparta E, Tursi F Eur J Dermatol, 2021. PMID 34933842
  5. Oral administration of hyaluronic acid to improve skin conditions via a randomized double-blind clinical test. Gao YR, Wang RP, Zhang L, Fan Y, Luan J, Liu Z, et al. Skin Res Technol, 2023. PMID 38009035
  6. Ingestion of hyaluronans (molecular weights 800 k and 300 k) improves dry skin conditions: a randomized, double blind, controlled study. Kawada C, Yoshida T, Yoshida H, Sakamoto W, Odanaka W, Sato T, et al. J Clin Biochem Nutr, 2015. PMID 25834304
  7. Molecular weight and gut microbiota determine the bioavailability of orally administered hyaluronic acid. Šimek M, Turková K, Schwarzer M, Nešporová K, Kubala L, Hermannová M, et al. Carbohydr Polym, 2023. PMID 37182970
  8. Ingested hyaluronan moisturizes dry skin. Kawada C, Yoshida T, Yoshida H, Matsuoka R, Sakamoto W, Odanaka W, et al. Nutr J, 2014. PMID 25014997
  9. Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of a health claim related to hyaluronic acid and protection of the skin against dehydration pursuant to Article 13(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. European Food Safety Authority, 2012. efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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For education; not medical advice. Talk to a doctor before you start, stop or change a supplement.