Best Hyaluronic Acid Serum? 1,251 Reviews of INKEY, The Ordinary, CeraVe

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Review-analysis guide: 1,251 customer reviews read on Ulta and Sephora (October 26, 2026), sorted and counted by us; product details from Amazon listings checked October 26, 2026.

By The Beauty Read · Checked October 26, 2026 · AI-assisted research and editing · Contains Amazon affiliate links

Of these three, The INKEY List (paid link) is the hyaluronic acid serum that drew the fewest complaints: 40% of 148 usable Ulta reviews called it hydrating, though its Ulta page showed almost no low ratings, so read its shares with care. The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (paid link) drew close hydrating praise (37% of 657) and the most value praise (21%), with more sticky and breakout reports. CeraVe (paid link) drew the most dry-patch praise (18%), mostly from 2023 and 2024 reviews.

Best hyaluronic acid serum: what 1,251 reviews say

Looking for the best hyaluronic acid serum? We read 1,251 reviews on Ulta and Sephora to see how often reviewers called each serum hydrating and lightweight, and how often they found it sticky, pilling or irritating: The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum, The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 and CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum. [R-ULT-INK] [R-SEP-TO] [R-ULT-CER] [A1] [A2] [A3]

The INKEY List drew hydrating praise from 40% of 148 usable reviews, and its page showed almost no low ratings. The Ordinary drew hydrating praise from 37% of 657, and 16% gave one or two stars. CeraVe drew hydrating praise from 29% of 126 and dry-patch praise from 18%; 13% gave one or two stars. [R-ULT-INK] [R-SEP-TO] [R-ULT-CER]

Which reviews we read, and the 320 we set aside

Ulta's pages stop after about 300 reviews per product. They served the newest 285 of 1,341 shown for The INKEY List and 295 of 2,077 for CeraVe. Sephora's US English feed held 1,216 reviews of The Ordinary; we skipped the 545 that Sephora marks as incentivized or from staff and read the other 671. In all we read 1,251, kept 931 and set aside 320. [R-ULT-INK] [R-SEP-TO] [R-ULT-CER]

Most of what we set aside came from bursts. July 2023 held 108 of the 295 CeraVe reviews, 94 of them free. July and September 2025 held 129 of the 285 INKEY reviews, several times its usual monthly count, so we left out those months too; only 5 of those 129 said the product was free, and they read much like the reviews we kept. We also set aside 59 about another product (54 of them on the CeraVe page), 13 more that said the product was free and 11 that were empty, not in English, repeated, about shipping or from someone who had not used it yet. [R-ULT-INK] [R-SEP-TO] [R-ULT-CER]

Some cautions. Most usable CeraVe reviews are from 2023 and 2024 (105 of 126). The INKEY List's run from August 2025 to August 2026, and its page showed almost no low ratings: 1 of the 285 we read was below three stars. The Ordinary's come from Sephora, a different set of shoppers than the two Ulta pages. [R-ULT-INK] [R-SEP-TO] [R-ULT-CER]

The INKEY List hyaluronic acid serum: hydrating, with the fewest complaints

The INKEY List's listing describes its serum as 2% multi-molecular hyaluronic acid, fragrance-free, for morning and night as the first step after cleansing, followed by moisturizer, and suggests applying it to damp skin. We link the 1 fl oz bottle shipped and sold by Amazon.com. [A1]

Across 148 usable Ulta reviews, 59 (40%) called it hydrating, 44 (30%) said they repurchase it or called it a favorite, 37 (25%) called it lightweight or said it layers well, 16 (11%) noticed a glow or smoother texture and 15 (10%) called it good value. Complaints were rare: 4 (3%) reported a packaging problem and 3 (2%) said it did nothing for them; none reported irritation or breakouts. [R-ULT-INK]

See The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum, 1 fl oz on Amazon (paid link) · This link opens the 1 fl oz bottle shipped and sold by Amazon.com.

The Ordinary hyaluronic acid: the biggest sample, with sticky and breakout reports

The Ordinary's listing describes Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (with Ceramides) as a multi-depth hydration serum with five types of hyaluronic acid, pro-vitamin B5 and ceramides. We link the 1 oz bottle shipped and sold by Amazon.com. [A2]

In 657 usable Sephora reviews of The Ordinary serum, 243 (37%) called it hydrating, 141 (21%) called it good value, 134 (20%) said they repurchase it or called it a favorite and 122 (19%) noticed a glow or smoother texture. Complaints: 51 (8%) called it sticky, 42 (6%) said it pilled, 40 (6%) blamed breakouts on it, 34 (5%) said it was not hydrating enough and 27 (4%) reported irritation. 107 (16%) gave one or two stars. [R-SEP-TO]

See The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 with Ceramides, 1 oz on Amazon (paid link) · This link opens the 1 oz bottle shipped and sold by Amazon.com; other sizes are on the same page.

CeraVe hyaluronic acid serum drew the most dry-patch praise

CeraVe's listing describes its Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum as the brand's highest concentration of hyaluronic acid, with vitamin B5 and three ceramides in a lightweight gel, applied in a thin layer to slightly damp skin. We link the 1 oz bottle shipped and sold by Amazon.com. [A3]

Of 126 usable Ulta reviews, 36 (29%) called it hydrating, 23 (18%) said it helped dry patches or flakiness, 20 (16%) called it good value and 17 (13%) called it lightweight. Complaints: 9 (7%) called it sticky, 6 (5%) reported a packaging problem and 4 (3%) said it pilled. 17 (13%) gave one or two stars. [R-ULT-CER]

See CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum, 1 oz on Amazon (paid link) · This link opens the 1 oz bottle shipped and sold by Amazon.com.

Hyaluronic acid for skin that feels dry, and how each serum feels

Among reviewers who said they have dry skin, 6 of 7 for The INKEY List, 42 of 60 for The Ordinary and 7 of 14 for CeraVe called it hydrating. Many described how they use it: 61 The Ordinary, 15 The INKEY List and 4 CeraVe reviewers apply it to damp skin or under a moisturizer. [R-ULT-INK] [R-SEP-TO] [R-ULT-CER]

On feel, The INKEY List drew the most lightweight praise (25%, against 13% for CeraVe and 11% for The Ordinary) and almost no sticky or pilling reports (1% each). The Ordinary and CeraVe drew similar sticky complaints (8% and 7%). Of 26 The Ordinary reviewers with sensitive skin, 12 called it gentle and 4 reported irritation. [R-ULT-INK] [R-SEP-TO] [R-ULT-CER]

Keep reading

• Peptide serum: The Ordinary, Biossance and COSRX
• Azelaic acid: The Ordinary, Paula's Choice and Anua
• Gentle face cleanser: CeraVe, La Roche-Posay and Cetaphil

Frequently asked questions

Which serum drew the most hydrating praise?

The INKEY List (40% of 148 usable Ulta reviews) and The Ordinary (37% of 657 Sephora reviews) were close, ahead of CeraVe (29% of 126).

Is The Ordinary serum sticky?

Some reviewers said so: 8% of 657 usable Sephora reviews called it sticky and 6% said it pilled under other products, against 1% each for The INKEY List.

Do reviewers say CeraVe hyaluronic acid serum helps dry patches?

18% of 126 usable Ulta reviews said it helped their dry patches or flakiness, the most of the three. Most of those reviews are from 2023 and 2024.

Is The INKEY List serum worth it?

40% of 148 usable Ulta reviews called it hydrating and 30% said they repurchase it or called it a favorite. Its Ulta page showed almost no low ratings (1 of 285 read was below three stars), so read its shares with care; its usable reviews run from August 2025 to August 2026.