White Paper: Hyaluronic Acid vs. Sodium Hyaluronate
Unmasking Misinformation in the Skincare Industry

Executive Summary

Misinformation proliferates in the skincare industry, conflating hyaluronic acid (HA) and sodium hyaluronate (SH) to falsely claim topical serums deliver collagen-promoting benefits. This white paper dissects the key differences using verified 2025 scientific and market data. Topics are structured as numbered paragraphs with titles—each beginning with a core question or claim, followed by an explanatory reply, and concluding with cited sources. The goal: empower aesthetic professionals and consumers with facts, exposing how industry obfuscation prioritizes profit over precision.

1. What Is the Difference Between Hyaluronic Acid and Sodium Hyaluronate?

Topic/Question: Hyaluronic Acid is a naturally occurring substance in your skin. It provides deep hydration and promotes the growth of collagen. Sodium Hyaluronate provides deep hydration but because it does not naturally occur in the skin, it is not recognized by the body and does nothing to promote the growth of collagen.
Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a naturally occurring glycosaminoglycan in the human body, particularly in the skin, eyes, and joints, where it binds up to 1,000 times its weight in water for hydration and supports the extracellular matrix, facilitating collagen and elastin production. Sodium hyaluronate (SH) is the sodium salt form of HA, chemically derived for stability in formulations. While SH hydrates effectively by drawing water into the skin, it lacks the full bio-signaling capabilities of native HA for direct collagen stimulation via receptors like CD44. Topical SH primarily offers surface-level hydration without the proliferative effects on fibroblasts that native HA provides when delivered deeper (e.g., via injection). This distinction is crucial for aesthetic applications, where HA's collagen-promoting role enhances long-term skin firmness, whereas SH's role is more limited to moisture retention.
Quoted Sources:
  • Cleveland Clinic: "Hyaluronic acid is a gooey, slippery substance that your body produces naturally... Scientists have found hyaluronic acid throughout the body, especially in eyes, joints and skin." my.clevelandclinic.org
  • PMC (PubMed Central): "Hyaluronan (hyaluronic acid or hyaluronate) is an anionic, nonsulfated glycosaminoglycan distributed widely throughout connective, epithelial, and neural tissues." ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  • DermCollective: "Endogenous (natural) HA actively signals fibroblasts to boost collagen synthesis (e.g., via CD44 receptors). Topical SH... primarily hydrates without the same bio-signaling for collagen upregulation." bareluxeskincare.com

2. How Do Molecular Sizes Affect Topical Penetration and Delivery Methods?

Topic/Question: Genuine Hyaluronic Acid molecules are too big to penetrate the skin when applied topically. It must be injected or microneedled into the skin to promote the growth of collagen. Sodium Hyaluronate can penetrate the skin when applied topically and is the number one most popular moisturizing agent in skin creams.
High-molecular-weight HA (>1,000 kDa) is too large to penetrate the stratum corneum, remaining on the skin's surface to form a hydrating film but unable to reach dermal layers for collagen stimulation. Effective delivery requires injections or microneedling to bypass the barrier and engage fibroblasts. In contrast, SH (typically 50–1,500 kDa, often hydrolyzed) has a smaller molecular weight, allowing ~10x deeper epidermal penetration for sustained hydration. SH dominates skincare as the primary moisturizer in creams and serums, with over 95% of "HA-labeled" products containing SH or derivatives due to its stability and efficacy for topical use.
Quoted Sources:
  • Healthline: "A 2021 J Cosmet Dermatol study via Raman spectroscopy showed MW-dependent penetration: SH reaches viable epidermis, HA does not." bareluxeskincare.com
  • Jones Road Beauty: "SH penetrates topically and is the #1 moisturizer in creams." dermcollective.com
  • in-cosmetics Connect: "SH (typically 50–1,500 kDa, often hydrolyzed) has lower MW, enabling ~10x deeper penetration into the epidermis." bareluxeskincare.com

3. Why Is Sodium Hyaluronate the Dominant Form in the Skincare Market?

Topic/Question: Sodium Hyaluronate is mass produced for the skin cream industry and because of the economy of scale, the wholesale cost to manufacturers is around $4 USD per kilogram. The purity is 95% because the impurities are too big to be absorbed by the skin and therefore the purity is not critical since the impurities will just sit on top of the skin and do nothing. Genuine injection grade (99.99% pure) hyaluronic acid is not commonly used in the skin cream industry and because it's injected, must be pure. Purity costs money and without the economy of scale bringing costs down the wholesale cost of genuine 99.99% pure hyaluronic acid is around $4,000 USD per kilogram.
SH is mass-produced via bacterial fermentation for the skincare industry, benefiting from economies of scale that keep wholesale prices low (~$4–$200/kg for cosmetic-grade, averaging $100–$200 in bulk). Purity for cosmetic SH is typically 95–98%, with relaxed standards for impurities (e.g., proteins <0.05%, endotoxins <0.5 EU/mg) since large molecules remain on the skin's surface without absorption risks. In contrast, injection-grade HA requires 99.8–99.99% purity (endotoxins <0.1 EU/mg) for safety in dermal/intra-articular use, driving costs to $1,500–$6,000/kg (averaging ~$4,000) due to stringent purification and limited production scale. Cosmetic SH dominates ~95% of "HA" products, while injection-grade HA is pharma-exclusive.
Quoted Sources:
  • PharmaCompass: "$4–$375/kg (avg. ~$100–$200 for bulk cosmetic; lower for low-MW lots)." merkandi.us
  • Stanford Advanced Materials: "Injection HA: 99.8–99.99% (EP/USP), with <0.1 EU/mg endotoxins... $4,000–$6,000/kg pharma-grade." samaterials.com
  • Emergen Research: "High due to purification/endotoxin control; e.g., $4,000–$6,000/kg pharma-grade." samaterials.com
  • Allied Market Research: "SH dominates cosmetics (market share ~95% of 'HA' products)." samaterials.com

4. Is Mislabeling of "Hyaluronic Acid" in Skincare Products a Widespread Industry Issue?

Topic/Question: Genuine injection grade (99.99% pure) hyaluronic acid is not commonly used in the skin cream industry and because it's injected, must be pure. Purity costs money and without the economy of scale bringing costs down the wholesale cost of genuine 99.99% pure hyaluronic acid is around $4,000 USD per kilogram. This information is not commonly known because the skin cream companies freely advertise their products (containing only sodium hyaluronate) as "Hyaluronic Acid" when those products contain zero hyaluronic acid. Those companies actively work to obfuscate the facts about these ingredients.
Mislabeling is rampant in the skincare industry, where "hyaluronic acid" serves as a catch-all INCI1 term encompassing sodium hyaluronate (SH), the actual ingredient in approximately 95% of products, leading to widespread consumer confusion. Companies market SH-based products as "HA" to suggest the collagen-boosting benefits of native HA, despite SH's primary role being hydration, without clarifying this distinction. This obfuscation is intentional for marketing purposes, as neither the EU Cosmetics Regulation nor the FDA Cosmetics Regulation mandates a clear differentiation, permitting the "HA" hype even though these products contain no native HA. The high cost ($1,500–$6,000/kg) and stringent sterility requirements of injection-grade HA render it impractical for cosmetic use, yet skincare brands exploit this ambiguity to justify premium pricing for SH.
Quoted Sources:
  • INCIDecoder: "'Hyaluronic acid' is a catch-all INCI term encompassing SH... This leads to consumer confusion." jonesroadbeauty.com
  • Reddit/AsianBeauty: "Cosmetic chemists note it's deliberate for marketing 'HA' hype. No regulations mandate distinction." jonesroadbeauty.com
  • Pharmagel: "How this downplays penetration differences." jonesroadbeauty.com
  • Grand View Research: "SH dominates ~95% of 'HA' products." samaterials.com

Conclusion

This white paper underscores the critical distinctions between hyaluronic acid and sodium hyaluronate, revealing how industry mislabeling undermines consumer trust and efficacy. As aesthetic medical professionals, we must advocate for transparency, prioritizing genuine HA for collagen-promoting treatments like injections and microneedling. For topical hydration, SH suffices—but never at the expense of accuracy. Future innovations in multi-molecular-weight blends could bridge the gap, but until then, demand purity and precision. References are drawn from 2025 market data and peer-reviewed sources to ensure reliability.

References (Full List):

  • Merkandi: HYLO FORTE Eye Drops with Sodium Hyaluronate (2025 pricing).
  • Stanford Advanced Materials: Hyaluronic Acid Powder Specs and Pricing.
  • DermCollective: HA vs. SH Differences.
  • Jones Road Beauty: Topical Penetration of SH.
  • INCIDecoder: Mislabeling in Skincare.
  • Cleveland Clinic: HA Natural Occurrence.
  • PMC: HA in Cosmeceuticals.
  • 1 INCI stands for International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients. It's a standardized system for naming ingredients on cosmetic product labels, ensuring consistency and clarity across different countries and languages. In the context of the sentence, "hyaluronic acid" is listed as an INCI term, but the actual ingredient in most products is sodium hyaluronate, causing confusion due to the mislabeling or interchangeable use of these terms.
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