Tackle multiple skin concerns at once with picks from Augustinus Bader, Skinceuticals, Rosen, and more
Ask any dermatologist you know, and they’ll tell you that serums are where it’s at when it comes to your skincare routine. More lightweight than moisturizers, they contain higher amounts of active ingredients—meaning they’re legit workhorses that really deliver. Equally noteworthy is the fact that there really is a serum for any and every complexion concern you may have. Want to fade spots? There’s a serum for that. Trying to smooth fine lines? Yep, plenty of formulas for that, too. Want a do-it-all option? There are multitasking serums galore.
We conducted hours of research on the best face serums, consulted experts we trust, and took a couple of top-rated picks out for a spin. We considered dozens of face serums, evaluating each on its list of active ingredients, texture, how easily the formula absorbs into the skin, and value. Combining testing insights with dermatologist picks and third party reviews, we compiled this list of best in show, taking into account all skin types, tones, and concerns.
Best Overall: SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic
This is the GOAT of all serums, truly, boasting fan-favorite status among consumers, beauty editors, and dermatologists alike. Credit is due to the synergistic combo and a specially formulated ratio of three heavy-hitting antioxidants—vitamin C, ferulic acid, and vitamin E—to protect your skin from free radical damage.1 It’s preventative and protective, yes, but can also help improve existing signs of aging and/or sun damage, making it a solid option for pretty much anyone and everyone. Editorial Director Hallie Gould is obsessed with this one and has been for years—it’s one of the only products that has helped even out her skin tone and protect it from sun damage and pollution.
Best Budget: Rosen Skincare Paloma Serum
Sure, this is affordable in its own right, but add to that the fact that it is a true multi-tasker—tackling uneven texture, tone, and preventing future breakouts—and you’ve really got yourself a steal of a deal. It touts both alpha-hydroxy and beta-hydroxy acids (in the form of glycolic acid and white willow bark, respectively), as well as grapefruit extract for a dose of vitamin C. The fruity scent is just a bonus.
Best Drugstore: Neutrogena Wrinkle Repair Retinol Anti-Wrinkle Face Serum
This well-reviewed formula is inexpensive and effective, a real drugstore staple. The star of the show is a unique type of retinol, accelerated retinol SA, that helps to combat wrinkles, boosts radiance, and improve skin texture—in a matter of weeks.2 There are also two humectants (ingredients that attract water to the skin), hyaluronic acid and glycerin, that help keep skin plump, hydrated, and supple.3
Best Calming: Dr. Barbara Sturm Calming Serum
No matter whether it’s a chemical peel, a little too much sun, an international flight, or just day-to-day stress that’s making your skin freak out, this serum is the solution. (True story: Hailey Baldwin uses it whenever she travels.) Along with the brand’s hero ingredient, purslane, which hydrates and protects cell membranes from free radicals, it also has a plant-based complex of Cardiospermum, echium, and sunflower oil—a trio that helps quickly calm and soothe redness and irritation.4
Best for Discoloration: SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense
Yep, that’s another SkinCeuticals product on the list. There are all kinds of radiance-boosting and spot-fading ingredients in this effective formula, namely 1% percent kojic acid, 5% niacinamide, 3% tranexamic acid, plus 5% HEPES, an ingredient that promotes exfoliation. It’s so effective that in a 12-week clinical study, participants show an average improvement of 60% in brown spots and patches. Color us impressed.5
Best for Large Pores: Renée Rouleau Pore + Wrinkle Perfecting Serum
Fact: There’s nothing you can do (and no product you can use) to actually change the size of your pores. But you can do things (read: use serums) that will help make them appear less prominent, like this one, from one of Byrdie’s most beloved estheticians, Renée Rouleau. At work is a potent combo of glycolic, salicylic, and lactic acids that help to clear clogged pores, making them appear smaller.6 And, per the name, this blend also helps exfoliate to help fade hyperpigmentation and smooth fine lines.
Best for Scars: Biologique Recherche Serum Placenta
Acne scars are infamous for being tough to treat, but this healing and reparative formula can help in a big way. It contains only four ingredients—water, hydrolyzed placental protein, phenoxyethanol, ethylhexylglycerin—and works by expediting your skin’s natural healing process. To that point, we’ve found it helps fade dark circles and other pigment spots, too.
Best Organic: Vintner’s Daughter Active Botanical Serum
Another option that has fan-favorite status, this formula is all about harnessing the power of plants. More specifically, it touts 22 active, organic, and wild-crafted botanicals that are chock-full of everything from antioxidants to vitamins to essential fatty acids. In short, it moisturizes, nourishes, and protects, a universally good pick for anyone looking to improve the overall health and quality of their skin. It’s so good and effective that the brand only makes one other product.
Best Anti-Aging: SkinMedica TNS Essential Serum
Yes, the price tag on this is pretty shocking… but so are its astounding anti-aging results. Another long-time staple of beauty editors and derms alike, it relies on growth factors and a protein and amino acid complex to regenerate skin cells, reduce inflammation, strengthen the skin, and more. (FYI, those growth factors are human-derived though, which may be off-putting to some.) Use it regularly, and you’ll absolutely see a difference.
Best With Retinol: Dr. Dennis Gross Advanced Retinol + Ferulic Texture Serum
True story: Our mega sensitive skin could never tolerate a retinol product… until we tried this serum. We’re not quite sure how the magic formula works so well, with not even a trace of irritation, but you better believe it does. The first of its two namesake ingredients supports collagen production and minimizes the production of sebum, and the latter offers powerful antioxidant protection.27 It also contains bakuchiol, a plant-based ingredient that provides similar effects to retinol.8 The product also works super fast; we noticed an improvement in our skin’s texture, tone, and overall smoothness after a week or so.
Best Hydrating: SkinMedica HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator
When moisturizer alone just won’t cut it, layer this super hydrating serum underneath. The name refers to a proprietary mix of five types of hyaluronic acid; that combo works to deliver both instant and long-lasting hydration, up to eight hours worth, to be exact. The point is, your skin will instantly be more hydrated (as well as smoother, plumper, and more supple), and will stay that way all day long. The primer-like texture layers beautifully under makeup, too.
Best Splurge: Augustinus Bader The Serum
This cult-favorite serum uses the brand’s TFC8 patented technology, a combo of over 40 ingredients, and the result of over 30 years of research. In short, it works by basically helping your skin act younger, which is why this formula is ideal for tackling everything from dryness to hyperpigmentation to wrinkles to redness.
Best for a Compromised Skin Barrier: BYOMA Hydrating Serum
At the risk of greatly oversimplifying matters, the key to healthy (and beautiful) skin is a strong and healthy skin barrier. Essentially, the very outermost layer of the skin is responsible for keeping moisture in and irritants out. And there are three primary components that ensure this: ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids.9 They are the stars of this new brand’s tri-ceramide complex. All of their products contain it and docs on barrier repair, but this serum really boosts your barrier. Alongside that complex, there are also hydrating squalane and glycerin in the mix, all of which leave your skin feeling softer, smoother, and generally healthier.
Best Exfoliating: Sunday Riley Good Genes All-in-One Lactic Acid Treatment
Lactic acid, an alpha-hydroxy acid, is one of the more gentle acids out there. This makes it a choice pick for either sensitive skin types or for those looking for a product they can use every day sans irritation. It’s the key player in this serum, which helps to dissolve dead skin cells to improve the look of lines and wrinkles, and generally leave skin looking smooth and glowing. Fun fact: Lactic acid is also innately hydrating, so you get a little bit of that benefit, too.10
Best Multi-Tasking: ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint With SPF 40
For anyone who wants to speed up their morning skincare routine and/or just wants to minimize the number of bottles in their bathroom, this one-stop shop is ideal. It really is all you need to apply to your skin in the a.m. First and foremost, you get that important dose of (mineral-based) sun protection. It also imparts a beautiful wash of color, available in 32 shades. The formula contains hydrating hyaluronic acid and plant-based squalane, plus niacinamide, to combat inflammation to even out skin tone.11
Best for Acne-Prone Skin: Dermalogica AGE Bright Clearing Serum
Clear your complexion with this blemish bluster. It relies on salicylic acid, a beta-hydroxy acid that’s oil-soluble, meaning it can penetrate into pores to break up excess oil and unclog them.12 That’d be good enough for us, but the benefits don’t stop there. It combines salicylic acid with niacinamide, which is both anti-inflammatory (good for minimizing the redness and discomfort of current pimples) and boosting radiance, helping to ward off any of the discoloration that can occur after a breakout.11
Best Brightening: Rose Ingleton MD Complexion Brightening Booster
This dermatologist brand is results-driven, and touts a clean, nutrient-rich product line, infused with Dr. Ingleton’s Jamaican SuperFruit Blend featuring hyaluronic acid and sugarcane, as well as citrus fruit extracts. Active ingredients also include some major complexion brighteners. A potent blend of AHAs, glycolic acid, and lactic acid target dullness and hyperpigmentation. Collagen peptides aid with discoloration and help repair skin and improving texture.
Best for Hyperpigmentation: Eadem Milk Marvel Dark Spot Serum with Niacinamide and Vitamin C
This fragrance-free formula is specifically calibrated for skin of color to reduce visible dark spots, hyperpigmentation, and post-acne marks with niacinamide, encapsulated vitamin C, and amber algae. The texture is silky and absorbs easily into skin, with reviewers noting it works rapidly to diminish the appearance of blemishes from cystic acne.
Best Botanical: Vieve’s Leaves Restorative Serum
This ultra-lightweight serum melts into skin without any sticky skin feel, and visibly reduces redness and inflammation quickly. A proprietary botanical formula made from fruit stem cell technology also features broad-spectrum vitamins and antioxidants and leaves skin soft to the touch. Hyaluronic acid and organic aloe make the formula ideal for people with sensitive skin who enjoy botanical products. According to Senior Commerce Editor Jill Di Donato, it sinks into the skin within seconds and imparts a velvety skin-feel.
Best for Dewy Skin: Tatcha The Dewy Serum
This top-rated serum has a milky texture and leaves dry skin feeling spongey with just one application. Tatcha’s Hadasei-3 complex includes a fermented blend of antioxidants, lactic acid, algae, and green tea extract to effectively exfoliate without irritation. The formula is ultra-hydrating and excellent under makeup, especially if you’re trying to create a dewy, glass-skin look.
Best for Sun Damage: Drunk Elephant C-Firma Fresh Vitamin C Day Serum
Scroll through TikTok (or any other form of social media, for that matter), and you’ll spot at least a handful of people using this Drunk Elephant vitamin C serum in their routines. It’s for good reason: The formula contains an awesome antioxidant blend of vitamin c and ferulic acid that works to even out skin tone and texture while also fending off free radicals. Commerce Writer Caitlyn Martyn swears that over time, her sun and acne spots have brightened almost entirely, leaving her face glowy and more even-toned.
Final Verdict
Our best overall pick is SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Serum, an unmatched formula when it comes to treating existing and preventing future skin damage from free radicals. A little bit goes a long way, and we swear it’s made a huge difference in the overall look of our skin. For a more affordable pick, consider Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Serum, a great drugstore find that relies on tried-and-true retinol, an ingredient that speeds up cell turnover and diminishes the look of fine lines and wrinkles.
What to Look for in a Face SerumKey Ingredients
The ingredients to consider will really depend on your skin concerns and goals. But, generally, you can buy a serum that focuses on a single ingredient or combines a few. Another option is to use one formulation in the morning and something different before bed. Nourishing, hydrating, protective ingredients are great during the day (think hyaluronic acid and antioxidants like vitamin C), whereas resurfacing or super nourishing options work a treat at night (vitamin A, AHAs, BHAs, and peptides are all great).
To help you get started, Dr. Barbara Sturm, recommends hyaluronic acid as a great ingredient for almost all skin types, especially those prone to dehydration. We like the SkinMedica HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator for this. For skin types that are prone to congestion, niacinamide and salicylic acid (a form of BHA) are great options—both can be found in the Dermalogica AGE Bright Clearing Serum. For uneven skin tone, vitamin C, vitamin E, ferulic acid, and niacinamide will help. We like the Drunk Elephant C-Firma Fresh Vitamin C Day Serum for this, as it contains vitamins C and E and ferulic acid. Finally, for those concerned with lines and wrinkles, vitamin A and its many derivatives (retinol, retinoic acid, retinoids) will be your best friend; the Dr. Dennis Gross Advanced Retinol + Ferulic Texture Serum is a great pick for this. You can also try peptides and amino acids for an extra boost.
Price
Serums that contain higher concentrations of active ingredients are generally more expensive. That’s not to say you have to fork out an arm and a leg for a quality product, but they tend to sit higher than a cleanser or sunscreen.
Size
It’s also important to consider size. The larger the size of the bottle or tube, the more product you’ll get and the more use you’ll get out of your product. Since serums perform their best when used consistently, you’ll want to buy a formula that lasts.
FAQWhat is a face serum?
Serums, which are thinner in texture, are results-driven and formulated so that they can penetrate the deeper layers of the skin to target certain skin concerns. They often contain a combination of efficacious ingredients like vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B3 (AKA niacinamide), or hydroxy acids.
How do you apply face serum?
According to Dr. Sturm, you should apply serums onto “cleansed skin immediately after drying to avoid trans-epidermal water loss, and before a day or night cream.” Sturm explains that serums precede but do not replace a moisturizer. (A moisturizer or face cream should be applied over the top to seal everything in.)
How often should you use face serum?
“As often as your skin requires it,” explains Sturm, who layers her Hyaluronic Serum twice daily, plus the Super Anti-Aging Serum and Night Serum additionally before bed. A good rule of thumb is to use a serum both morning and night as part of your skincare routine.
Do I even need a face serum?
No one really needs a face serum, but if you’re hoping to achieve a certain skincare goal or improve skin health, a potent, targeted serum is probably your best bet.
Which face serum is best for aging skin?
If wrinkles are your biggest concern, try serums formulated with retinol or niacinamide. Both of these ingredients work to reduce the appearance of fine lines and age spots.
Should I use a serum night or morning?
Either is fine, but it ultimately depends on the serum. If the serum contains highly active ingredients like retinol and alpha-hydroxy and beta-hydroxy acids, save it for the evening. Serums like vitamin C work well in the morning, but be sure to follow up with an SPF of at least 30.
How We Researched
To compile this list, our team of editors and contributors spent hours researching the best products on the market in this category, evaluating their key features—like ingredients, shade range, or design—in addition to reviews from customers and other trusted sources. We then used this research to assign a star rating from one to five (five being the best; one being the worst) to certain products on the list.