A hyaluronic acid serum that carries three DNA repair enzymes alongside the hydration. Neova's own name for it is a self-correcting hyaluronic acid serum with DNA repair enzymes, and that is the accurate description of what is in the bottle.

What is Neova Advanced HA?

Neova calls it "a high-performance hyaluronic acid serum designed to deliver multi-level hydration", and says the low molecular weight form penetrates more effectively than one that sits on the surface.

The enzymes are listed above the hyaluronic acid

This is the fact worth knowing before you compare it against a cheaper hyaluronic acid serum. Arabidopsis Thaliana Extract, Micrococcus Lysate and Plankton Extract sit tenth, eleventh and twelfth on a list of thirty three. Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid sits thirteenth, below all three.

Our reading of it: the hydration is real and it is not what you are paying the difference for. The three enzymes are, and they are the same three in DNA Total Repair. Neova's own answer on owning both is that this one is an addition rather than a replacement, and that DNA Total Repair goes on first.

What else is in it

Three ceramides, Ceramide NP, AP and EOP, which Neova describes as lipids that support the skin's barrier function, maintain moisture balance, and protect against irritating environmental aggressors. Carnosine, ginkgo biloba leaf extract and tocopherol sit alongside them.

What to check before you buy

Witch hazel water is the second ingredient, ahead of everything except water. If witch hazel does not agree with you, that position matters. Alcohol is nineteenth of thirty three, which is a very different quantity, and it is ethanol rather than one of the fatty alcohols that behave as emollients. Neither is hidden, and the full list is in the Ingredients tab.

Apply it to damp skin, not dry

Damp, not dry. That half of Neova's instruction is the one most often skipped, and it matters: a humectant works by holding water, so it wants water to hold. The dose and the rest of the order are in the How to Use tab.

Advanced HA specifications

Texture, dose, frequency and the ingredient descriptions are Neova's own. Every position and every free-from line is read from the ingredient list.

Where it fits in a routine

After cleansing, on skin still damp, before anything heavier. It layers under a moisturizer or blends into one. If the concern is sun damage rather than dryness, Power Defense is the antioxidant serum in the same range. The rest of the line is on our Neova skincare page.