6 Best Korean Hyaluronic Acid Serums, Ranked by Cost per ml

Six Korean hyaluronic acid serums list between one and 13 forms of hyaluronate on the label, and none of the retailer pages says what molecular weight any of them is. That gap matters, because names such as low molecular, ultra-low molecular and 5D are brand wording, not a measured figure.

This ranking compares six serums sold at US retailers by hyaluronate forms listed, where they sit on the ingredient list, what else is in the bottle and cost per millilitre. Under FDA labeling rules, ingredients at 1% or less can be listed in any order, so position alone shows no amount.

We did not test any of these on skin. Our main Korean serum ranking is the wider guide, and this is the dedicated list for hyaluronic acid.

Key takeaways

• Torriden’s DIVE-IN is the best overall at $24.00 for 50 ml: five hyaluronate forms in 7th to 11th place of a 33-ingredient list, panthenol 6th, ceramide NP 20th and no fragrance.
• Hyaluronate forms per label run from one (COSRX and APLB) to 13 (Isntree), yet no page states a molecular weight in kDa, so low molecular is a brand term.
• Only COSRX (3% sodium hyaluronate) and SKIN1004’s Vitacost list (0.5% each for three forms) print amounts, and FDA rules let ingredients at 1% or less appear in any order.
• Cost per millilitre runs from 25.2 cents (APLB) to 125 cents (COSRX, a 20 ml bottle), with four serums between 35.4 and 48 cents.
• A 2025 review in Biomolecules reports that hyaluronic acid below 100 kDa penetrates skin and that hydration rose as molecular weight fell in some studies, but calls the effects of topical hyaluronic acid an open topic.

The 6 best Korean hyaluronic acid serums at a glance

• Best overall: Torriden DIVE-IN Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum (around $24)
• Best for most hyaluronate forms: Isntree Ultra-Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum (around $18)
• Best short formula: Jumiso Waterfull Hyaluronic Acid Serum (around $18)
• Best with printed percentages: SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Blue Serum (around $18)
• Best stated percentage: COSRX The Hyaluronic Acid 3 Serum with Amino Acids + Ceramide NP (around $25 for 20ml)
• Best budget pick: APLB Hyaluronic Acid Ceramide HA B5 Ampoule Serum (around $10 for 40ml)

How did we choose these?

Same method as every ranking on this site: published ingredient lists and current US prices from named retailers, checked against independent sources. We did not test any of these on skin. We started from the Korean serums that appear in live search results, then kept only true serums or ampoule serums with a US product page at Soko Glam, Vitacost or Ulta on 11 October 2026.

We left out Wellage’s Real Hyaluronic Blue 100 Ampoule because we found no US retailer page for it. Anua’s PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum is not repeated here because it already has a place in our PDRN serum ranking.

Our How We Review page covers this methodology in full, including how sponsored or gifted products get handled when they come up.

What do Korean hyaluronic acid serums cost?

Prices here run from $10.09 to $25.00, and cost per millilitre separates the six more than the sticker price does. COSRX’s bottle holds 20 ml where four of the others hold 50 ml and APLB holds 40 ml, so its $25.00 works out at 125 cents a millilitre. APLB is the cheapest at 25.2 cents, and four serums sit between 35.4 and 48 cents.

1Torriden DIVE-IN Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum: Best Overall

Torriden’s DIVE-IN has the most complete hyaluronic acid label of the six. Soko Glam’s list runs to 33 ingredients and puts five hyaluronate forms between 7th and 11th place, which matches the brand’s 5D multi-low molecular wording in count, though the page gives no kDa figure.

Panthenol is 6th, allantoin 12th, madecassoside 18th, ceramide NP 20th and beta-glucan 21st, with trehalose and betaine between the hyaluronates and the plant extracts. No fragrance or Alcohol entry appears, and malachite extract is listed. The directions are to apply an appropriate amount evenly and pat lightly to absorb.

At $24.00 for 50 ml it costs 48 cents a millilitre, the second highest of the six.

Best for: Anyone who wants several hyaluronate forms near the top of the list plus panthenol and ceramide NP. Price: $24.00 for 50ml at Soko Glam.

2Isntree Ultra-Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum: Best for Most Hyaluronate Forms

Isntree has the most hyaluronate forms of any serum here: 13 on Vitacost’s 34-ingredient list, from 17th place to the last entry. Sea water leads the list, panthenol is 15th and madecassoside 31st, and no fragrance is listed.

That is 13 hyaluronate entries in a list of 34, so over a third of the ingredients are hyaluronate forms. Betaine is 7th, allantoin 11th, glyceryl glucoside 20th and beta-glucan 32nd.

The name says Ultra-Low Molecular, but the page states no molecular weight. The forms include sodium hyaluronate crosspolymer and sodium acetylated hyaluronate alongside plain sodium hyaluronate and hyaluronic acid. Vitacost’s suggested use is 2 to 3 drops on the palm, patted in gently.

At $18.30 for 50 ml it costs 36.6 cents a millilitre.

Best for: Anyone who wants the widest range of hyaluronate forms on the label at a mid price. Price: $18.30 for 50ml at Vitacost.

3Jumiso Waterfull Hyaluronic Acid Serum: Best Short Formula

Jumiso keeps the formula short. Vitacost’s list has 28 ingredients, with three hyaluronate forms close together at 7th, 9th and 10th place, which matches the brand’s wording of 3 types of hyaluronic acid.

Chlorella vulgaris extract sits between the first two hyaluronates in 8th place, panthenol is 12th, allantoin 22nd, tocopherol 25th and ceramide NP 26th, and there is no fragrance or Alcohol entry. The brand says the three types hydrate deeply, which is its own claim, and the page gives no molecular weight. The suggested use is an appropriate amount tapped gently onto the face.

At $18.38 for 50 ml it costs 36.8 cents a millilitre, almost the same as Isntree.

Best for: Anyone who prefers a short ingredient list with hyaluronic acid near the top. Price: $18.38 for 50ml at Vitacost.

4SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Blue Serum: Best with Printed Percentages

SKIN1004 is the only serum here whose list prints amounts for its hyaluronates. Vitacost shows centella asiatica leaf water at 38% in 2nd place, then sodium hyaluronate, hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid and hyaluronic acid at 0.5% each in 9th to 11th, with two more forms at 0.0001% and 0.00001% at the end. Niacinamide is 5th.

Ulta’s ingredient list for the same serum prints no percentages, so the retailer you check changes what you can see. Ulta’s page calls it 5 types of hyaluronic acid and says to pump 2 to 3 drops on cleansed skin, morning and night.

Panthenol is 13th and ceramide NP 34th. At $17.71 for 50 ml at Vitacost it costs 35.4 cents a millilitre, the lowest of the 50 ml serums, against $25.00 at Ulta.

Best for: Anyone who wants stated amounts alongside niacinamide and centella. Price: $17.71 for 50ml at Vitacost.

5COSRX The Hyaluronic Acid 3 Serum with Amino Acids + Ceramide NP: Best Stated Percentage

COSRX is the only brand here that puts a headline figure in its name. Ulta’s page calls it a 3% hyaluronic acid serum, and the list shows sodium hyaluronate (3%) in 5th place of 43 ingredients. That is one hyaluronate form, not several, alongside an amino acid group (serine, alanine, glycine, glutamic acid, lysine, threonine, arginine and proline) and ceramide NP in 33rd place.

Alcohol is listed 39th, which matters to anyone avoiding it, and no fragrance appears. Ulta’s directions are to apply a few drops after cleansing, morning and/or evening.

The catch is size: the bottle is 0.67 oz (20 ml) at $25.00, which is 125 cents a millilitre, more than double any other serum here.

Best for: Someone who wants a stated percentage and does not mind paying for a small bottle. Price: $25.00 for 20ml at Ulta.

6APLB Hyaluronic Acid Ceramide HA B5 Ampoule Serum: Best Budget Pick

APLB is the cheapest per millilitre and the lightest on hyaluronic acid. Vitacost’s 48-ingredient list has one hyaluronate form, sodium hyaluronate, in 27th place, while centella asiatica leaf water is 2nd and panthenol 8th, with ceramide NP 29th and no fragrance. Allantoin is 11th, and the list also names asiaticoside, madecassic acid, asiatic acid, tea tree leaf extract, hydrolyzed collagen and beta-glucan.

Vitacost describes it as made with a Hyaluronic HA B5 Cen complex containing hyaluronic acid, ceramide and centella extract, and suggests applying an appropriate amount to the face, without giving a percentage.

At $10.09 for 40 ml it costs 25.2 cents a millilitre, about half the price of Torriden per millilitre.

Best for: A low-cost centella-based serum where hyaluronic acid is not the main point. Price: $10.09 for 40ml at Vitacost.

What can a hyaluronic acid serum label actually show?

It shows how many hyaluronate forms a brand used, not how big the molecules are. Across these six lists the count runs from one form (COSRX and APLB) to 13 (Isntree), and no page states a molecular weight in kDa.

Names such as 5D low molecular, Ultra-Low Molecular, 3 types and 5 types are the brands’ own, although the counts in three of them do match: Torriden’s 5D lists five forms, Jumiso’s 3 types lists three and SKIN1004’s 5 types lists five.

Position shows little either, and only COSRX and SKIN1004’s Vitacost list print amounts. A 2025 review in Biomolecules reports that hyaluronic acid below 100 kDa penetrates skin and that hydration rose as molecular weight fell in some studies, yet calls topical effects an open topic. Its three authors are employed by Givaudan France SAS, which the paper declares as a conflict of interest.

How do you pick the right Korean hyaluronic acid serum?

Start with what you want the label to show, because the six differ more on form count and price than on fragrance, which none lists. Then match the serum to the job:

• The widest range of hyaluronate forms: Isntree, with 13 on the list at 36.6 cents a millilitre.
• The most complete all-rounder on label evidence: Torriden, with five forms, panthenol and ceramide NP, at 48 cents a millilitre.
• A short list with hyaluronic acid near the top: Jumiso, with 28 ingredients.
• Printed amounts plus niacinamide: SKIN1004, after checking that the retailer’s list shows them.
• A stated 3%: COSRX, in a 20 ml bottle with Alcohol on the list.
• The lowest cost per millilitre: APLB, where sodium hyaluronate is 27th of 48.

Prefer a toner step? Our Korean toner for dry skin ranking covers hyaluronic acid toners.

Frequently asked questions

Is a hyaluronic acid serum the same as a hyaluronic acid essence?

Brands use the words serum, essence and ampoule for their own products. Our essence vs serum comparison checks two real products against their ingredient lists and prices. All six serums here are sold as serums or ampoule serums, and each list starts with water or sea water.

Does the order of ingredients show how much hyaluronic acid a serum has?

No. Under FDA labeling rules, ingredients at 1% or less can be listed in any order after those above 1%. Hyaluronate sits 5th at COSRX, which states 3%, but 7th at Torriden and Jumiso and 27th at APLB with no amount printed. SKIN1004’s Vitacost list prints 0.5% for three forms.

Is low molecular weight hyaluronic acid better?

A 2025 review in Biomolecules reports that hyaluronic acid below 100 kDa penetrates skin and that hydration rose as molecular weight fell in some studies. It also calls the effects of topical hyaluronic acid an open topic, and none of these pages states a kDa figure, so low molecular is a brand term here.

How do the brands say to use these serums?

Isntree says 2 to 3 drops on the palm, patted in. SKIN1004 says to pump 2 to 3 drops on cleansed skin, morning and night. COSRX says a few drops after cleansing, morning and/or evening. Torriden and Jumiso say an appropriate amount, patted or tapped on, and APLB says an appropriate amount.

The bottom line

Buy Torriden’s DIVE-IN at $24.00 if you want the most complete label: five hyaluronate forms near the top, panthenol and ceramide NP, and no fragrance. Isntree and Jumiso are the mid-price picks at about $18, SKIN1004 is the lowest per millilitre of the 50 ml bottles at $17.71, COSRX is the stated 3% in a 20 ml bottle at $25.00, and APLB is the budget pick at $10.09.

None of these labels shows a molecular weight, so treat low molecular as a brand term. If hyaluronic acid is not what you need, our peptide serum ranking, vitamin C serum ranking and retinol serum ranking cover other routes, and the serums category lists every ranking.

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