I think by now, we’ve all heard of face serum, and some of us probably have a bottle or two of it in our bathroom cupboard. But do you really know what it does? I felt like I knew the basic premise of what it does, and I’ve applied it to help moisturize before, but I wanted to find out how I could get the best benefit from it.
As expected, face serum is a way to moisturize your face, but it’s not technically a moisturizer. It’s designed to help your moisturizer work better than it would on its own. To get the best benefit from a facial serum, plan to apply it after you clean your face but before you moisturize – it’s a step that binds the process together. Because it has smaller molecules than a moisturizer, it can seep deeper into your skin and allow your moisturizer to go deeper. This ability is what makes it an anti-aging super-ingredient because it gets down below the surface and makes a much bigger difference than other skin products.
As with everything, not all serums are created equal. We compiled a list of great serums for every skincare need and price point. If you’ve considered adding this to your skincare process, here are some options worth considering.
Face Serums for Mature Skin
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Benefits: Diamond Radiance Serum features an Advanced Brightening Complex, which harnesses a range of clinically tested ingredients proven to even tone and contribute to brighter, more illuminated skin—leaving you glowing, both inside and out.
Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Smoothing Serum with Niacinamide, $85
Benefits: Brightens while giving smoother, more even-toned skin for a hydrated glow
Active Botanical Serum, $195
Benefits: Utilizes their Phyto Radiance Infusion™, which infuses plant nutrients into the skin over 3 weeks for brighter, healthier skin
Benefits: Utilizes vitamin C to resolve wrinkles, dark age spots, and overall signs of aging
Mineral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum for Stronger Skin, $19.99
Benefits: Hydrates, plumps, and fortifies the skin using 89% Vichy Volcanic Water (and other clean ingredients)
Dermalogica Overnight Repair Serum, $67
Benefits: Utilizes Argan and Rose Oils to increase your skin’s luminosity while minimizing dryness, fine lines, and loss of elasticity.
Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex Serum, $125
Benefits: Firms skin, evens out texture, and uses hyaluronic acid for more youthful skin.
Benefits: Uses hyaluronic acid to provide hydration and wrinkle reduction
Benefits: Targets, repairs, and prevents the visible signs of photo-aging, and uses a 5% concentration of niacinamide to reduce hyperpigmentation while firming skin.
Benefits: Enriched with powerful ingredients to energize skin cells and rebuild collagen and elastin to reduce the visible signs of aging.
Benefits: Uses lactic acid and hyaluronic acid to even your skin tone and increase firmness.
Benefits: Moisturizes skin without the use of sulfites SLS and SLES, evens texture, and works to reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
Benefits: Uses vitamin C to refine and brighten skin, and uses hyaluronic acid to reduce the look of fine lines.
Benefits: Reduces the look of wrinkles, dynamic folds, and skin firmness.
Benefits: Utilizes Niacinamide (B3), 10 Superfoods, and 10 Adaptogens to reduce redness and combat the signs of stress-induced aging.
Benefits: Hydrates and smooths skin to look healthier, younger, and more radiant.
Benefits: Water-based serum improves the look of fine lines, skin texture, and dark spots and includes SPF 50 for increased protection.
Benefits: Uses vitamin C to even skin tone, correct dark spots, and give you smoother, more luminous skin.
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