Which face serums work

Neutrogena Hydroboost Serum delivers hyaluronic acid to the skin to draw in water to hydrate and plump the outer skin layer. If you deal with regular, stubborn breakouts, focusing on prevention is the name of the game. Ward off future flare-ups and address current blemishes by keeping your pores clear while gradually brightening any marks from your skin's history. Whether your skin is chronically sensitive or experiencing temporary irritation or fragility after an in-office treatment , Prather says Alastin Regenerating Skin Nectar is the way to go.

The water-free formula is so much more than just a soother. This Allure Best of Beauty Award winner favorite antioxidant serum of Marchbein's because it helps improve both uneven skin tone and redness. The U Beauty Resurfacing Compound has many of the brightening, smoothing ingredients to look for, including vitamin C, alpha hydroxy acids, and retinol, plus clarifying witch hazel and hydrating vitamin E. Apply a few pumps and top it with a basic moisturizer.

Definitely a new serum for glass-skin goals. We love it so much we added it to our Allure Beauty Box lineup. Check out beauty's top subscription box on TikTok at allurebeautybox.

Soothe redness and blotchy skin with Dr. For Allure contributing editor Jessica Chia, it made makeup virtually optional. For his patients with sensitive skin, Howe recommends Amorepacific's Moisture Bound Rejuvenating Serum, which disappears into skin and contains bamboo leaf extract, cactus fruit, green tea, wild soybean, and water lily to boost cell regeneration and minimize fine lines without causing irritation. What redness? Here's looking at you, sensitive skin types. Who knew retinol could be this gentle?

The Boscia 0. It's loaded with pro-retinol and vitamin C , tried-and-true ingredients for softening lines and making skin glow. We love it so much we added it to our October Allure Beauty Box lineup.

Check out beauty's top subscription box on Instagram and TikTok at allurebeautybox. A hard-working serum doesn't have to be expensive, as proven by Pond's Rejuveness Skin Tightening Serum. For mature skin that also happens to be dry or reactive, Marchbein says it's a great choice — even if you're new to skin care. The star ingredient of this serum is tamanu oil, which is present in 10 percent concentration.

Tamanu oil has been used traditionally to heal wounds and cure some skin conditions. Tamanu oil also has a strong, polarizing smell. Sensitive skin may react to certain ingredients, but this serum is free of animal by-products, colorants, fragrance, and essential oils to give sensitive skin the best chance of calming down.

Sensitive skin and inflammation go hand in hand. Some active ingredients are effective at reducing inflammation and calming irritated skin, including oat kernel extract and evening primrose oil, both of which are present in this concentrated serum. This serum may be best for sensitive skin that tends to be more dry than oily. This antioxidant serum by SkinCeuticals is a cult beauty favorite. The formula is patented , which means the composition is public.

The three key ingredients and their concentrations are 15 percent L-ascorbic acid vitamin C , 1 percent alpha tocopherol vitamin E , and 0. This serum is a potent source of lactic acid, a gentle chemical exfoliant that smooths uneven texture, clarifies blemishes, and improves the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Like other chemical exfoliants, lactic acid exfoliates the outermost layers of skin, revealing a layer of smooth, glowing skin from underneath. Other anti-aging all-stars in this serum include licorice and lemongrass, which have brightening properties that lighten dark spots due to sun exposure and aging. They can also improve skin discoloration and hyperpigmentation. This serum can also be beneficial for people with oily and acne-prone skin since it targets the pores. The formula can be drying, according to some user reviews, so people with dry skin should follow up with a hydrating moisturizer.

The simple ingredients list is led by two types of retinol: RetiStar stabilized retinol 1 percent and Granactive retinoid 0.

Together, they reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles in people with aging skin. In addition to retinol, this serum has an impressive lineup of other active ingredients, including hyaluronic acid, squalane , and peptides. While retinol products can help with acne and breakouts, some users experienced the opposite.

Some reviews say that this product is too hydrating for acne-prone skin, ultimately leading to more breakouts. However, with so many options on the market, narrowing down the selection can be overwhelming. Start by taking a look at your skin and evaluate its needs and your skin goals.

Product labels can be very helpful when determining whether a serum is suitable for your skin type. Skin type should be taken into consideration when selecting a facial serum. According to Mitchell, the following skin types may respond best to specific active ingredients:. Your skin care products of choice may vary depending on your skin type and concerns. That should help you determine the best face serum for your skin type and concerns. Lacey Muinos is a health, wellness, and beauty writer based in Southern California.

She holds a BA in English. You can keep up with her by visiting her website or her blog. Face serums are lightweight formulations that contain a high concentration of active ingredients. They absorb quickly into your skin and are an…. Healthline's dermatologists and editors recommend these 14 sunscreens for use on your face, even if you have oily or sensitive skin. Washing your face takes time and attention — and doing it the right way could mean the difference between beaming skin and an acne breakout.

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I've sung the praises of Dr. Barbara Sturm's Calming Serum about a million times before, but really, there's no end in sight. It's just a perfect formula.

The serum incorporates an active, plant-based complex of Cardiospermum, echium, and sunflower and helps to rebalance and calm irritated skin and reduce redness and burning.

Plus, it's chock-full of the brand's hero ingredient, purslane, to hydrate and protect sensitive cell membranes against free radical attack. I use it after a peel, any abundant sun exposure, a late night, and when I'm experiencing jet lag, too much air conditioning, or exposure to pollution.

It's even helpful for when you're just generally stressed out because that can, in fact, show up on your face. Fun fact: Hailey Baldwin uses it each time she travels. This serum from Tata Harper is a must for anyone with dull, lackluster skin.

It's made with tomato carotenoids, an Israel-grown tomato that acts as a natural color corrector. It absorbs UVA and UVB and infrared light and when exposed to sunlight, it emits a green light which neutralizes redness to make your skin look brighter.

The serum also includes squalane derived from olives, which conditions skin to restore softness and smoothness and helps keep your skin hydrated without leaving an oily residue. Another anti-aging, anti-acne goodie, IS Clinical's Active Serum also adds brightening to the equation—making it pretty much a one-stop-shop for all skincare woes. Over time, it buffs away fine lines, reduces redness and breakouts , and even works on stubborn scars.

Lindsey Metrus, our senior editor, is also a fan. She gushes, "Using a serum that's a one-two punch in terms of hydration and skin clarification is just about all I could want in a formula, and this cult-loved variation from IS Clinical delivers just that.

Not only does my skin look dewy and fresh after repeated use, but it also keeps my breakouts at bay, especially when my cycle rolls around. What Our Testers Say. The arbutin is a fantastic addition too, as it lightens dark spots, and in my case, reduced the look of post-acne scarring. It feels super fresh, sinks in quickly, and gives results in as little as a week, too. As someone with sun damage and discoloration, I've found this SkinCeuticals offering to be a godsend.

I use it each night before retinol and notice a real difference by morning. It's an exfoliating anti-aging serum, so it balances the needs of breakout-prone yet aging skin types , which is a sector of skincare that is surprisingly rare.

Usually, you have to choose one or the other. I use it for three nights straight and then swap in another one for three nights, but this one always keeps my skin glowy while keeping my small easily clogged pores in check.

Meant to heal and repair, Biologique Recherche's unique serum addresses stubborn skincare concerns like post-acne scarring, dark circles, and pigment spots. What's more, it actually works. I'd never noticed a difference in my dark circles they're genetic until I started using this serum. The formula contains 4 simple ingredients—water, hydrolyzed placental protein, phenoxyethanol, ethylhexylglycerin—and reconstructs your skin, expediting its natural healing process and restoring suppleness and tone where it once was.

You may think that adding oil to oily skin would be counterproductive, but the right oil can actually help your skin stay hydrated and blemish-free without appearing greasy.

This soothing, astringent formula features white tea seed oil, hazelnut oil, and antioxidant-rich pomegranate oil and discourages the overproduction of natural oils without skimping on hydration. Even better? It also boasts restorative ingredients, like sea buckthorn, juniper oil, and geranium oil, and can help heal oily and acne-prone skin without clogging pores. Both of the namesake ingredients in this blemish buster help to keep skin clear in their own way. Niacinamide also known as vitamin B3 is a top pick for helping to reduce redness and inflammation both of which often come with a pimple , and also brightens skin tone, too.

Reviewers comment on not only how it keeps their skin clear, but also how much it tamps down oil and minimizes the look of their pores. So yes, I added another SkinCeuticals product.

But I just can't get enough of its serums. They are genuinely incredible and work so well together or separately. I use this one like a shot of moisture to my thirsty skin. It's formulated with a rich dose of hyaluronic acid and tissue-repairing vitamin B5 , and it's so refreshing to apply. It works to restore and bind moisture to your skin, adding suppleness and bounce. I layer it on top of my vitamin C serum in the morning and post-retinol at night.

A cult-favorite serum in its own right, Vintner's Daughter Active Botanical Serum offers 22 active, organic, and wild-crafted botanicals to nourish your skin. Its formula includes phytonutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, and essential fatty acids and omega-3 , -6, -7, and -9 to nourish, heal, and repair the skin.

In other words, it's the real deal, folks—so much so the brand only makes two products. That's how well it works. What Our Editor's Say. Instead, it leaves my skin looking smooth and glowy every time.

I like to dispense a few drops into my hands and rub them together to activate the serum, as the brand suggests before I press it into my face. What's better than an anti-aging serum? An anti-aging serum that leaves you glowing, as if you've just come back from a week at the beach. Not only is this vegan and lightweight serum packed with hyaluronic acid and plant cell cultures, but it'll help hydrate, smooth, and add elasticity to the skin.

It also contains dihydroxyacetone, an Ecocert-approved natural tanning ingredient derived from sugar beet that provides a gradual sun-kissed glow.

At first glance, this serum literally shimmers. The formula is infused with plant extracts, vitamin C, and licorice and helps brighten the skin. It contains diamonds! It also strengthens the moisture barrier, firming and smoothing, and lifting existing wrinkles, preventing new ones, and offering a subtle glow immediately after application.

It's luxury at its finest which explains the price , and it really, really works. It's practically mind-blowing. Its formula boasts growth factors, antioxidants, and a protein- and amino acid-rich complex and will help reduce inflammation, regenerate skin cells, strengthen the skin, and restore that ever-elusive glowy, youthful flush.

Dealing with acne-prone skin often creates a cycle of trying to prevent new breakouts while healing the scarring from past blemishes, and this serum from Rose Ingleton MD tackles both concerns.

The results: a glow that you're sure to notice. Not only is it milky and light, but it contains a cocktail of plant actives to truly calm and soothe the complexion. This will really depend on your skin concerns and goals.

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.