Apply hyaluronic acid to damp skin, then seal it.

Hyaluronic acid works in dry climates if you apply it to damp skin and lock it in with a moisturizer.

Hyaluronic acid is a humectant — it pulls water toward itself. In humid air, it grabs moisture from the atmosphere. In dry, cold air, there’s nothing for it to grab, so it pulls water from deeper in your skin instead. That’s the “reverse osmosis” problem people complain about.

The fix is simple: don’t let it work alone. Apply your HA serum immediately after cleansing, while your face is still wet (or spritz it with a hydrating mist first). Then, while the HA is still damp, slap on a good occlusive moisturizer — something with shea butter, squalane, petrolatum, or a facial oil. That traps the water the HA just pulled from your skin surface, so it stays put instead of evaporating.

If you’re in an extremely dry climate (think desert or winter indoors with forced heat), you might also want to layer a hydrating toner under the HA, and use a thicker cream on top. Also, avoid high-concentration or low-molecular-weight HA serums — they’re more aggressive. A standard 1-2% HA serum is plenty.

Future You’s skin barrier will thank you.