Sodium Hyaluronate
The salt form of hyaluronic acid, more stable and smaller than the parent molecule, used both on skin and taken orally.
Oral trials show wrinkle and hydration benefits, though placebo groups also improved, which marketing usually omits.
On the label: Sodium Hyaluronate. Also known as Hyaluronic acid salt, HA, Sodium HA.
What it does for you
On skin it holds water where you can feel it. Taken orally, trials report improvements in hydration and fine lines over about twelve weeks.
Why we use it
It appears in both Alloi products because it does two different jobs. In VitalCopper Renewal Face Serum it is part of a multi-weight hydration system; in VitalBuild Daily Collagen Powder it works through a different route entirely.
Mechanism
Applied to skin, sodium hyaluronate binds water in the upper layers. Taken orally it is broken down by gut bacteria into smaller fragments that are absorbed, and these may prompt skin cells to make more of their own hyaluronic acid. You are not delivering it directly to the dermis.
Commonly confused with
Sodium hyaluronate and hyaluronic acid are not different ingredients. Sodium hyaluronate is the salt form: more stable, lower molecular weight, and it sits slightly deeper. Molecular weight matters more than the name. Higher weights sit on the surface and hold water there; lower weights move further in. Using several weights together is deliberate, not padding.
What the studies say
At 120 mg/day, significantly improved skin hydration and elasticity and reduced transepidermal water loss, sebum and periorbital wrinkle depth versus placebo, with increased epidermal thickness, dermal density and natural moisturizing factor levels. The 60 mg/day dose showed similar but more modest effects. No changes in colorimetric parameters, red areas, pore size or gloss. The authors open by noting that existing oral hyaluronan trials often lack methodological rigor.
- Human in vivo (oral)
- n = 150 healthy Caucasian adults
- 12 weeks
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled; sodium hyaluronate of 1.8 MDa at 60 mg/day or 120 mg/day versus placebo
Oral sodium hyaluronate improves skin hydration, barrier function and signs of aging: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 150 healthy adults Doleckova I, Kusnierik P, Berka V, Simek M, Matejkova I, Prokopec F, Ovesna P. Scientific Reports, 2025. DOI 10.1038/s41598-025-32758-5
Six of seven authors were employees of Contipro a.s. The published conflict statement says the company had no involvement in study design, data collection, statistical analysis, interpretation or the decision to submit. Trial registered as NCT07065110, retrospectively on 15 Jul 2025.
Statistically significant improvements in skin hydration, elasticity and wrinkle depth with oral hyaluronic acid. Effects on skin firmness, wrinkle volume and transepidermal water loss were NOT statistically significant, though they trended toward improvement. The authors flag limited sample size and heterogeneity among included trials and call for larger studies.
- Meta-analysis
- n = 7 randomized controlled trials
Meta-analysis of standardized mean differences between oral hyaluronic acid and placebo groups, from a PubMed and Google Scholar search
Oral Hyaluronic Acid Supplement: Efficacy in Skin Hydration, Elasticity, and Wrinkle Depth Reduction Amin P, Sarabi A, Choe S, Scott S, Suh S, Mesinkovska NA. Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2025. DOI 10.36849/jdd.8542
No conflict of interest statement was recorded in the PubMed entry. Searched only PubMed and Google Scholar, which is narrower than a full systematic review. The null endpoints are as informative as the positive ones.
Low molecular weight HA produced significantly higher skin capacitance than high molecular weight HA (56.37 versus 52.37 AU, p = 0.004) and than vehicle (56.37 versus 49.01 AU, p less than 0.001). No significant difference between any group in transepidermal water loss or in the specified symptom sum score. No side effects in any group. Hydration improved, but two of the three endpoints were null.
- Human in vivo (topical)
- n = 36 nursing home residents aged 60 to 80 with diagnosed dry skin
- 4 weeks
Double-blind, randomized controlled trial; three randomized lotions (low molecular weight HA, high molecular weight HA, or vehicle) applied to three separate sites on the leg of each subject
Effectiveness of topical hyaluronic acid of different molecular weights in xerosis cutis treatment in elderly: a double-blind, randomized controlled trial Muhammad P, Novianto E, Setyorini M, Legiawati L, Yusharyahya SN, Menaldi SL, et al.. Archives of Dermatological Research, 2024. DOI 10.1007/s00403-024-03003-2
Registered as ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06178367. Small sample, leg skin rather than facial skin, and tested in an elderly xerosis population rather than healthy cosmetic use.