Knowing how to make hyaluronic acid gel is something essential for any handmade cosmetics maker.
This very basic recipe will be needed in the most of the DIY skincare cosmetics you’ll prepare, so make sure you always have a good amount of hyaluronic acid gel in your handmade cosmetics closet!
The hyaluronic acid gel can be bought as it is, but it’s not really worth it. You’ll spend much less if you buy the sodium hyaluronate powder and make the gel at home following the east steps of this recipe. The sodium hyaluronate we can buy in DIY cosmetics store can have a low or a high molecular weight. As explained below, they have different properties, and my suggestion is to prepare a gel using both of them.
Hyaluronic acid gel benefits
Sodium hyaluronate: what is it used for? How it benefits my skincare? This is a very valuable ingredient for DIY natural cosmetics. In fact, it has anti-aging, healing, humectant, filling and moisturizing properties.
It stimulates collagen production and is able to effectively counteract water loss. It repairs and heals damaged and sunburned skin.
Hyaluronic acid is normally found in the skin, the vitreous humor of the eyes, cartilage, and synovial fluid. The latter fills joint cavities and has a lubricating function. The natural production of this substance decreases significantly as you age.
Sodium hyaluronate: difference between low and high molecular weight
When you learn how to make hyaluronic acid gel, you should keep in mind the difference between low and hight molecular weight sodium hyaluronate.
High molecular weight sodium hyaluronate is the most widely used and the cheapest. It does not penetrate very deeply into the skin, but it has more humectant and moisturizing properties than the other version, preventing dehydration and dryness. It also has a tightening effect on wrinkles and forms denser gels.
Low molecular weight sodium hyaluronate deeply penetrates into the skin and has a greater anti-wrinkle effect. It improves skin elasticity but is less moisturizing. It forms liquid gels and is more expensive.
It is recommended to use both to get the best of both versions. This way the low molecular weight sodium hyaluronate will penetrate deep into the skin fighting wrinkles, while the high molecular weight sodium hyaluronate will bring hydration.
1% sodium hyaluronate gel recipe
How to make hyaluronic acid gel? Let's prepare it together with these easy steps!
Ingredients for making hyaluronic acid gel
- 1 g of sodium hyaluronate (preferably 0.5 g low molecular weight and 0.5 g high molecular weight)
- 98,4 g of water
- 0,6 g of Benzyl alcohol, Dehydroacetic acid preservative (Cosagard, Isocida or similar)
How to make hyaluronic acid gel
- Place the water in a glass container.
- Pour in the sodium hyaluronate powder.
- Let it sit for a few hours until a gel forms.
- Add the preservative.
- Pour your hyaluronic acid gel in a 100 ml bottle.
How to use hyaluronic acid gel in handmade cosmetics formulas
- Don’t use it alone or it could be irritating! This hyaluronic acid gel should always be used diluted in your handmade cosmetics formulas.
- The dosage in DIY skincare lotions and creams is from 1 to 5%. Other recipes, like face gels and masks, could require higher doses of hyaluronic acid gel (around the 20%).
- Now that you know how to make hyaluronic acid gel, you can make this very basic recipe even more beautiful and poetical replacing water with rose hydrolate.