Hyaluronic acid is the darling of the dermatological world, and the deeper it goes into the skin, the more effective it is. The operative word here is “deeper,” but we’ll get to that in a minute. First, a quick primer on hyaluronic acid, one of the most widely searched and wildly mispronounced (HY-uh luh-RON-ic AS-id, if you’re wondering) skincare ingredients in our skincare arsenal.

Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring sugar molecule and a major component of our skin. Its primary purpose is to increase moisture levels; it has the ability to hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water. This means that not only does it help skin look beautiful, dewy, and plump, but it also allows skin to function at its best. However, as we age, our natural stores of hyaluronic acid begin to deplete, causing skin to become less firm, less resilient, and less capable of holding onto moisture.

Enter hyaluronic acid, an ingredient that began appearing on skincare labels less than a decade ago. It was the purported answer to all of our dry-skin dilemmas. Not so fast. The truth is that to reap the benefits of the supersponge that is a hyaluronic acid molecule, you either need to inject a hyaluronic acid filler into the deeper layers of your skin (ouch) or use an effective topical hyaluronic acid.

That brings us to this crucial point: Not all topical hyaluronic acids are created equal. If a hyaluronic acid molecule is too big to penetrate the epidermis, it just sits on the skin, only temporarily relieving dryness, which is all well and good, but even petrolatum can do that.

The secret to an effective topical hyaluronic acid lies in the size of the molecule and the formulation. The science team at BL+ knows that. By synergizing three types of hyaluronic acid—sodium hyaluronate, hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, and fragmented hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid—they were able to formulate a serum formula that delivers stable hyaluronic acid, in substantial amounts, deep into the skin. Bingo!

Here’s how they did it. The trio of hyaluronic acids found in Blue Lagoon’s BL+ The Serum are of different molecular weights, which helps when you’re looking to increase skin’s hydration levels. Each serves a unique purpose: Hyaluronic acid sodium hyaluronate forms a film on skin’s surface to lock in moisture and strengthen the skin’s moisture barrier; hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid reinforces the natural immune system, stimulating the release of specific antibacterial peptides and boosting the cellular repair process; and fragmented hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, with a super-low molecular weight, penetrates deeper and more effectively to stimulate collagen synthesis and provides significant firming and hydration action. Combine the three and add a dose of Blue Lagoon’s collagen-promoting and skin-barrier-strengthening BL+ COMPLEX, and you now have a serum that stimulates collagen production, increases moisture levels, and strengthens the skin barrier. In other words, BL+ The Serum makes the skin stronger, firmer, and deeply hydrated on a cellular level.