Remember that baby-soft, plump skin of your childhood? If you feel nostalgia for your youthful face every time a grade-school friend tags you in a photo from yesteryear, it could be that your skin is losing that plump, dewy look that you effortlessly maintained when you were younger.

You’re not alone. As we age, the production of collagen on our skin slows down. Also, environmental damage, such as sun damage, catches up to us, and our skin loses moisture. All of this can make skin look less plump and more thin, dry and just generally aged.

Fortunately, there’s a way to get your plump skin back by pampering your complexion with the right ingredients. These skincare icons can help your skin with loss of moisture, which can help restore plumpness.

Why Doesn’t Skin Stay Plump Forever?

We touched on a few of these reasons—lower collagen production and sun damage—but the truth is that skin naturally ages even if we do everything right, like wear sunscreen daily and choose the right skincare products.

Along with the aging process, our skin loses some of its fat, which can cause it to be less plump. Skin can also get loose and sag, making us look older. Wrinkles deepen over time, adding to an aged appearance. While aging is unavoidable, you can still do your part to protect your skin. Age gracefully and reduce the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles and sagging skin.

What Ingredients Plump Up Skin?

Using the following ingredients in your moisturizing skincare products can help you retain that youthful glow and keep skin smooth, supple, and bouncy for as long as humanly possible! Here are the top four ingredients to look for to get your plump skin back!

1. Hyaluronic Acid

Our friend hyaluronic acid is a known megastar when it comes to plumping skin. This clear, gooey substance exists naturally in the body to keep connective tissue and skin moisturized. It helps thirsty skin retain its moisture and has significant benefits on skin hydration, firmness, and elasticity.

You can find hyaluronic acid in serums, moisturizers, masks, and even lotions to help give your skin a dewy, hydrated look. It’s particularly beneficial if you have dry, mature, or aging skin, as it adds instant moisture to rejuvenate your complexion. However, hyaluronic acid, despite its name, is generally well-tolerated by all skin types.

Product to Try: Tata Harper Reparative Moisturizer

This anti-aging moisturizer contains hyaluronic acid with rose water, jojoba oil, cocoa butter, six sources of vitamins & minerals, and extracts of both healing flowers arnica and calendula. All the ingredients help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and keep normal to dry skin moisturized. 

2. Sodium Hyaluronate 

Sodium hyaluronate is known as a form of hyaluronic acid and helps prevent moisture loss and repair the skin barrier. This skincare ingredient tends to be more stable than hyaluronic acid, meaning it’s less at risk for oxidation. It’s also smaller molecularly speaking, which means it can get deeper into the skin for better moisturizing and plumping results.

Anti-wrinkle and anti-aging, sodium hyaluronate helps deliver volume to the skin, improve hydration and collagen production and make skin softer while also supporting elasticity. Sodium hyaluronate is a great choice for a plumping skincare ingredient!

Product to Try: Tatcha The Dewy Serum

This product is a 3-in-1 serum that uses a proprietary blend called Hadasei-3™, which consists of Japanese superfoods, including Uji green tea, Akita rice and Okinawa algae to exfoliate the skin. This product also contains hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture and plant-derived squalene for plumper skin. Use this one in the morning and at night before your moisturizer for best results.

3. Glycerin

Like the other ingredients on this list, glycerin is a humectant, meaning it helps skin retain moisture. Glycerin is a common ingredient in moisturizers for plump skin, and for a good reason.

This skincare ingredient has been shown to help improve dry skin and support your skin barrier function, meaning it can help protect the skin. It may also help defend your skin against environmental toxins and prevent skin from being too reactive, benefiting people who have skin that gets red quickly when the temperature changes.

Like other humectants, glycerin tends to play well with others and can be combined in a formula with other humectants and occlusives or emollients for an added moisturizing effect.

Product to Try: SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2

This anti-aging cream has the ideal lipid—a fancy word for fat—the ratio of ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids, all of which help improve the appearance of skin aging and protect the skin barrier, creating smoother skin and minimizing pores. Lightweight, paraben-free, and scented with essential oils, this product can accommodate various skin types to encourage plump skin.

4. Sodium PCA

Sodium PCA is the sodium version of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid (PCA). It’s a natural amino acid that exists in proteins. Also, PCA is a humectant and super hydrating, especially for dry skin. It’s been shown to enhance skin moisture, smoothness and elasticity.

Need another reason to love sodium PCA? It’s similar to hyaluronic acid and can even be used in a formula with hyaluronic acid to boost its moisturizing effects. Sodium PCA can be synthetic or plant-derived in skincare products.

Product to Try: Drunk Elephant Protini™ Polypeptide Cream

Designed to improve skin tone, texture, and firmness. Drunk Elephant’s polypeptide cream uses amino acids, antioxidants, vitamins, linoleic acid, sodium hyaluronate, and sodium PCA to deliver moisture and strengthen skin. Use morning and night for best results. You can also apply it to your neck to get the same smoothing and firming benefits!

Do You Have a Plumping Ingredient You Adore?

Do YOU use any of these humectants in your skincare routine for plump skin? Let us know in the comments below if you have another ingredient that you adore for restoring your skin’s youthful bounce. While you’re here, grab your free checklist on the skincare ingredients to avoid while you’re looking for the best plumping products!