Any DIY Hyaluronic Acid Serum recipes?
EDS Skin Care Forums Forum Index » Skincare Tools & Do-It-Yourself Skincare

free skin care · Thu Dec 25, 2008 4:32 pm

I am going to be brave and make my own HA serum if any of you Gurus of DIY have a recipe to share!
I'm hoping for a serum that is moisturizing for my tight winter skin but won't clog my pores. I want to use it over my C serum.
TIA

free skin care · Thu Dec 25, 2008 8:27 pm

Hi Fawnie,
You might want to go over to Garden of Wisdom or Bulk Actives they have the HA and recipes. There are other suppliers but I cant think of any at the moment. Have fun and let us know how it goes.

free skin care · Thu Dec 25, 2008 9:41 pm

You didn't mention if you were using powder/liquid HA....Regardless of that, you just want to use it at 1% into whatever cream, lotion, or base cream you are using..

1 gram of the powder form is enough for 4oz, so divide accordingly.. It will thicken whatever you put it in, and more is not better, as it will dry your skin out if you use too much..

Add the powder or liquid HA to a small amount of distilled water, stir until it forms a gel, and only then add it to your base cream.

Hope that helps.

free skin care · Fri Dec 26, 2008 1:09 am

Thanks!
I have liquid HA and want to make a serum that has a slippery texture, like Arcona's. Any ideas?

I bought the liquid HA thinking I was going to add it to a DIY C serum, but from reading here, that doesn't seem like a good idea....would it decrease the strength of the C?

free skin care · Fri Dec 26, 2008 8:03 am

If you want to mimic Arcona's try adding honey to the HA serum! I'm very interested in your experimenting there. I have hope that HA would counteract honey's stickyness, but I haven't tried it yet.

About vitamin C, I don't think adding HA will make it less effective. Many brand name vit C serums have HA as one of the ingredients, so it should be ok.

fawnie wrote:

Thanks!
I have liquid HA and want to make a serum that has a slippery texture, like Arcona's. Any ideas?

I bought the liquid HA thinking I was going to add it to a DIY C serum, but from reading here, that doesn't seem like a good idea....would it decrease the strength of the C?

free skin care · Fri Dec 26, 2008 10:23 am

fawnie wrote:

Thanks!
I have liquid HA and want to make a serum that has a slippery texture, like Arcona's. Any ideas?

I bought the liquid HA thinking I was going to add it to a DIY C serum, but from reading here, that doesn't seem like a good idea....would it decrease the strength of the C?

The reason it isn't great for use in C serum is because the ph is too high (6 - 8 depending on which you have).. L-Ascorbic Acid won't penetrate the skin unless it's in a formulation of 3.5 ph or lower.... You can use HA in a C serum with other forms of vitamin C (THDA or MAP), but those although nice, don't do the job of LAA) I know, I know, it's in some pretty pricey ready made serums, but it's because it gives it a nice texture, consistency + slip, and undoubtedly you will enjoy some plumpness, but unfortunately the Ascorbic Acid will never penetrate sufficiently... (This is only my humble opinion, after researching this subject to death!!)

I've never heard of "Arcona's", but if you can give me the ingredient list, I'll try to figure out something comparable. Also, I need to know precisely which HA you have (there are 3 different strength formulations available for liquid HA).

free skin care · Fri Dec 26, 2008 4:05 pm

Thanks nimue, I think I will try that HA + honey mixture! (Arcona dupe)

Thanks Kassy, the HA I have is from The Personal Formulator and is a 1% water solution, so I need to add 1/2tsp to 4 oz cream (according to the site) for a 2% mixture. Does that ratio apply when making a serum also, I am assuming....?

I added a "pinch" to half a bottle of SAS "Let's Make Collagen" serum and applied it over damp skin last nite. WoW Shock

My skin was so soft and plump this a.m.! Usually it's dry as a lizard from RAM in the morning, but this sure helped!

OK now I'm psyched! It's great to see something I have concocted actually work! As opposed to the disasters I've had with peels, retinol, etc, in the recent past. HOO-waah! Thanks guys!

free skin care · Fri Dec 26, 2008 6:25 pm

fawnie, sounds like you done good girl!

Just keep it at no more than 2% (I would do 1%, but that's just me)..

I also did a quick google on the "Arcona" and checked out the ingredients in a serum, and it looks comparable to my favorite "Juice Beauty Soothing Serum", that is available here at EDS;

http://www.essentialdayspa.com/juice-beauty-soothing-ser-p_7975.htm

It's $36.00 for 2oz, which goes a long way when you use it for formulating... You could add your HA to distilled water, then add the JBS, which would make a lovely serum.

free skin care · Fri Dec 26, 2008 8:29 pm

Yeah I done good! That Juice sounds full of good stuff, I'll have to add that to my arsenal!

free skin care · Sat Dec 27, 2008 5:35 pm

I'm a little confused here- if what you have is a 1% water solution, how do you make it 2% by diluting it with a base cream? Do you mean 2% of the 1%, so that becomes .02% HA?

Arcona Hydrating Serum: (38$, 1 oz)

Agua (Distilled Water), Sodium Hyaluronate, Honey Extract, Honey Enzymes, Phospholipids, Sodium Lactate, Glycerine, Na PCA, Essential Oils, Grapefruit Seed Extract (Citrus Grandis)

It looks like it's essentially a HA serum with some honey added in... I think the honey HA over at garden of wisdom would probably be very similar, but it should be easy to DIY, it'll just take some experimenting to get the proportions right.

Garden of Wisdom Honey HA: (13$, 2 oz)

http://www.gardenofwisdom.com/catalog/item/4019949/4987103.htm

free skin care · Sun Dec 28, 2008 2:03 pm

Nimue, I know, it doesn't sound logical does it? I am just copying down what The Personal Formulator's directions are on their site for that product. Do they mean that the finished DIY product will have 2% of the original solution in it? Not a chemist here, so I'm kinda fuzzy on it.

free skin care · Sun Dec 28, 2008 7:01 pm

I just posted on the Garden of Wisdom forum asking for advice about honey and it looks like 20% is the maximum % of honey without the end result being too sticky. So that's like 1 teaspoon honey, 5 teaspoons water, and however much HA you need to turn that into a HA serum.

I'm looking at the personal forumalator now, and I'm pretty sure it means 2% of the 1% solution. But that's for a moisturizer, that wouldn't be enough HA to make a serum with just water. I'm looking at lotioncrafter also, and there 1 g of HA costs 5$, so that's more evidence that the HA on the personal formulator is already in a 1% solution. According to lotioncrafter, HA is recommended to be used as .1% to 1% in formulations. And many commercial HA serums (PSF, etc) are 1% HA.

So anyway I think you can add however much of the 1% HA from personal formulator as you want. Try something like this: 1 part honey, 4 parts water, 1 part HA. This recipe would be about 20% honey and .2% HA.

free skin care · Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:31 am

Thank you, Nimue! that really helps me get started here! I do appreciate all the help - you guys are such a wealth of info.

The Arcona HA Serum is great, so I'm happy to know I can make it on my own for a fraction of the cost.

Thanks again Nimue and Kassy!

free skin care · Tue Jan 06, 2009 6:37 pm

Kassy_A,

If I add distill water to the powder one (no base cream), can I use it for my BQ? Thanks a lot!

free skin care · Tue Jan 06, 2009 6:49 pm

Kassy_A wrote:

fawnie wrote:

Thanks!
I have liquid HA and want to make a serum that has a slippery texture, like Arcona's. Any ideas?

I bought the liquid HA thinking I was going to add it to a DIY C serum, but from reading here, that doesn't seem like a good idea....would it decrease the strength of the C?

The reason it isn't great for use in C serum is because the ph is too high (6 - 8 depending on which you have).. L-Ascorbic Acid won't penetrate the skin unless it's in a formulation of 3.5 ph or lower.... You can use HA in a C serum with other forms of vitamin C (THDA or MAP), but those although nice, don't do the job of LAA) I know, I know, it's in some pretty pricey ready made serums, but it's because it gives it a nice texture, consistency + slip, and undoubtedly you will enjoy some plumpness, but unfortunately the Ascorbic Acid will never penetrate sufficiently... (This is only my humble opinion, after researching this subject to death!!) Laughing

Sorry - sometimes I just gravitate toward humor and saracasm.

Thu Mar 05, 2009 1:56 pm

Kassy_A wrote:

fawnie wrote:

Thanks!
I have liquid HA and want to make a serum that has a slippery texture, like Arcona's. Any ideas?

I bought the liquid HA thinking I was going to add it to a DIY C serum, but from reading here, that doesn't seem like a good idea....would it decrease the strength of the C?

The reason it isn't great for use in C serum is because the ph is too high (6 - 8 depending on which you have).. L-Ascorbic Acid won't penetrate the skin unless it's in a formulation of 3.5 ph or lower.... You can use HA in a C serum with other forms of vitamin C (THDA or MAP), but those although nice, don't do the job of LAA) I know, I know, it's in some pretty pricey ready made serums, but it's because it gives it a nice texture, consistency + slip, and undoubtedly you will enjoy some plumpness, but unfortunately the Ascorbic Acid will never penetrate sufficiently... (This is only my humble opinion, after researching this subject to death!!)

I've never heard of "Arcona's", but if you can give me the ingredient list, I'll try to figure out something comparable. Also, I need to know precisely which HA you have (there are 3 different strength formulations available for liquid HA).

I'd really like to use HA in my vit C serum. Is there anyway of bringing down the pH? What if I make a super concentration vit c base with a low pH? Will the HA bring it up to an acceptable level. Here's the recipe i'm playing with:

Mix #1: 1 teaspoon L-Ascorbic Acid (L-AA)+ 1 teaspoon Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (MAP) + 1 Tablesppon Distilled Water

COMBINE WITH

Mix #2: ½ teaspoon Vitamin E oil + ½ teaspoon Glycerin + ½ teaspoon Hyaluronic Acid.

Another questions: what's the best molecular weight for the HA?

THANKS

Thu Mar 11, 2010 3:25 pm

I started out using Loreal Skin Genesis for my face, and liked it. Then I discovered the main ingredient was Hyaluronic Acid. I tried making my own by mixing contents of cheap HA capsules from Walmart with distilled water, then combining with 1/2 Aura Glow (Olive Oil, Peanut Oil and Lanolin) and 1/2 facial quality Aloe Vera Gel. Over the course of my using it, (a few weeks) it began to turn an orangish pink color, so I questioned whether it was a good mixture of ingredients.

Meanwhile, I purchased some Reviva HA serum and discovered when I massaged it 2 times a day on my knees and hip joints, including base of spine, it really relieved joint pain significantly.

I am looking for a way to get the best possible value in a mixture that I can continue to massage onto knee and hip joints 2 times daily - something less expensive than the Reviva serum. Of course, I want to put it onto my face 2 times a day also. (And forearms.)

free skin care · Thu Mar 11, 2010 7:26 pm

When I mixed the HA powder with water, it wouldnt become a thick gel. It's very watery. I just want to make a HA serum and add other actives to it. I added water to fill a 2oz bottle and the powder just like that. I think Im doing it wrong€?

Fri Mar 12, 2010 7:04 am

Am wondering if I can use it by itself or must add something to it. It's only 1% strength, so I don't want to dilute it too much. Does anyone know what the percentage of HA in Loreal Skin Genesis is?

free skin care · Fri Mar 12, 2010 8:34 am

I have seen so... many different "recipes" for HA that I am totally confused about which is the right way to formulate with it

I found this information on purebulk along with alot of other info on HA if anyones interested

Internal Use: Hyaluronic Acid can be taken internally as a nutritional supplement with benefits including joint and connective tissue health. Hyaluronic Acid powder can be placed directly into the mouth and swallowed with water, or you can mix your dose in food or juice and consume. But for optimal results and bioavailability take a measured amount of a prepared 1% Hyaluronic Acid solution. See below for methods of preparing a 1% Hyaluronic Acid Solution which will approximate 73 milligrams Hyaluronic Acid per 1 level tablespoon of 1% solution.

Topical Use: Hyaluronic Acid can also be applied topically to the skin with tremendous anti-aging results, reducing wrinkles and increasing the elasticity of facial skin. Topical use is usually recommended in concentrations between 1/2% but not to exceed 1%. Since Hyaluronic Acid is known to absorb between 500 and 1,000 times its weight in water higher concentrations than 1% will jellify and not flow easily. Understand also that many Hyaluronic Acid Solution sellers will make claims such that their product is a 50% or even a 100% Hyaluronic Acid Solution without disclosing to you that standard industry terminology equates a 100% Hyaluronic Acid Solution as a solution of 99% water and 1% Hyaluronic Acid by weight since this is the concentration that is considered maximal for an Hyaluronic Acid solution to maintain it's fluid characteristics.

Hyaluronic Solution Preparation: To prepare 12 fluid ounces of a 1% (by weight) solution of Hyaluronic Acid and water you should be aware that Hyaluronic Acid should only be dissolved in cold water, never hot. You will need a 16 fluid ounce or larger water bottle or jar with a tightly sealing lid and a 1 teaspoon US Standard measuring spoon. Measure out 1 level teaspoon of Hyaluronic Acid Powder (approximately 1.78 grams by weight) and put that powder into your empty water bottle (use a dry funnel if necessary). Measure out 16 ounces or more distilled or filtered water in a large measuring cup, but do not add to the water bottle with the HA powder just yet. Add sufficient ice to the water and stir the ice around until the water cools to less than 40°F (less than 4°C). Remove the ice and measure out precisely 16 fluid ounces of cold water (about 473 milliliters). Use a funnel if necessary to add the cold water to the Hyaluronic Acid within the water bottle. Seal the bottle and then shake the bottle a few times. The Hyaluronic Acid powder will not appear to dissolve, but will clump up in white masses, and this is normal. Place the water bottle with the Hyaluronic Acid powder and cold water into your refrigerator (do not freeze). Every two to four hours shake the bottle and then put back into the refrigerator. After 4 to 8 hours you will notice that the Hyaluronic Acid clumps are turning clear and dispersing. After 12 to 24 hours the Hyaluronic Acid will be completely dissolved into the cold water forming a thickened and slightly gelatinous liquid, but still pourable. That's it! When your HA powder is completely dissolved and uniformly dispersed into solution you can store your 1% Hyaluronic Solution in the refrigerator and use it as you need it. If you need to keep your 1% Hyaluronic Solution at room temperature for more than a day you should add and dissolve a preservative such as 5 or 6 grams of Ascorbic Acid Powder (Vitamin C). The Ascorbic Acid can most easily be dissolved into the water before adding the ice to cool the water. With the Ascorbic Acid included this Hyaluronic Solution is suitable for both internal and topical use. When this 1% Hyaluronic Acid solution is taken internally, every 1 ounce (two tablespoons) will net approximately 146 milligrams Hyaluronic Acid.

http://purebulk.com/hyaluronic-acid-na-hyaluronate

Sun Aug 22, 2010 2:03 am

1- I agree with the pH requirement for effective L-Ascorbic serum

2-Hyaluronic Acid in its pure form is very expensive i.e. an exceptionally cheap source is hyaluronic acid sodium salt from Streptococcus equi, CAD$53.7 for 1g of 99% pure, research grade (which should be purer than pharma grade as your body is more tolerable of impurities than reliabiilty of research results =). More common than not it is ~CAD$1000+ per gram. To put it into perspective, if you were to make a 30ml 1% hyaluronic acid using pure hyaluronic acid powder, the cost is $16.11. Say if pharma/cosmetic company has a 50% off of the price of hyaluronic acid powder, the raw cost of 30ml is still $8.06 (not including packaging, marketing..etc). With that said, if you use a consumer product containing hyaluronic acid (i.e. LOreal Genesis) that costs $25 or less as a substitude, I bet the hyaluronic acid concentration is less than 0.05%. However, hyaluronic acid is a very powerful water attractant. A little goes a long way. But I would at least use a 1% liquid to make the receipe mentioned here.

free skin care · Tue Oct 05, 2010 10:12 am

What do you guys think of this....?
DIY recipe at bottom of page. Also, does taking Hyaluronic acid internally help outwardly?

http://hubpages.com/hub/Hyaluronic-Acid-Sodium-Hyaluronate

Tue Apr 26, 2011 10:18 am

Bumping...

I'm a newbie in DIY department (so far I've only done explicitly written recipes Smile

), so I need a little help for making ultra simple HA cream.
If I want to make 1% HA is it okay to mix:

0.5g HA powder
1tsp distilled water (to dissolve HA)
2oz base cream

Also, which base cream would you recommend for this?

Thnx

free skin care · Tue Apr 26, 2011 11:02 am

ABB wrote:

Bumping...

I'm a newbie in DIY department (so far I've only done explicitly written recipes Smile

), so I need a little help for making ultra simple HA cream.
If I want to make 1% HA is it okay to mix:

0.5g HA powder
1tsp distilled water (to dissolve HA)
2oz base cream

Also, which base cream would you recommend for this?

Thnx

Hi ABB,

There are a few online calculators listed and linked on this thread that are great to have.

http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?p=6415893

I think any basic base cream that suits your skin type will be fine. Very Happy

Tue Apr 26, 2011 11:48 am

DarkMoon wrote:

Hi ABB,

There are a few online calculators listed and linked on this thread that are great to have.

http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?p=6415893

I think any basic base cream that suits your skin type will be fine. Very Happy

Thanks for the links DarkMoon! Smile

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