If you have dehydrated or dry skin or are on the hunt for the perfect hydrating serum that will give you that coveted “glow from within” look, then La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum might be on your radar.
This hyaluronic acid serum from the French pharmacy brand La Roche-Posay is formulated with ingredients that work together to hydrate and plump your skin.
I purchased it and put it to the test, so in this La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum review, I’ll share my thoughts on this hyaluronic acid serum and whether or not I think it’s worth buying.
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La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum
There is no shortage of hyaluronic acid serums available today, priced at just a few dollars to over $300 (!!!). The over $300 serum I’m referring to is this one, in case you were wondering. I tried it, and while it’s nice, it’s not so nice that I’d part with $320.
The good news is that you don’t have to spend so much money to get an effective hydrating serum.
La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum contains concentrated pure hyaluronic acid in two different molecular weights to hydrate your skin.
The serum also contains pro-vitamin B5 (panthenol), an active ingredient that helps to strengthen your skin’s barrier function, helping it to retain moisture and increase its ability to heal itself.
Antioxidant-rich La Roche-Posay thermal spa water helps to protect your skin from oxidative stress.
This La Roche-Posay skincare product is a good choice for those pesky signs of aging, like fine lines and loss of volume and elasticity.
The serum is oil-free, paraben-free, and non-comedogenic, so it won’t clog pores. The serum is even suitable for sensitive skin.
La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum Key Ingredients
Glycerin: Glycerin is a humectant commonly used in skincare products that helps to draw water into your skin. La Roche-Posay’s glycerin is derived from vegetable sources.
Panthenol: Also known as pro-vitamin B5, panthenol helps to reduce inflammation and irritation. It also helps skin retain moisture, which is why it’s often used in serums and moisturizers.
Madecassoside: Madecassoside is derived from the Centella asiatica plant, which has anti-inflammatory properties. It helps to soothe and repair your skin.
Sodium Hyaluronate: A salt form of hyaluronic acid that acts like a sponge and draws moisture into your skin. Hyaluronic acid helps plump your skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Sodium hyaluronate has a lower molecular weight than hyaluronic acid, which allows it to absorb deeper into your skin.
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid: A form of hyaluronic acid that has been broken down into smaller particles. It works on the surface of your skin to maintain moisture and hydration.
La Roche-Posay Prebiotic Thermal Water: Sourced from the town of La Roche-Posay in France, this thermal water found in most La Roche-Posay products, contains natural minerals, trace elements, and antioxidants that help to protect your skin from environmental aggressors.
Dimethicone: This is a silicone-based polymer that helps to create a protective barrier on your skin. It also smooths and softens your skin.
Tocopherol: Tocopherol is a form of vitamin E that helps to protect your skin against free radical damage.
How Much Hyaluronic Acid Is In La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum?
I reached out to La Roche-Posay about the percentage of hyaluronic acid in the serum since it isn’t noted anywhere on the bottle, packaging, or in the product description online.
They responded that they don’t disclose the amount of hyaluronic acid in the serum, as it is proprietary information.
It’s hard to guess the concentration by looking at the ingredient list, which lists ingredients in order of concentration from highest to lowest.
Sodium hyaluronate is ingredient 12 out of 22 total ingredients, and hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is 15 out of 22.
Some other hyaluronic acid serums I’ve listed below contain forms of HA in the top 5 ingredients. So I’m guessing the La Roche-Posay HA concentration isn’t as high as others like The Ordinary or The Inkey List.
La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum Review
I’m always looking for products that will hydrate and plump up my skin during the colder weather months, which is when I tested La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum.
The first thing I noticed after opening the bottle was the fragrance. The serum contains a noticeable fresh, clean scent.
The good news (for me, at least) is that the scent doesn’t linger and fades away quickly after applying the serum.
The serum is a cloudy opaque shade (the bottle is blue, but the serum isn’t).
The serum has a thick texture that feels very moisturizing on my skin. Even though it has a thicker consistency and is a little sticky on application, it doesn’t leave my skin feeling tacky once absorbed.
I really like the inclusion of two forms of hyaluronic acid in the serum. Since sodium hyaluronate and hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid have different molecular weights, they hydrate at different layers of my skin for improved hydration.
It works well under makeup and leaves my skin plump throughout the day with a nice glow, as you can see from the image above after it is absorbed into my skin.
This serum is thicker and richer than some other hyaluronic acid serums. It provides long-lasting hydration, so I think this would be a great choice if you have dry skin or are constantly struggling with dehydration and tight, flaky skin.
La Roche-Posay Hyaluronic Acid Serum Drawbacks
I imagine the fragrance may be too much for some, as it is pretty strong.
I don’t love the dropper that comes with the serum and would prefer a more tapered applicator or a pump bottle.
Since the serum has a somewhat thick texture, it sticks to the sides of the dropper, which can drip and get messy.
While the HA concentration isn’t disclosed, the concentration doesn’t appear to be as high as some other HA serums, like the 2% serums listed below.
While the serum is affordable, it’s more expensive than some other drugstore hyaluronic acid serums.
How To Use La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum
After cleansing your face, La Roche-Posay instructs you to fill the dropper with serum and apply 3-4 drops in the morning and/or evening on your face and neck.
La Roche-Posay notes that the serum can be used alone or under a moisturizer, but I always recommend using a moisturizer twice a day since a moisturizer will lock in hydration and help prevent dehydration.
Also, be sure to use the serum in conjunction with a broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher during your morning skincare routine.
Related Post: La Roche-Posay Sunscreen Review
La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum Alternatives
If this hyaluronic acid serum from La Roche-Posay isn’t a good fit for you, there are plenty of other options.
Here are a few affordable serums that contain hyaluronic acid to consider:
The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Serum
The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Serum is a best-selling hyaluronic acid serum formulated with 2% multi-molecular hyaluronic acid. Multi-molecular means multiple molecular weights.
The serum contains both sodium hyaluronate, the salt form of HA, plus hyaluronic acid.
The serum also contains Matrixyl 3000 peptide, which is the peptide duo Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1.
These peptides work together to help boost collagen production and smooth the look of wrinkles and fine lines.
The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid serum is super lightweight but still provides excellent hydration.
I’ve gone through many bottles of this HA serum thanks to the low price and added anti-aging benefits from Matrixyl 3000, which makes it great for mature skin.
I love that it isn’t sticky or tacky and works well with makeup and other skin care products.
L’Oréal Revitalift 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum
L’Oréal Revitalift 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum immediately hydrates your skin for a dewy glow with its 1% low molecular weight pure hyaluronic acid and 0.5% high molecular weight pure hyaluronic acid that hydrates multiple layers of your skin.
L’Oreal also includes HEPES in the serum. HEPES is a patented ingredient that promotes enzyme activity that breaks down proteins and enzymes, which supports cell turnover for smoother and softer skin.
This is one of the thinnest, most lightweight HA serums I’ve tried.
Suitable for sensitive skin, the fragrance-free serum is hydrating and plumping.
CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Serum
CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Serum, formulated for normal to dry skin, contains hyaluronic acid in the form of sodium hyaluronate to hydrate your skin’s surface while retaining moisture for a smoother, plumper complexion.
The serum contains three essential ceramides that help nourish and restore your skin’s natural protective barrier. This prevents transepidermal water loss, which can lead to dehydration and signs of aging.
Panthenol soothes and moisturizes, while cholesterol helps replenish your skin’s natural surface lipids.
The serum contains CeraVe’s proprietary MVE Technology that encapsulates ceramides and delivers long-lasting hydration throughout the day.
The light and thin texture absorbs quickly into my skin without any greasy residue.
The stand-out quality of this CeraVe serum is that it is very thick with a gel-cream texture that binds moisture for up to 24 hours.
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 contains low-, medium-, and high-weight hyaluronic acid molecules in the form of sodium hyaluronate and sodium hyaluronate crosspolymer.
Sodium hyaluronate crosspolymer is a cross-linked version of hyaluronic acid that forms a mesh-like network when applied to your skin, helping it retain moisture for longer periods of time.
Sodium hyaluronate crosspolymer is supposed to be able to bid five times more water than regular HA.
This The Ordinary serum also contains panthenol, like La Roche-Posay, to nourish and soothe the skin.
It’s excellent for flaky, dull skin needing hydration thanks to its high HA concentration. (Yes, 2% is a high concentration of HA!)
I love the very nourishing formula and the super low price!
Olay Hyaluronic + Peptide 24 Serum
Olay Hyaluronic + Peptide 24 Serum is a fragrance-free serum formulated with sodium hyaluronate to plump fine lines and wrinkles and replenish dehydrated or dry skin.
The serum also contains Olay’s favorite ingredient, niacinamide.
Also one of my favorite skincare ingredients, niacinamide strengthens your skin barrier, boosts collagen production for smoother, firmer skin, helps balance oil production, reduces redness, and brightens skin.
A true multi-tasker!
The serum contains Olay’s Amino Peptide (palmitoyl pentapeptide-4), which helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Panthenol soothes skin irritation.
The texture of this serum is very silky due to the dimethicone (silicone) in the formula. It leaves my skin very moisturized and super soft.
Related Posts:
More Affordable Hyaluronic Acid Serums
For more high-performance, affordable hyaluronic acid serums, please see my post on the best drugstore hyaluronic acid serums.
For a comparison of La Roche-Posay hyaluronic acid serum with The Ordinary, please see my post: La Roche Posay Hyalu B5 vs The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid.
The Benefits of Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid is one of the most popular skincare ingredients, and for good reason. It has several skincare benefits, including:
- Hydrates and Plumps your Skin: Hyaluronic acid helps to retain moisture in your skin and increases its hydration levels, resulting in a plump and dewy look.
- Reduces the Appearance of Fine Lines and Wrinkles: Hyaluronic acid helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by filling in creases and temporarily smoothing out the skin’s surface.
- Improves Skin Elasticity: Hyaluronic acid helps to improve skin elasticity, allowing it to bounce back into shape and be more resilient.
The Bottom Line
There is no shortage of hyaluronic acid serums on the market.
So what makes La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum stand out from the crowd?
By combining two different forms of hyaluronic acid, the serum helps draw in and lock in moisture at multiple layers of your skin.
Its formula is packed with other beneficial ingredients like pro-vitamin B5 and La Roche-Posay’s thermal spa water that help nourish your skin.
Plus, it’s suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin. Just remember that it does contain a noticeable fragrance.
Thanks for reading!
Read Next: La Roche-Posay Vitamin C Serum Review
Sarah Roberts is the founder, writer, and photographer behind A Beauty Edit. With over 10 years of experience in the beauty industry, Sarah is an avid skincare and beauty enthusiast who shares the best beauty finds to help you save time and money!