Best Face Serums of 2023, According to Your Skin Type
The Best Serums For Every Skin Type
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- There are serums on the market to address a variety of skin-care concerns.
- Serums are a great way to add potent, effective, and targeted ingredients into your routine.
- Shop the best serums for acne, hydration, dark spots, and more.
Like baking, an effective face serum has everything to do with the ingredients. Finding the right recipe differs from person to person, depending on your individualskin type, goal, and preference. The market is filled with serums to address a variety of skin concerns, from dehydration to dark spots and acne — it's just a matter of finding the right product for you.
Once you know about somebasic skin-care ingredients— such asniacinamide,hyaluronic acid, andceramides, for example — navigating the labels on your serums can be a breeze. Those withdry skinshould look for hydrating ingredients like the aforementioned hyaluronic acid,glycerin, and vitamin E.Oily skin typesshould look for serums packed with exfoliating ingredients to keep their skin clear. This includesalpha hydroxy acids(AHAs),beta hydroxy acids(BHAs), andretinolto accelerate cell turnover and keep away clogged pores.
There are also a handful of different serums that everyone can benefit from including in theirskin-care routinesuch as a vitamin C serum to brighten skin tone and provide the skin with antioxidants to protect against free radicals. To stock up on the best serums to add to your regimen, keep scrolling for our editor-approved picks.
—Additional reporting by Jesa Calaor
Best For Normal Skin:
Ursa Major Mountain Glow Golden Serum($84)
Ursa Major Mountain Glow Golden Serum is like liquid gold. It has a silky-oily texture that coats your skin in deep hydration while addressing redness, dullness, and loss of elasticity. It's also a2023 POPSUGAR Beauty Awardwinner.
Best For Normal Skin:
Bliss Renew & Smooth Serum($25)
The Bliss Renew & Smooth Serum is gentle but will give you an all-over glow. On top of powerhouse antioxidants and AHAs, this serum contains niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin E. It'll hydrate while also exfoliating so you wake up with smooth, bright skin.
Best Serum For Normal Skin:
Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum($145)
如果你想要一个发光像Hailey Bieber,博士。Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum formulated by her go-to aesthetics doctor. It features a potent dose of vitamin C and Kakadu plum with none of the artificial citrus scent you often get with others (this stuff is totally fragrance-free). It can help improve hyperpigmentation and uneven skin tone without being too harsh on sensitive skin types.
Best Serum For Normal Skin:
Farmacy蜜月啊哈Resurfacin发光g Night Serum($60)
The Farmacy Honeymoon Glow AHA Resurfacing Night Serum earned aPOPSUGAR Beauty Award in 2019with an all-star list of brightening and hydrating ingredients including lactic, glycolic, citric, fruit, and hyaluronic acids. The blend of 14 percent AHAs and BHAs resurfaces skin while you sleep, allowing you to wake up with smooth, even skin.
Best Serum For Dry Skin:
Dr. Lara Devgan Scientific Beauty Hyaluronic Serum($245)
The Dr. Lara Devgan Scientific Beauty Hyaluronic Serum comes with a steep price tag, but it's worth all of the plumpness it adds to your skin. It absorbs into the skin without leaving behind a sticky feeling or pilling (like some HA serums do). It's also a2022 POPSUGAR Beauty Awardwinner.
Best Serum For Dry Skin:
Kiehl's Ultra Pure Hyaluronic Acid 1.5% Serum($35)
Formulated with 1.5 percent concentrated hyaluronic acid, Kiehl's Ultra Pure Hyaluronic Acid 1.5% Serum helps your skin retain moisture, leaving it feeling deeply hydrated and comfortable. It also makes your skin feel and look bouncier and more supple, laying down a great base for the rest of your routine.
Best Serum For Dry Skin:
L'Oreal Paris Hyaluronic Acid Serum($33)
The bestselling L'Oreal Paris Hyaluronic Acid Serum is packed with hyaluronic acid to combat any dry patches or flakes, but without feeling too heavy. Your skin will drink it up, leaving it supple and plump. Plus, the formula is paraben- and fragrance-free.
Best Serum For Dry Skin:
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Hydrating Serum($40)
The lightweight First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Hydrating Serum will leave dry skin feeling supple and healthy. It contains hyaluronic acid to hydrate, calming aloe leaf juice and colloidal oatmeal, and firming collagen.
Best Serum For Combination Skin:
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Pore Perfecting & Refining Serum($65)
If you have combination skin and want to minimize the appearance of pores, you're going to want to try the Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Pore Perfecting & Refining Serum. It contains a blend of acids and mushroom extract that clears out the pores, making them appear smaller.
Best Serum For Combination Skin:
Versed Press Restart Gentle Retinol Serum($22)
The Versed Press Restart Gentle Retinol Serum contains micro-encapsulated retinol and natural retinol alternatives to refine skin texture. Translation: you get the same smooth results without the irritation.
Best Serum For Combination Skin:
Rosen Skincare Bright Citrus Serum($18)
This is a 20 percent vitamin C serum that will diminish dark spots and give you a brighter complexion. It does this all while protecting your skin from environmental factors thanks to the powerful dose of antioxidants from the vitamin C.
Best Serum For Combination Skin:
The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA($11)
For just over $11, you'll get a hydrating serum that means business with The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA. Not only that, but it will brighten your skin, fading dark spots and hyperpigmentation, all while being gentle.
Best Serum For Combination Skin:
Tatcha Violet-C Brightening Serum($89)
This Tatcha serum uses 10 percent fruit acids, 20 percent vitamin C, and licorice extracts to fade dark spots and brighten your overall complexion. Dullness, uneven texture, and fine lines can also be addressed with this powerful blend of ingredients, and it's vegan, cruelty-free, and free of gluten, silicone, oil, and fragrance.
Best Serum For Oily Skin:
Shani Darden Skin Care Lactic Acid AHA Exfoliating Serum($88)
Formulated by celebrity aesthetician Shani Darden, the Lactic Acid AHA Exfoliating Serum isalmostas good as getting a routine facial from a professional — almost. It contains nine percent lactic acid to gently exfoliate the skin, refining pores and improving skin tone in the process. Even sensitive skin types can tolerate it, making it great for anyone experiencing breakouts and hyperpigmentation. It's also a2022 POPSUGAR Beauty Awardwinner.
Best Serum For Oily Skin:
CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Face Serum($25)
Those with oily skin often experience post-inflammatory marks and hyperpigmentation that can be as hard — if not harder — to get rid of than the acne itself. The CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Face Serum improves the texture and tone of your skin with encapsulated retinol, while ceramides help restore and nourish the skin barrier.
Best Serum For Oily Skin:
The Inkey List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum($13)
The Inkey List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum will keep your skin looking fresh and renewed, all at an affordable cost. This retinol is released slowly to help promote a smoother complexion with less irritation. This will keep your pores clear and your skin smooth without those pesky dry patches.
Best Serum For Oily Skin:
Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum($90)
The Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum contains 12 percent exfoliating AHAs and BHAs that are hard at work resurfacing the skin while you sleep. It can feel a little spicy at first, but that subsides rather quickly. When you wake up, you'll be left with smooth, even skin,
