Written by Andrew Lenau | ISSA CPT & Sports Nutritionist
Fact checked by Robert Iafelice, MS, RD, LDN
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The human body is fantastic, but as we age, we lose our youthful looks, and our joints start to ache. Luckily, we can take hyaluronic acid to slow down and even reverse these effects.
Hyaluronic acid has various health benefits when taken as an external supplement source. It can be found in oral supplements, topical creams, serums, and even injections.
With all these options, deciding what is best for you can take time. To make things easier, we've researched nine of the best oral hyaluronic acid supplements on the market. This way, all you need to do is pick the best supplement option for your needs.
9 Best Hyaluronic Acid Supplements
- Overall Best: NatureBell Hyaluronic Acid
- Budget Pick: Horbäach Hyaluronic Acid
- For Skin: Nootropics Depot
- Most Bioavailable: Toniiq Hyaluronic Acid
- Gummy Supplement: Hum Glow
- Powder Supplement: BulkSupplements Hyaluronic Acid
- Best Herbal Blend: Youtheory Hyaluronic Acid
- Stackable Choice: Jarrow Formulas Hyaluronic Acid
- Collagen & Hyaluronic Acid: Left Coast Multi-Collagen
SFS Pick
NatureBell
SFS Budget Pick
Horbäach
SFS Skin Pick
Nootropics Depot
1. Overall Best Hyaluronic Acid Supplement: NatureBell Hyaluronic Acid
The NatureBell Hyaluronic Acid supplement is one of the best options for men, women, and kids. It can support skin hydration and support joint connective tissue.
That makes it ideal for people suffering from significant joint problems who need one of the market's most potent Hyaluronic Acid complexes. It offers 250mg of pure Hyaluronic Acid with 25mg of Vitamin C per two-capsule serving.
Other ingredients include silicon dioxide, magnesium stearate, rice flour, and gelatin-based capsules. NatureBell's hyaluronic acid has no dairy, soy, or gluten and is non-GMO.
To ensure that it is one of the best options on the market, NatureBell has its premium hyaluronic acid capsules third-party tested and manufactured in a cGMP-verified USA facility for quality and purity. NatureBell recommends taking two capsules daily, preferably with a meal or as directed by your healthcare provider.
Each bottle contains 200 capsules, so you will get a 100-day supply for a reasonable price.
Pros
- Contains vitamin C
- Great for keeping joints lubricated
- Great for skin
Cons
- Some additional beneficial ingredients would be excellent
If you want to keep your skin smooth, keep young and healthy, NatureBell Hyaluronic acid is the product you should be adding to your daily regimen. The addition of Vitamin C helps stop free radicals...
2. Best Budget Hyaluronic Acid Supplement: Horbäach Hyaluronic Acid
Horbäach Hyaluronic Acid supplement is the best budget option on the market. As a company, Horbäach has been delivering industry-leading vitamins and self-care products for over 40 years.
While many of their ingredients are sourced worldwide, they manufacture all their products in the US. Horbäach also puts its products to the test to ensure safety, potency, and purity to provide the benefits you need.
Each bottle contains 120 capsules, and Horbäach recommends taking two quick-release capsules, one to two times per day, preferably with meals.
The two daily capsules result in 1000 mg of hyaluronic acid with MSM per serving. This complex makes this supplement easier for your body to absorb.
It is naturally free of gluten, wheat, yeast, milk, lactose, artificial flavors, and sweeteners and is non-GMO. Other ingredients include gelatin, rice powder, vegetable magnesium stearate, and silica.
Pros
- Bioavailable formula
- Laboratory tested
- Great value
- Ethically sourced ingredients
Cons
- No confirmed 3rd party testing
At Horbaach, our potent supplement provides 1,000 mg of Hyaluronic Acid with MSM per serving in one non-GMO and gluten-free formula! Crafted with a Bioavailable Complex, quick release...
3. Best Hyaluronic Acid Supplement For Skin: Nootropics Depot
Nootropics Depot Hyaluronic Acid supplement is the best oral option for skin health. Nootropics Depot's Injuv has been tested and verified for product purity and identity in an ISO-certified laboratory.
This ensures you get the highest-quality Injuv Hyaluronic Acid supplement with the highest bioavailability. Each bottle contains 60 or 120 softgels, depending on your choice.
Nootropics Depot recommends taking a single softgel daily, which avoids having to worry about complex dosing. The one softgel per day results in 6.3mg of Hyaluronic Acid (which comes from 70mg of INJUV).
Injuv is a proprietary, low molecular weight hyaluronic acid complex with high oral bioavailability. It is easily absorbed, clinically proven effective, and moisturizes the skin from the inside out.
Nootropics Depot's other ingredients include rice bran oil, gelatin, glycerin, purified water, yellow beeswax, and titanium dioxide.
Pros
- Transparent testing results on the website
- Easy dose to take every day
- Verified in an ISO-certified laboratory
- Manufactured in a cGMP-certified facility
Cons
- The dose may not be high enough to see full benefits
Injuv is formulated with a proprietary low molecular weight hyaluronic acid specially designed for high oral bioavailability. Due to its small size and low molecular weight, Injuv hyaluronic acid...
4. Most Bioavailable Hyaluronic Acid Supplement: Toniiq Hyaluronic Acid
Toniiq's Hyaluronic Acid supplement is one of the most bioavailable options on the market. Unlike other hyaluronic acid supplements, Toniiq uses a biofermenting process to ensure your body can absorb the most of every dose. In addition, each batch is tested individually and then third-party tested to ensure the products contain the correct purity and ingredients.
To further ensure the highest possible quality, Toniiq supplements are produced in a US GMP-certified and NSF-approved manufacturing facility.
The production page contains a certificate of analysis and lab results to keep everything as transparent as possible.
Toniiq Hyaluronic Acid capsules contain 250mg of high-quality, ethically sourced hyaluronic acid powder in each serving. Each serving also contains 25 mg of Vitamin C.
Every container contains 360 capsules, and Toniiq recommends taking two capsules daily, preferably with food. Other ingredients include microcrystalline cellulose, vegetable capsules, magnesium stearate, and silicon dioxide.
Pros
- Vegan-friendly capsules
- Biofermented to increase the bioavailability
- 95% standardized purity
- GMO-free
- Good value
Cons
- A newer product, so it does not have as many reviews as other options
Toniiq Hyaluronic Acid capsules contain 250mg of the highest quality hyaluronic acid powder in each serving – ethically sourced, grown and produced using a fermented production process to ensure...
5. Best Hyaluronic Acid Gummy Supplement: Hum Glow
If you're not big into taking capsules but still want to see the great benefits of hyaluronic acid, then look no further than Hum Glow Gummies. These delicious vegan Tangerine-flavored gummies will help your skin glow and look younger.
Each serving of two gummies contains 120 milligrams of hyaluronic acid, 5 milligrams of vitamin-C-rich Amla fruit, and 15 milligrams of Vitamin E. They are easy to implement into your day, as you can take two gummies at any time, with or without food.
Hum Glow Gummies contain no gluten, soy, nuts, milk, or fish and no artificial colors or flavorings. A unique aspect of this product is that the product is put into 100% Prevented Ocean Plastic Bottles, which helps prevent further ocean pollution.
Since it is a gummy supplement, it contains more ingredients than a traditional capsule. However, despite these additional sugars, flavors, and other ingredients, it is about as clean as a gummy supplement can be.
Pros
- Vegan-friendly
- Delicious Tangerine flavor
- Helpful supporting ingredients
- Great reviews
Cons
- We wish it came in other flavor options
These vegan tangerine beauty gummies with hyaluronic acid and vitamin C help give your skin the ultimate glow. These collagen gummies are formulated with hyaluronic acid to help lock in moisture...
6. Best Hyaluronic Acid Powder Supplement: BulkSupplements Hyaluronic Acid
BulkSupplements Hyaluronic Acid Powder is a high-quality powder that helps support healthy and vibrant skin, promotes joint health, and contributes to healthier eyes. BulkSupplements recommends taking 150 mg once or twice daily with water.
There is an assortment of options for HA powder from the BulkSupplements official website. BulkSupplements takes great pride in creating clean and pure supplements.
This supplement powder is free of sugar, soy, dairy, yeast, and other unwanted additives. Like other BulkSupplement products, their HA powder is manufactured in an FDA-approved facility, is third-party tested, upholds cGMP standards, and is lab tested to ensure high-quality products.
To make taking the powder easier, we recommend adding it to smoothies, fruit juice, or a glass of water. The powder is unflavored, so the possibilities are endless, and it adds some welcomed flexibility to anyone's supplement lineup.
Pros
- Flexible purchasing options
- It can be used however you want
- High quality
- Good reviews
Cons
- Requires an accurate scale to measure out serving size
Hyaluronic acid is a necessary component of connective tissue and belongs to a protein family called glycosaminoglycans. They help the body retain water when it needs it...
7. Best Herbal Blend Supplement With Hyaluronic Acid: Youtheory Hyaluronic Acid
Youtheory Hyaluronic Acid supplement is the best herbal blend option on the market. Youtheory is a health, beauty, and lifestyle brand based in California.
They are on a mission to inspire wellness in all and is a business built on authenticity, integrity, and quality. Unlike most of the options on this list, this product joins Hyaluronic Acid with key vitamins, minerals, and a host of medicinal plant extracts to live better inside and out.
Each bottle contains 120 capsules, and Youheory recommends taking two capsules twice daily with a glass of water. The two daily capsules result in 100 mg of hyaluronic acid with an 800mg blend of Boswellia extract, Bromelain, Ginger Root extract, White Willow Bark extract, and Cayenne fruit powder.
It is free of dairy and soy while also containing no gluten ingredients. Other ingredients include vegetarian capsules, microcrystalline cellulose, silicon dioxide, and vegetable magnesium stearate.
This supplement is third-party tested and manufactured in the USA.
Pros
- Advanced formula
- Vegetarian
- Reasonable price
Cons
- Manufactured in a facility that processes fish
- It has a proprietary blend
Youtheory Hyaluronic Acid Advanced is our carefully sourced formulation of natural elements which have been used for centuries to help produce more supple skin, ease symptoms of...
8. Best Stackable Hyaluronic Acid Supplement: Jarrow Formulas Hyaluronic Acid
This Hyaluronic Acid supplement from Jarrow Formulas is a basic option that is perfect for stacking with other nutritional supplements. It is naturally derived from biological fermentation, which increases its bioavailability and supports skin health.
Jarrow Formulas recommends taking two veggie capsules once or twice daily. Each bottle contains 60 servings or 120 capsules.
Jarrow Formulas only works with raw material suppliers that follow the same Current Good Manufacturing Practices to ensure good quality. It offers a simple formula, with each serving containing 120mg of Hyaluronic Acid.
Other ingredients include cellulose, vegetarian capsules, silicon dioxide, and magnesium stearate. If you're looking for a stackable supplement to your current skin and joint routine, try the Jarrow Formulas Hyaluronic Acid supplement.
Pros
- Bioavailable
- Naturally derived
- Simple formula
- Vegetarian and vegan-friendly
Cons
- Value isn't as good compared to other options
Our formulations are carefully crafted to ensure you get the benefit of each and every vitamin, mineral and supplement. Informed by strong scientific research, Jarrow Formulas products have...
9. Best Collagen & Hyaluronic Acid Supplement: Left Coast Multi-Collagen
Left Coast Multi-Collagen Powder is a high-quality supplement that helps supports hair, skin, joints, and nails. Left Coast recommends adding one unflavored scoop (11 grams) to your morning coffee, smoothie, or preferred beverage.
This hyaluronic acid joint supplement can be added to soups, stews, or other liquids. Each serving includes 10g Grass-Fed Hydrolyzed Collagen, 4500mcg Biotin, 60mg of Vitamin C, and 90mg of Hyaluronic Acid.
Left Coast's premium blend of multi-collagen contains types I, II, III, V, and X. Left Coast's Multi-Collagen Powder contains zero carbs, making it ideal for people following a carb-free or keto diet.
This formulation of ingredients offers excellent benefits, and if you are unhappy with your purchase, it can be returned for a full refund.
Pros
- Nine grams of protein per serving
- Zero carbs
- A great formula at a reasonable price
- Versatile
Cons
- Not vegan or vegetarian friendly
Our premium blend of multi collagen not only contains collagen types I, II, III, X, V it also contains collagen boosting ingredients: Biotin, Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid for maximum effectiveness...
What is Hyaluronic Acid?
Hyaluronic acid is a naturally produced molecule and can be found in the bones, connective tissue, cartilage, hair follicles, and the skin. It is also a humectant that helps the skin retain moisture.
Technically hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring group of sugar molecules called polysaccharides. However, over time, your body's stores of hyaluronic acid decline. In fact, by the time you reach your 50s, you will only have around 50% of the hyaluronic acid you had during your younger years.
Age is one major reason, but environmental factors are also significant factors that affect HA levels. Smoking and air pollution can accelerate this rapid decline in hyaluronic acid. When your body's hyaluronic acid declines, you will probably notice physical signs of decline, like skin aging, sore joints, and skin lines.
The good news is some products feature hyaluronic acid, which can help rebuild those depleted stores and reverse the adverse effects of aging. Hyaluronic acid binds to and attracts water molecules, increasing the skin's water content. It can absorb more than 1,000x its weight in water.
Benefits of Hyaluronic Acid:
Hyaluronic acid in our body declines by up to fifty percent by age 50. That's why hyaluronic acid can be used for typical age-related ailments, from general skin care to improving joint health.
Let's break down the benefits hyaluronic acid supplements can bring to your healthcare and aid in your pursuit of better skin and joints.
1. Joint Protection
Joints need lubrication to function correctly, and since hyaluronic acid has excellent hydrating capabilities, it can help keep your joints properly saturated. A person can receive direct injections into the joints to help lubricate them or take a HA supplement orally.
A seven-year study shows that taking HA can aid in treating knee pain symptoms, reduce inflammation in the joint, and even improve knee strength. Another study involved using different treatment combinations for people with osteoarthritis who experience inflammation and joint pain.
This study showed that combining hyaluronic acid with proper medications can increase how effective these treatments are for the joints.¹
2. Skin Elasticity
As we get older, the elastin in the skin breaks down, and the elasticity of the skin decreases, resulting in wrinkles, lines, and other unhealthy skin attributes.
A great trick you can use to check your elastin is pinching the skin on the top of your forearm or hand. If it snaps back quickly and returns to its original shape, you still have a lot of elastin.
The skin won't bounce back as quickly as you age or experience unhealthy outside factors.
While taking Hyaluronic Acid supplements will not replace your elastin, it can help with the appearance of tightness in the skin, similar to the effects of collagen.
Hyaluronic acid can significantly decrease the appearance of wrinkles and enhance skin firmness while keeping your skin hydrated. One study found that hyaluronic acid can reduce the roughness of an individual's skin and improve skin elasticity.²
3. Hydration
Many people use hyaluronic acid for additional hydration for their skin. HA is a fantastic fluid that retains water; it can bind with over 1000 times its weight in water.
When your skin starts to look dried up, this is a sign your body's HA levels are decreasing. To counteract this, people can take hyaluronic acid as a supplement or apply it as a topical cream.
Hyaluronic acid can increase skin moisture content and improve skin quality for those with dry skin. This can be extremely useful if you are exposed to substances that can affect the amount of hyaluronic acid in your skin.
For example, a study found that constant exposure to ultraviolet radiation, tobacco, and pollution can significantly decrease HA levels.³
4. It may help with healing
Hyaluronic acid can aid the skin in retaining and maintaining moisture, which can help the tissue regenerate when healing wounds, including connective tissues. It can also help to relieve inflammation and regulate tissue repair when applied directly to the skin.
It may also positively affect people dealing with gum diseases and mouth ulcers. Indirectly, the improvements HA can have in your eyes, skin, and joints can heal and may prolong your life.⁴
Side Effects of Hyaluronic Acid
In general, hyaluronic acid as a supplement, topical product, and injection is safe when people correctly follow the provided instructions. However, hyaluronic acid can produce adverse side effects and allergic reactions in some people.
People should always do a test period before they start using a new product every day. Most negative effects have occurred when hyaluronic acid is injected, rather than taken orally.
If you do experience any signs of a bad reaction or irritation occurs, then discontinue use and consult your doctor.
What to look for when buying hyaluronic acid supplements:
High quality hyaluronic acid supplements should be manufactured with the highest quality ingredients, be third-party tested, have great reviews, and be made in cGMP-certified facilities. As a team, we have reviewed the best hyaluronic acid supplements on the market by evaluating them by several criteria: ingredients quality, testing, transparency, price, and reviews.
1. Ingredients
One of the most important factors to remember when researching hyaluronic acid supplements is ensuring that the primary ingredient is hyaluronic acid. Whether shopping online or at local health food stores we recommend finding a brand with hyaluronic acid as the only active ingredient or with other ingredients that aid in supporting your bones, skin, and body.
Typically you will see HA combined with Vitamin C. If you see this combination, it is an excellent indication that the brand did its research and made sure its supplement contains the proper ingredients instead of being loaded with unnecessary fillers.
The supplement should offer 200 milligrams of HA per serving; anything less than that would be underdosed, depending on what your health goals are.
2. Testing/Transparency
The testing and safety of a company's supplements should be an important factor when choosing a hyaluronic acid supplement. That's why we have created the list above with reputable brands that have repeatedly proven themselves to develop high-quality products.
Another great way of telling if a supplement is high quality and has pure ingredients is if it is third-party tested, which guarantees it's clinically dosed, provides full benefits, and is high quality. Testing will also prove that the product contains no impurities, dangers, or inconsistencies.
When researching hyaluronic supplements, you want to avoid options that don't show dose amounts for individual ingredients and rely on confusing proprietary blends. We recommend buying products that have transparent labels and proudly display their doses.
3. Price
Regarding your health, you want to go with something other than the cheapest option on the market. This is largely true if the company is known for cutting corners and using cheap ingredients to lower prices.
When looking at the price while shopping for hyaluronic acid supplements, we recommend that you consider the other factors listed above when trying to find the value of a product.
Typically hyaluronic acid products that have high-quality materials, are clinically dosed, third-party tested, and have great reviews range in the 20-40 dollar range.
4. Reviews
When buying any hyaluronic acid supplements, one of the best ways of verifying a product's legitimacy is by checking out customer reviews. Unfortunately, most supplement brands tend to stretch the truth of the benefits of their supplements to make them sound better in product descriptions or even provide false benefits to steer customers to their product page.
To ensure you don't fall victim to one of these companies, we recommend checking out the product's review section, where previous buyers share their experiences, especially if they have negative experiences. We also recommend checking out other websites to find more reviews on the hyaluronic acid supplement you're looking at purchasing.
Hyaluronic Acid FAQs
Is it good to take hyaluronic acid supplements?
Possibly, depending on how it's used. It's a versatile product, with scientists constantly researching and finding new ways to use it.
It's the topic of hundreds of scientific studies and trials worldwide. Right now, it's most commonly used for healthy skin and joint support.
Hyaluronic acid is a supplement you can use daily without fearing unwanted side effects.
What do hyaluronic acid pills do?
Hyaluronic acid belongs to a long and complicated chain of molecules called a polymer. The chain has plenty of open spots where other chemical compounds, like H₂0, can latch on.
A quarter teaspoon of hyaluronic acid can hold roughly a gallon and a half of water, making it one of the best polymers for absorbing water, making it easy to see why hyaluronic acid is a common ingredient in moisturizing products.
Since the polymer has openings for other molecules to latch on, hyaluronic acid is excellent for transporting other molecules throughout your body. It also can attach itself to cells, which is the reason targeted delivery of medications using hyaluronic acid is an important topic of research studies.
Hyaluronic acid's chain-like structure can act as a scaffold, allowing body tissue to grow. This is a critical step in how wounds heal in your body and in improving bone density.
What is the best source of hyaluronic acid?
There is a handful of popular ways to take hyaluronic acid, with the two most common options being orally and topically. While both methods are incredibly effective, they each have health benefits that are more apparent depending on which form you decide to take.
If you want to take Hyaluronic acid to improve your joint strength and maintain joint stability, we recommend taking it orally. The most common oral methods are in capsules, powder, or serum form.
Oral supplements are the easiest way for your body to absorb them and divert their benefits to your joints. However, if you want to improve the health and elasticity of your skin, then hyaluronic acid is best used topically in lotions.
Is there a downside to hyaluronic acid?
Taking hyaluronic acid supplements is unlikely to build up in the body at excessive levels; this is due to roughly 90% being metabolized and eliminated through exhaling and urinating.
Most importantly, supplementing with hyaluronic acid is safe when people follow the instructions on proper use.
How Many Milligrams of Hyaluronic Acid Should You Take a Day?
Always consult with a healthcare professional before adding a new supplement to your routine to ensure that the supplement is appropriate for your needs and which dosage would be optimal. The recommended dose for hyaluronic acid varies; however, most options taken by mouth are safe at dosages of about 200 mg of hyaluronic acid a day.
This is a good dose for anyone looking to relieve their painful joints. If you want to rehydrate and improve skin health, a lower dose of 100-120 mg daily is sufficient.
Summary
While hyaluronic acid supplements can provide benefits, keep in mind that your body produces its own, so as dietary supplements go, it's not as vital to take. As we age, our body's elastin in the skin dissipates, and the skin loses its snap.
If you're looking for a reliable supplement that can provide extra joint protection, improved skin health, and hydration, hyaluronic acid nutritional supplements may benefit you. We think that NatureBell is the best HA supplement on the market and is worth every penny.
We recommend that you speak with a health practitioner before starting a supplement routine to make sure it fits within your specific lifestyle and if it is beneficial to you.
If you want to keep your skin smooth, keep young and healthy, NatureBell Hyaluronic acid is the product you should be adding to your daily regimen. The addition of Vitamin C helps stop free radicals...
If you came here because you have joint issues then you should have a look at our post that covers the Best Joint Supplements on the market.
References:
- Oe, Mariko, et al. "Oral Hyaluronan Relieves Knee Pain: A Review." Nutrition Journal, vol. 15, no. 1, Dec. 2015, 10.1186/s12937-016-0128-2
- KERSCHER, MARTINA, et al. “Rejuvenating Influence of a Stabilized Hyaluronic Acid–Based Gel of Nonanimal Origin on Facial Skin Aging.” Dermatologic Surgery, vol. 34, no. 5, May 2008, pp. 720–726, 10.1111/j.1524-4725.2008.34176.x.
- Simpson, Russell M.L., et al. "Age-Related Changes in Pericellular Hyaluronan Organization Leads to Impaired Dermal Fibroblast to Myofibroblast Differentiation." The American Journal of Pathology, vol. 175, no. 5, 1 Nov. 2009, pp. 1915–1928
- Denzel, Martin S., et al. “Hexosamine Pathway Metabolites Enhance Protein Quality Control and Prolong Life.” Cell, vol. 156, no. 6, Mar. 2014, pp. 1167–1178, 10.1016/j.cell.2014.01.061
Andrew Lenau
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