Biotechnology in cosmetics: Hyaluronic Acid Ingredients
27 Oct 2025
Enabling Quality for Biotech Beauty Products – Part 2
In the landscape of biotech-enabled cosmetic innovation, hyaluronic acid (HA), also referred to as hyaluronan, remains one of the most in-demand ingredients. Known for its ability to hydrate and plump the skin, HA is a naturally occurring glycosaminoglycan composed of disaccharides found in connective tissues. Traditionally extracted from animal sources, the compound is now primarily produced via biotechnological fermentation, offering a sustainable, cruelty-free, and scalable solution. It is a popular active ingredient used in cosmetic formulations, as emulsions or serums, aimed to address hydration and skin elasticity. It is also used in medical applications such as ophthalmic liquids, parenteral administration drugs, nasal sprays, aerosol applications and tissue scaffolds.
Biotech Production
Today, HA is produced at industrial scale using genetically engineered bacterial strains in fermentation systems. Controlled conditions in bioreactors—temperature, pH, nutrient supply—enable high-yield, consistent production. This shift ensures reliable supply chains while reducing environmental and ethical concerns associated with animal-derived HA. The production process and the resulting molecular mass of the HA ingredient (Low, Medium or high molecular weight) influence the HA biological effects when used in healthcare products.
Quality and Analytical Testing
Understanding HA quantity, purity, and chemical composition through chemical and biochemical testing is essential for research, product development, and quality control. These tests help characterise HA materials, ensuring they meet both regulatory standards and consumer expectations and help evaluate HA structure and stability, as well as detecting impurities and measuring key physico-chemical properties like pH, viscosity, and particle size.
Ensuring HA's quality, safety, and performance requires comprehensive testing:
- HA Identity and Composition: Assay/concentration, identity, appearance
- Physico-chemical properties: pH, viscosity, molecular weight, and particle size distribution.
- Impurity analysis: detection of endotoxins, proteins, and nucleic acids.
- Stability studies: assessment of structure and degradation under formulation conditions.
- Specific product tests: measurement of residual crosslinking agents (e.g., BDDE) and anesthetics (e.g., lidocaine) in filler products.
Cosmetic Applications
In skincare, HA acts as a powerful humectant, binding up to 1,000 times its weight in water. This makes it essential for hydrating serums, moisturizers, and dermal fillers. Beyond hydration, its film-forming properties reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL), maintain elasticity, and improve skin smoothness. Advances in low molecular weight HA and crosslinked HA gels have further expanded applications, offering deeper skin penetration and longer-lasting effects.
Conclusion
Biotechnologically produced hyaluronic acid represents the best of science meeting consumer demand: sustainable, consistent, and effective. With rigorous analytical validation ensuring safety and purity, HA continues to lead innovation in hydration-focused cosmetics. Its versatility, coupled with biotech advances, ensures that it will remain a cornerstone ingredient in the future of skincare.
If you would like to find out more on this topic please find us online:
- Hyaluronic Acid Testing Laboratory – Analytical & Microbiology QC
- Testing Peptides in Cosmetics
- Cosmetics Testing
- Collagen Analysis
- Chitosan in Cosmetics
References:
- Juncan AM, Moisă DG, Santini A, Morgovan C, Rus LL, Vonica-Țincu AL, Loghin F. Advantages of Hyaluronic Acid and Its Combination with Other Bioactive Ingredients in Cosmeceuticals. Molecules. 2021 Jul 22;26(15):4429. doi: 10.3390/molecules26154429. PMID: 34361586; PMCID: PMC8347214.
