There’s a formula for every concern.
If there’s one step in our daily skin-care routine that we dare not skip, it’s applying serum. The best face serums deliver a highly concentrated, potent dose of active ingredients to the skin and target a range of skin concerns in one go. Whether it’s antioxidants, hyaluronic acid, peptides, botanical agents, or other ingredients, serums can carry smaller molecules deep into the skin, where they benefit us most.
Kenneth Howe, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, explains that “in contrast to moisturizers, serums don’t contain air-tight, occlusive ingredients, which allow them to penetrate more deeply into the epidermis, carrying their active ingredients with them.”
Another reason these facial serums are a mainstay for skin-care novices and lovers alike? The good, old feel factor. “Serums are the new moisturizers,” New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Ellen Marmur, MD, tells Allure. “They are perfect for layering — like a primer on clean skin before makeup or sunscreen.”
Luckily, there’s a world of options out there, including vitamin C serums and thirst-quenching formulas infused with hyaluronic acid, to suit your skin type and concerns. We’ve rounded up 22 of the best face serums below (many of them recommended by dermatologists, and all tested by us), so keep scrolling to find your new favorite.
For Every Skin Type: SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic
Why It’s Worth It: Allure editors, dermatologists, and our readers all agree: the SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic serum is worth every single penny. As its name suggests, this Best of Beauty- and Readers’ Choice Award-winning elixir is formulated with a potent trifecta of antioxidants including vitamin C, vitamin E, and ferulic acid to reduce free radical damage — and brighten your complexion, reduce discoloration and the appearance of fine lines, and improve firmness all at once.
For Every Skin Type: Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum
Why It’s Worth It: Peach & Lily’s Glass Skin Serum has a long list of fans (including us), and it’s all due to its cocktail of ingredients that treat a range of skin concerns in one heavy-hitting formula. Those include niacinamide for brightening dark spots and scars from breakouts, peptides for boosting collagen production, centella asiatica-derived madecassoside for soothing, and hyaluronic acid for deep hydration. It’s oil-free so it’s safe to use on acne-prone skin, but beneficial for all skin types.
For Every Skin Type: Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Vitamin C Lactic 15% Vitamin C Firm & Bright Serum
Why It’s Worth It: This 2023 Best of Beauty Award winner takes a strategic approach by pairing 15% L-ascorbic acid — a.k.a. vitamin C — with lactic acid, a gentle exfoliant that clears dead skin cells and, in doing so, allows the vitamin C to better penetrate skin. Together, they can address uneven skin tone and skin texture, making this serum a powerful one-two punch in any routine. That also makes this brightening serum a winner for dealing with acne scars.
For Every Skin Type: Olay Super Serum
Why It’s Worth It: Packed with peptides, niacinamide, and antioxidants, this drugstore formula — yet another 2023 Best of Beauty Award winner — goes above and beyond. It’s able to smooth lines, brighten skin, and even defend against external aggressors, making it the hardest-working formula in your routine.
For Every Skin Type: La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum
Why It’s Worth It: Deanne Mraz Robinson, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Connecticut, says that no matter your skin type, La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum is a great place to start when it comes to adding serums to your routine. “This serum combines concentrated pure hyaluronic acid, madecassoside, and vitamin B5 for tons of hydration without the irritation,” she explains.
For Every Skin Type: Dermalogica BioLumin-C Serum
Why It’s Worth It: When your skin needs a brightening boost, look no further than Dermalogica’s BioLumin-C Serum. It’s one of the best vitamin C serums on the market because it contains the radiance-boosting, free radical-targeting, and skin tone-evening antioxidants alongside lactic acid, a gentle alpha hydroxy acid that exfoliates dry patches and dead skin cells. To reduce inflammation, these key ingredients are paired with soothing and conditioning chia seed extract.
For Every Skin Type: CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum
Why It’s Worth It: New York-based board-certified dermatologist Shari Marchbein, MD, is a fan of CeraVe’s Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum — and hyaluronic acid serums in general — because this molecule is a humectant that attracts and binds to water molecules and increases the water content of the skin. That’s something everyone can benefit from. “Skin hydration is important because hydrated skin looks plumper, healthier, and more vibrant,” she tells Allure, noting that it’s an especially high-priority ingredient in colder months.
For Mature Skin: SkinMedica TNS Advanced+ Serum
Why It’s Worth It: Board-certified dermatologist Heidi Prather, MD — who is based in Austin, Texas — has noticed that many technology-driven serums are turning their focus on elastin and collagen to enhance skin elasticity, which is one of the reasons SkinMedica’s TNS Advanced+ Serum has become so popular in her Texas practice. “The formulation feels silky and smooth on your skin and provides a powerful combination of growth factors and plant-based antioxidants to boost collagen and elastin,” she says.
For Mature Skin: RoC Derm Correxion Fill + Treat Serum
Why It’s Worth It: Out of all the retinol serums we got our hands on, the RoC Derm Correxion Fill + Treat Serum is the best we’ve tried in 2022 — so it’s no wonder it won an Allure Best of Beauty Award. This under-$50 serum also contains hyaluronic acid to hydrate skin for a plumper, more supple complexion.
For Mature Skin: Tata Harper Rejuvenating Serum 2.0
Why It’s Worth It: This comprehensive serum is designed to address signs of aging on all fronts. It’s brimming with botanical ingredients — think Spanish lavender, willow bark, and sea fern — that work together to target wrinkles, lax skin, pigmentation, and dryness, and leave skin feeling soft and supple. Also, the light floral scent is a nice touch.
For Mature Skin: Sunday Riley A+ High Dose Retinoid Serum
Why It’s Worth It: Sunday Riley’s buzzy A+ High Dose Retinoid Serum packs a punch when it comes to gently smoothing the appearance of fine lines over time. It’s one of the best retinol serums for its gentle formulation that’s suitable for even sensitive skin types, as Allure’s associate beauty director Sarah Kinonen has vouched before.
For Mature Skin: iS Clinical GeneXC Serum
Why It’s Worth It: iS Clinical’s GeneXC Serum is another option that’s ideal for mature skin types thanks to its potent yet non-irritating formula that addresses visible signs of aging from the inside out. It uses a blend of antioxidants and enzymes, plus L-ascorbic acid (a stabilized form of vitamin C), to target dullness and discoloration.
For Dry Skin: Neocutis Bio Serum Firm
Why It’s Worth It: It may seem like a no-brainer, but Dr. Prather says seeking out a serum with more hydrating factors when you have dry skin is a must. Luckily, if skin thirst isn’t your only concern, a formula like Neocutis Bio Serum Firm can address any unwanted signs of aging, too. “You get the benefits of hydration with sodium hyaluronate,” a form of hyaluronic acid, “while boosting elastin and collagen production through the patented formulation of growth factors and peptides,” she says.
For Dry Skin: Paula’s Choice Resist Omega+ Complex Serum
Why It’s Worth It: Shea butter and jojoba oil are some of the best ingredients out there for soothing and nourishing dry, dehydrated skin. You’ll find both (plus omega fatty acids — hence the name) in the Paula’s Choice Resist Omega+ Complex Serum.
For Sensitive Skin: Alastin Skincare Regenerating Skin Nectar
Why It’s Worth It: Whether your skin is chronically sensitive or experiencing temporary irritation or fragility after an in-office treatment, Dr. Prather says Alastin Skincare’s Regenerating Skin Nectar is a great treatment for getting your skin back to its best self. This water- and fragrance-free formula is so much more than just a soother. “It is preservative-free, bacteriostatic, and the patented TriHex technology is packed with peptides that boost elastin while calming inflamed skin and decreasing downtime post-procedure,” she tells Allure.
For Sensitive Skin: Tatcha The Silk Serum
Why It’s Worth It: This won a 2023 Best of Beauty Award in the sensitive category for its ability to smooth wrinkles with cranberry extract and sea fennel, two next-gen (and plant-derived) alternatives to retinol. It’s also infused with silk proteins, which bind to moisture to improve the look of fine lines and dryness.
For Oily/Acne-Prone Skin: Glow Recipe Strawberry Smooth BHA + AHA Salicylic Serum
Why It’s Worth It: This serum offers the best of both worlds, smoothing texture and decongesting pores while it actively calms skin. It uses a combination of salicylic acid, alpha hydroxy acid, and strawberry enzymes to clear breakouts, and balances those intense ingredients with hyaluronic acid and soothing allantoin. The payoff? Clear skin, no compromising necessary.
For Oily/Acne-Prone Skin: Shani Darden Lactic Acid Exfoliating Serum
Why It’s Worth It: Dark spots be damned, because Shani Darden’s Allure Best of Beauty 2022-winning Lactic Acid Exfoliating Serum is here to tackle hyperpigmentation with its hero ingredient. This lightweight serum instantly absorbs into skin while addressing discoloration and texture with exfoliatiors lactic and polyhydroxy acids. These acids are considered gentler than, say, an intensive glycolic acid or BHA like salicylic acid because they have larger molecules, which means they don’t penetrate as deeply into the skin. Meanwhile, a soothing complex of hyaluronic acid, aloe, and green tea target dryness and irritation.
For Oily/Acne-Prone Skin: Neutrogena Hydroboost Hydrating Serum
Why It’s Worth It: Board-certified dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD — the director of the cosmetic and clinical research department of dermatology at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital — explains that since many patients with acne also suffer from dryness, a light hydrating serum can be very helpful for oily skin types. He recommends the Neutrogena Hydroboost Serum because he says it “delivers hyaluronic acid to the skin that draws in water to hydrate and plump the outer skin layer.”
For Oily/Acne-Prone Skin: The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Oil Control Serum
Why It’s Worth It: Combining a low price point and an effective formula, The Ordinary’s Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Oil Control Serum uses a potent ten-percent concentration of brightening niacinamide and zinc, which can help as a topical spot treatment for blemishes. It also uses a water-based formula that won’t add any additional shine or oil.
For Combination Skin: Clarins Double Serum Light
Why It’s Worth It: The iconic Double Serum got an update with this lightweight version (and 2023 Best of Beauty Award winner), which was designed with oily skin types in mind. While it contains the same plant extracts found in the original, the dual-phase formula now features an oil phase that’s far lighter — so it doesn’t feel greasy or tacky on skin.
For Combination Skin: Revision Skincare C+ Correcting Complex 30%
Why It’s Worth It: Here’s a truly do-it-all serum for a skin type that does the most. Dr. Prather says Revision C+ Correcting Complex 30% is a great choice for combination skin because its potent tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate formulation — that’s an oil-soluble form of vitamin C — allows the product to stay pH-neutral, preventing irritation from the start. “It is also packed with ingredients that work hard to protect, brighten, and boost your skin health without breaking you out,” she explains.