Sustainability Challenges in Hyaluronic Acid Production

Walk down any skincare aisle, and you'll likely spot it: hyaluronic acid. It's in serums, moisturizers, and even sheet masks, hailed as a "moisture magnet" for its ability to hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water. Flip to the supplements section, and there it is again—touted for joint health, reducing stiffness, and supporting overall mobility. Hyaluronic acid, or HA, has become a darling of the beauty and wellness industries, and for good reason. Its natural role in our bodies—lubricating joints, plumping skin, and aiding tissue repair—makes it a versatile, science-backed ingredient. But behind the glowing ads and rave reviews lies a less glamorous truth: producing hyaluronic acid at scale comes with significant sustainability challenges.

As consumers, we're increasingly asking questions about the products we use: Where does this come from? What impact does making it have on the planet? Is there a better way? These questions are more critical than ever for hyaluronic acid, whose global market is projected to hit $11.3 billion by 2030. The demand is skyrocketing, but the methods used to meet that demand are often resource-heavy, ethically questionable, or environmentally taxing. In this article, we'll pull back the curtain on HA production, explore the sustainability hurdles the industry faces, and highlight the innovations that could shape a greener future for this beloved ingredient.

Before diving into production challenges, let's ground ourselves in what hyaluronic acid actually is. HA is a glycosaminoglycan—a fancy term for a long chain of sugars—naturally produced by our bodies. It's found in high concentrations in our skin, joints, eyes, and connective tissues. In the skin, it acts as a humectant, drawing moisture from the environment and locking it in, which is why hyaluronic acid skin benefits like reduced fine lines and plumper, dewier complexions are so celebrated. In joints, it acts as a lubricant and shock absorber, keeping cartilage healthy and movement smooth—hence its popularity in hyaluronic acid supplements for arthritis and joint pain relief.

Our bodies produce HA, but production slows as we age. By our 30s, skin HA levels ｄｒｏｐ by about 1% each year, leading to drier, less elastic skin. Joint HA levels also decline, contributing to stiffness. This natural decline, paired with the rise of "anti-aging" and wellness trends, has fueled the demand for external HA sources—both topical (like serums) and oral (like supplements).

But here's the catch: the HA in your favorite serum or pill isn't usually the same HA your body makes. To meet global demand, manufacturers produce HA through two primary methods: extracting it from animal sources or fermenting it using microorganisms. Both approaches have their pros and cons, but neither is without environmental trade-offs.

For decades, the primary source of commercial hyaluronic acid was animal tissue. The most common source? Rooster combs. Yes, the red, fleshy crests on top of roosters' heads are rich in HA, making them a go-to for extraction. Other sources include cow joints and umbilical cords, but rooster combs remain the most popular due to their high HA concentration.

The process is straightforward, if labor-intensive: rooster combs are collected (typically as a byproduct of the poultry industry), cleaned, and then treated with enzymes to break down the tissue and release the HA. The HA is then purified, filtered, and dried into a powder, which can later be formulated into serums, supplements, or other products.

At first glance, using rooster combs might seem like a "waste not, want not" approach—after all, the combs are often discarded during chicken processing, so repurposing them could be seen as sustainable. But the reality is more complicated. For starters, extracting HA from combs is inefficient. It takes approximately 1,000 rooster combs to produce just 1 kilogram of HA powder. To put that in perspective, a single 30ml hyaluronic acid serum might contain 0.5% HA, meaning each bottle requires combs from about 15 roosters. Multiply that by the millions of bottles sold annually, and the numbers add up quickly.

Then there's the environmental footprint of poultry farming itself. Chicken production is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation (for feed crops like soy), and water pollution from manure runoff. While rooster combs are a byproduct, the demand for HA indirectly supports an industry with significant sustainability issues. Ethical concerns also arise: while roosters are primarily raised for meat or breeding, the mass collection of combs raises questions about animal welfare, especially in industrial farming settings where birds may be subjected to overcrowding or inhumane conditions.

Scalability is another challenge. As demand for HA grows, relying on rooster combs limits production capacity. There's only so many roosters in the world, and their combs can only yield so much HA. For an industry aiming to meet a multi-billion-dollar market, animal-derived HA simply isn't enough.

In the 1980s, a breakthrough changed the game: scientists discovered that certain strains of bacteria, like Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus , could produce HA through fermentation. This method, similar to brewing beer or making yogurt, involves feeding sugars to bacteria, which then metabolize the sugars and excrete HA as a byproduct. The HA is then harvested, purified, and processed into a powder—no rooster combs required.

Microbial fermentation quickly became the preferred method for HA production, and today, it accounts for over 80% of the global supply. Why? For starters, it's more scalable. Bacteria can be grown in large bioreactors, allowing manufacturers to produce HA in bulk. It's also more consistent: fermentation conditions (temperature, pH, nutrient levels) can be tightly controlled, resulting in HA with uniform molecular weight and purity—key for products like injectables, where precision matters.

From an ethical standpoint, microbial HA is also appealing to vegans and vegetarians, as it contains no animal products. This has made it a favorite among brands marketing "clean" or "cruelty-free" products. But does that make it sustainable? Not exactly. While fermentation eliminates the need for animal sources, it introduces a new set of environmental challenges.

At first glance, microbial fermentation seems like a greener alternative to animal extraction. But dig deeper, and you'll find that producing HA this way is energy and resource-intensive. Let's break down the key issues:

1. Energy Hunger

Fermentation requires precise, controlled conditions. Bioreactors must be kept at a constant temperature (usually around 37°C, or 98.6°F) and pH level, which demands significant energy input. Pumps, stirrers, and air compressors (to oxygenate the bacteria) add to the energy load. A single large-scale bioreactor can consume as much electricity as a small neighborhood, and with manufacturers operating dozens of these reactors globally, the carbon footprint adds up.

2. Raw Material Demands

Bacteria need food to produce HA, and their favorite meal is sugar—usually glucose or sucrose. Most industrial fermentation processes rely on refined sugars derived from corn or sugarcane, crops that require vast amounts of water, fertilizer, and land to grow. For example, sugarcane cultivation is a major driver of deforestation in places like Brazil, while corn farming in the U.S. is heavily reliant on synthetic fertilizers that contribute to nitrogen runoff and water pollution. Using these crops for HA production diverts resources from food production, raising ethical questions about prioritizing skincare ingredients over global food security.

3. Waste and Byproducts

Like any manufacturing process, fermentation generates waste. After the bacteria produce HA, the remaining mixture (called "fermentation broth") contains leftover sugars, proteins, and bacterial cells. This broth must be treated to remove contaminants before it can be disposed of or recycled. In some cases, the waste is treated and used as fertilizer, but this isn't always feasible. Improper disposal can lead to water pollution, as the broth is rich in organic matter that can deplete oxygen in waterways, harming aquatic life.

4. Water Usage

From growing the sugar crops to cleaning bioreactors and processing the HA, water is a critical resource in fermentation. A 2019 study estimated that producing 1 kilogram of microbial HA requires up to 5,000 liters of water—equivalent to the annual water usage of two average households. In regions facing water scarcity, this level of consumption is unsustainable.

To better understand the trade-offs, let's compare animal-derived and microbial HA production across key sustainability metrics:

As the table shows, neither method is perfect. Animal-derived HA struggles with scalability and ethical concerns, while microbial HA faces challenges with energy, water, and raw material use. So, what's the solution? The answer lies in innovation—reimagining how we produce HA to reduce its environmental footprint.

The good news is that researchers and manufacturers are hard at work developing more sustainable methods for producing hyaluronic acid. Here are a few promising approaches:

1. Renewable Feedstocks: From Waste to HA

One of the biggest opportunities for reducing fermentation's impact is replacing refined sugars with renewable, low-waste feedstocks. Some companies are experimenting with agricultural byproducts—like corn stover (the leaves and stalks left after harvesting corn), sugarcane bagasse (the fibrous residue from sugar processing), or even food waste (like expired fruits and vegetables). These materials are abundant, low-cost, and would otherwise end up in landfills, making them a win-win for sustainability.

For example, a 2022 study published in Biotechnology Journal found that using wheat straw hydrolysate (a liquid derived from breaking down wheat straw) as a feedstock for HA-producing bacteria reduced sugar costs by 40% and cut the carbon footprint by 25%. By repurposing agricultural waste, manufacturers can reduce their reliance on food crops and lower their environmental impact.

2. Engineered Microbes: More HA, Less Waste

Another area of innovation is microbial engineering. Scientists are modifying bacteria to produce HA more efficiently, requiring less energy and raw materials. For instance, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have engineered a strain of E. coli that produces HA with a higher yield per gram of sugar than traditional bacteria. This means less sugar is needed to make the same amount of HA, reducing both resource use and waste.

Other teams are focusing on "self-sufficient" bacteria that can thrive in lower-oxygen environments, reducing the need for energy-intensive air compressors. These tweaks might seem small, but at scale, they could significantly lower fermentation's energy demands.

3. Energy-Efficient Bioreactors

Bioreactor design is also getting a sustainability upgrade. Traditional steel bioreactors are energy hogs, but new designs—like single-use plastic bioreactors or those insulated with recycled materials—are helping to reduce heat loss and energy use. Some companies are even powering their bioreactors with renewable energy, like solar or wind, to offset their carbon footprint.

4. Circular Economy Models

Instead of viewing fermentation waste as a problem, some manufacturers are treating it as a resource. For example, the leftover broth from HA production is rich in nutrients, which can be used to fertilize crops or feed livestock. In Japan, one company has partnered with local farms to repurpose fermentation waste as organic fertilizer, closing the loop and reducing landfill use.

While innovation is key, consumer demand will be the biggest driver of sustainable HA production. As we become more educated about the products we buy, we're increasingly prioritizing sustainability alongside efficacy. This shift is pushing brands to rethink their supply chains and invest in greener practices.

For example, some skincare companies are now highlighting "sustainable HA" in their marketing, emphasizing renewable feedstocks or carbon-neutral production. Others are partnering with certification bodies to verify their sustainability claims—though it's worth noting that there's currently no universal certification for sustainable HA, so consumers should look for transparency (e.g., detailed reports on production methods, third-party audits) rather than vague labels.

The rise of organic botanical extracts in skincare offers a useful parallel. Just as consumers demanded organic, sustainably sourced botanicals, they're now asking the same of HA. Brands that can deliver on both efficacy and sustainability will likely thrive in the years to come.

Hyaluronic acid has earned its place as a staple in skincare and wellness, thanks to its proven benefits for skin and joints. But as demand grows, so does the need to address its production challenges. From animal-derived HA's reliance on poultry farming to microbial fermentation's energy and resource demands, there's no "perfect" method—yet.

The path forward lies in innovation: repurposing waste feedstocks, engineering efficient microbes, and designing energy-saving bioreactors. It also lies in consumer awareness—asking questions, supporting brands that prioritize sustainability, and holding manufacturers accountable. By working together, we can ensure that hyaluronic acid remains a beloved ingredient without costing the Earth.

After all, the goal of skincare and wellness is to enhance our health—and what could be healthier than a planet that can sustain us for generations to come?