Hyaluronic Acid — A 1934 Discovery, Now in Your Skincare

Hyaluronic acid is everywhere in 2026 skincare — toners, serums, sheet masks, sunscreens, primers, drinking-supplements. The molecule is in roughly half of all moisturizers sold globally. What is less commonly known: it was first isolated in 1934 from bovine eye fluid, took twenty more years for its molecular structure to be worked out, and reached human medical use in the 1970s for cataract surgery before crossing into cosmetics in the 1990s. This is the 90-year story of one of skincare's most-deployed and least-understood ingredients — anchored on PubMed Central, Wiley's Hyaluronic Acid: Production, Properties, Application in Biology and Medicine, and the American Academy of Dermatology's public guidance.

1934 — Karl Meyer and John Palmer isolate the molecule

On February 14, 1934, German-American biochemist Karl Meyer and his colleague John W. Palmer at Columbia University published a paper in the Journal of Biological Chemistry titled "The Polysaccharide of the Vitreous Humor." They had isolated a previously unknown polysaccharide from the vitreous humor — the gel-like substance that fills the eyeball — of cattle. They named it hyaluronic acid, from the Greek hyalos (vitreous, glassy) plus uronic acid (a class of organic acids found in the molecule's structure). The original 1934 paper is preserved in the JBC online archive; Meyer's correspondence is held by the Columbia University Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

1954 — structure elucidated

It took two more decades for the molecular structure to be determined. In 1954, Meyer (now at Columbia and the Mount Sinai School of Medicine) and Bernard Weissmann published the structural elucidation: hyaluronic acid is a linear polysaccharide composed of repeating disaccharide units of D-glucuronic acid and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, linked by alternating β(1→4) and β(1→3) glycosidic bonds. The molecule can range from 5 kDa to over 5,000 kDa in molecular weight depending on source and chain length — a range that matters enormously for cosmetic use, as we'll see. PMC6403654 ('Hyaluronic Acid in the Third Millennium', a 2018 review) covers the structural history in detail.

1970s — Endre Balazs and ophthalmic surgery

Hyaluronic acid's first major medical application came in eye surgery. Hungarian-American biophysicist Endre Balazs, working at Boston Biomedical Research Institute and later at Columbia, developed the first pharmaceutical-grade hyaluronic acid product — Healon — approved by the FDA in 1980 for use during cataract surgery and intraocular lens implantation. The product, manufactured originally from rooster comb (a particularly rich natural source), maintained the eye's shape during surgery and protected the corneal endothelium. Balazs is often called the "father of modern HA medicine." The Pharmacia/Pfizer corporate history archive and PMC4493725 document the development.

Why HA holds water — the chemistry

Hyaluronic acid's defining property is its capacity to bind water. The molecule's repeating disaccharide structure has multiple hydroxyl groups and a carboxyl group per unit, all of which form hydrogen bonds with water. One gram of pure HA can theoretically bind up to 6 liters of water — roughly 1,000 times its weight. (In practice, in living tissue, the ratio is lower — closer to 100×.) This is the property that makes HA useful as a skin humectant: applied topically, it draws atmospheric moisture into the surface of the stratum corneum and slows transepidermal water loss. The Wiley reference book Hyaluronic Acid: Production, Properties, Application in Biology and Medicine covers the binding chemistry in chapter 1; the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology archives Meyer's later papers.

1990s — HA enters cosmetics

Through the 1980s HA stayed primarily medical — eye surgery, joint injections for osteoarthritis. The 1990s shift to cosmetics happened in two stages. (i) Injectable dermal fillers — Restylane (Q-Med, Sweden, launched 1996; FDA-approved 2003) was the first cross-linked HA filler, marking HA's entry into aesthetic dermatology. (ii) Topical cosmetics — by the late 1990s, HA appeared in mass-market moisturizers as biotech production (especially via Streptococcus zooepidemicus bacterial fermentation) drove the cost down. The FDA Cosmetic Ingredient Review covers regulatory history; PMC8395914 covers the cosmetic-application timeline.

Why molecular weight changes everything for topical HA

A single 'hyaluronic acid' on a label could be any of three functionally different ingredients depending on molecular weight. High molecular weight HA (>1,000 kDa) stays on the skin surface, forming a hydrating film. Medium MW (100-1,000 kDa) partially penetrates the upper stratum corneum. Low MW HA (<100 kDa, sometimes called 'fragmented HA') can penetrate deeper into the epidermis where it has hydrating and minor signaling effects. Modern formulations — including Maree's — typically use multi-MW blends to deliver hydration at multiple skin depths. PMC8395914 documents the multi-MW approach. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel's HA monograph covers safety thresholds for each MW range.

What the modern evidence actually shows

For topical hydration, the evidence is solid. Multiple RCTs and reviews — including PMC4938277 (2016 review of 4 placebo-controlled RCTs) — show measurable increases in skin hydration (Corneometer-measured) within 2-4 weeks of daily HA-serum use. For wrinkle reduction, the evidence is moderate. Topical HA reduces the appearance of fine lines via plumping, but it doesn't structurally remodel collagen the way retinoids do. For deep-tissue effects, the evidence is limited at best. Without injection, HA cannot reach the dermis where the long-term skin scaffolding lives. The honest framing for topical HA is: excellent humectant, real but transient plumping effect, not a wrinkle eraser. The American Academy of Dermatology public guidance aligns with this read.

The 'fermented' HA distinction

Most modern cosmetic-grade HA is produced by bacterial fermentation (Streptococcus zooepidemicus or Bacillus subtilis), not extracted from rooster combs. Fermented HA is more consistent in molecular weight, vegan, and avoids animal-source allergen risks. Maree's HA, like most contemporary clean-beauty brands, is fermentation-sourced. The Lifecore Biomedical manufacturer literature and PMC8395914 review the production methods. If a label says 'animal-free' or 'vegan' HA, this is what they mean.

The drinking-HA question

Does oral hyaluronic acid work? The evidence is weaker than for topical or injected use, but not zero. A small number of RCTs — including Oe et al. (2017, Nutrition Journal) — show modest skin-hydration improvements with oral HA at 120 mg/day for 12 weeks. The mechanism is not fully understood; absorbed HA is rapidly degraded in plasma, so the effect may be via gut-microbiome modulation rather than direct delivery to skin. Maree does not currently sell oral HA; we mention it for completeness. The AAD does not endorse oral HA as evidence-based.

Practical use — what works

Three rules for getting the most out of topical HA: (i) Apply to damp skin. HA pulls moisture from whatever is closest — air or skin. On dry skin in low humidity, it can pull moisture out of skin, paradoxically dehydrating. Apply HA serum to damp skin (after toner, before moisturizer) to give it water to bind. (ii) Layer with an occlusive on top. A moisturizer or facial oil seals in the bound water. (iii) Look for multi-MW blends on the label — these hydrate at multiple skin depths. Maree's HA serum and HA wrinkle patches both follow this layered logic.

Sources + further reading

Karl Meyer + John W. Palmer, Journal of Biological Chemistry (1934) — original HA isolation paper · Meyer + Bernard Weissmann (1954) — structural elucidation · PMC6403654 — Hyaluronic Acid in the Third Millennium · PMC4493725 — Endre Balazs + Healon ophthalmic history · PMC8395914 — modern topical-HA molecular-weight review · PMC4938277 — RCT review of topical HA hydration · Wiley, Hyaluronic Acid: Production, Properties, Application in Biology and Medicine · American Academy of Dermatology public guidance · Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel HA monograph · Lifecore Biomedical fermentation literature. All citations verifiable.