If you were going to splurge on one item in your beauty arsenal, you’d be wise to make it a facial serum. Why a serum for the face? It’s the workhorse of any routine. No matter what skin issue you’re trying to address, the best face serum can help.

While you may be looking specifically for a face serum for women or a face serum for men, the reality is, a well-formulated product that contains evidence-based ingredients is not gender-specific. When choosing a facial serum, it’s about taking your skin type and concerns into consideration. 

Not sure where to start? No worries. Here at Seep Science, we’ve reviewed hundreds of products with a scientific lens to ensure you’re creating a skincare regimen that’s safe and effective. Ahead, 20 of the best face serums to help you achieve a healthy, glowing complexion.

A Summary of The Best Face Serums

The Science Behind a Facial Serum

A serum is a highly concentrated liquid that delivers a hefty dose of nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants to the skin. Most face serums are water-based and thin, although some are oil-based. Because facial serums are highly concentrated, they can deliver a generous dose of good-for-you, results-driven ingredients that penetrate deeply into the skin.

To be clear, serums are made of tiny molecules, so the skin absorbs them quickly and deeply. The thicker, heavier ingredients in creams form a barrier on your skin. Without these obstructions, the active ingredients in a serum penetrate your skin more effectively.

The Best Face Serum Ingredients

There are serums designed for every skin type and condition, and at every price point, from wallet-friendly drugstore buys to luxury brands — the essential thing to choose the suitable facial serum for your skin type and condition. Depending on your skincare concerns, you may need two different serums for day and night. 

Many face serums are multi-taskers, addressing more than one skin issue. They’re suitable for any age (prevention is essential) but can be especially helpful for those with older, more mature skin.

Serums do tend to be pricey, but they last for a long time; if you break down a bottle into a per-use cost, the sticker shock is softened. Another way to think about the price is that serums are highly potent, so you’re getting a lot of ingredients for your money.

The ingredients to look for in a serum will largely depend on your skin concerns, but if you’re on a mission to get healthy, glowing skin, a serum can help. Popular serum ingredients include:

Peptides
Peptides helps promote firmer, younger-looking skin. As you age, your body’s production of collagen and elastin slows down. These two proteins are responsible for your skin’s structural support As a result, the skin looses it’s natural plumpness and smoothness. The collagen molecule is too large to absorb into the skin topically. That’s why applying collagen to the skin doesnt work. This is where peptides come into action. Peptides are building blocks of protein.

The best peptides serum is Carrot and Stick Repair Serum. It is concentrated with 7 plant peptides to promote plumper and smoother looking skin. 

Plant Collagen

Plant collagen can promote a healthy skin structure. We recommend Carrot & Stick The Concentrate.

Vitamin C
A powerful antioxidant and skin brightener. Vitamin C is the best anti aging ingredient. The antioxidants in vitamin c can fight free radicals that cause aging and damage. The best vitamin c serum is Carrot & Stick’s The Defence Serum. It contains 3 distinct types of vitamin c that work together to help fight free radical damage. We recommend using it every morning.

Hyaluronic acid
An extremely hydrating ingredient that can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water. We recommend The Hydrating Serum.

Niacinamide
Another moisture booster that also addresses discoloration. 

Glycerin
A moisture-binding humectant. 

Vitamin E
An antioxidant that helps protect the skin.

Retinol
Encourages cell turnover. We recommend this oil based serum. 

Best Face Serums of 2023

Regardless of your budget or skin concern, we’ve rounded up the best serums of 2023. 

Here’s our look at the top all-around serums, along with ones targeted for specific skin issues.

BEST OVERALL

BEST: Carrot and Stick Repair Serum
Apply this anti-aging serum daily to keep skin hydrated and protected from free radical damage. The Repair Serum by Carrot & Stick helps lift, tighten and firm the look of skin thanks to seven plant-based neuropeptides, while synthesized growth factors help keep skin looking radiant. It’s the best anti-aging serum for 30s — and beyond.

FULL LIST

Carrot & Stick The Defence Serum
It contains 3 distinct types of vitamin c that work together to help fight free radical damage. Use every morning. 

Formulyst Active Serum
Ferulic acid, a powerful antioxidant, helps prevent free radical damage while stabilizing vitamins C and E and boosting potency. Niacinamide, another potent antioxidant, reduces redness because it’s an anti-inflammatory. This robust ingredient is a version of vitamin B3, making the skin look brighter and smoother.

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum
This silky serum glides onto the skin and has a refreshing, citrusy scent. Ole Henriksen’s Truth Serum is spiked with skin-brightening vitamin C, as well as collagen to help firm skin and leave it looking more luminous. Aloe juice and green tea extract nourish and hydrate.

Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum
Caudalie’s Vinoperfect Radiance Serum harnesses the power of viniferine, which is derived from grapevine sap and is believed to be a brightening powerhouse. The oil-free, lightweight formula sinks into the skin and tackles dark spots, acne scars, and other forms of discoloration. Skin is left nourished and soothed thanks to olive squalane, organic chamomile, and organic grape water.

Biossance Squalane + 10% Lactic Acid Resurfacing Night Serum
This clean beauty brand is an Instagram favorite, and its devoted fans say it helps leave skin look and feel softer and smoother. The serum is formulated with 10% vegan lactic acid made from sustainably sourced sugar, which helps exfoliate the skin, clover to add moisture boost, and hydrating squalane.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum
Advanced Night Repair is a face serum developed by Estée Lauder over thirty years ago. This product is credited with being the industry’s first serum. The concept behind Night Repair is that the best time to repair and heal the skin is while you sleep. 

Key ingredients in this face serum include Bifida ferment lysate, baobab seed oil, tripeptide-32, and sodium hyaluronate. This pioneering serum is said to help with loss of firmness lines and wrinkles, dryness, dehydration, dullness, loss of radiance, and uneven skin tone.

Clarins Double Serum
Double Serum is Clarins’ #1 best-selling anti-aging serum that visibly firms, smoothes, and boosts radiance in just seven days. This serum comes in a dual-chamber that provides the perfect ratio of water-soluble and oil-soluble ingredients, similar to the skin’s hydrolipidic film. Once dispensed, the two concentrates combine into one serum that is said to quickly absorb into the skin and effectively target all visible signs of skin aging.

Honestly, we doubt that dispensing the ingredients separately really matters for the skin. Instead, what truly matters is the ingredients in this serum. Unfortunately, many “key” ingredients are used in deficient concentrations (less than 1%).

iS Clinical Pro Heal Serum
iS Clinical Pro Heal Serum claims to treat everything from acne to rosacea to aging skin and even insect bites. The formula is pretty simple, featuring a blend of antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E and olive leaf extract. 

Unfortunately, this serum contains a high concentration of denatured alcohol. While alcohol gives the product a weightless feel and helps reduce excess oil, continued use of alcohol-based products can lead to skin dryness, irritation, and even disruption of the skin barrier over time. Alcohol can dry out the skin, causing it to produce more oil to compensate for the dryness. This can lead to clogged pores and breakouts.

Clinique Smart Custom-Repair Serum
Think of this product as a “smart serum.” It’s packed with a cornucopia of ingredients to tackle everything from inflammation and dark spots. It is formulated so that your skin only gets the elements it needs. Licorice and red-algae extract tackle inflammation, while salicylic acid leaves skin looking brighter and smoother.

Skinmedica TNS Essential Serum
Skinmedica’s TNS Essential Serum is formulated with two powerful formulas in separate chambers. The APS Corrective Complex contains antioxidants and peptides to improve the skin’s appearance and firmness. The TNS Recovery Complex mixes proteins and antioxidants to soften fine lines and wrinkles. It’s also deeply hydrating, thanks to olive oil and shea butter.

Rodan and Fields Active Hydration Serum
This face serum delivers all-day hydration thanks to a combination of common ingredients (hyaluronic acid) plus some surprising ones (salt). The formula contains 30% glycerin which acts as a “water reservoir,” while lactic acid helps smooth out skin tone through gentle exfoliation.

Dior Capture Youth Glow Booster
Dior’s Capture Youth is a collection of five targeted mix-and-match serums specific to various skincare needs, such as oiliness, redness, dullness, or dryness. They are infused with naturally derived ingredients, such as antioxidant-rich iris extract. The Youth Glow Booster acts as an illuminating serum. This serum includes Murunga Plum, AHA’s, and Iris Extract, which work to brighten up the skin while also evening out skin tone.

Skinceuticals C, E, Ferulic
This facial serum is arguably SkinCeuticals most famous product. When it debuted in 2005, it was a game-changer for combining vitamin C, ferulic acid, and vitamin E. This trio is meant to be more potent than vitamin C used on its own, and the formula has an optimal pH balance. This super serum helps protect the skin from environmental aggressors while softening the look of fine lines.

Chanel Blue Serum
The inspiration for this serum comes from the “Blue Zones,” geographic areas with high life expectancy rates, including specific parts of Greece, Sardinia, and Japan. Chanel used three active ingredients found in the diets of the Blue Zone population — including olive oil, green coffee, and lentisk gum which help improve skin texture and tone.

Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum
The star ingredient in this cult favorite face serum is skin-brightening vitamin C. It’s formulated with 15% L-ascorbic acid along with ferulic acid to give the skin a from-within glow. Pumpkin ferment and pomegranate extract help dissolve dead skin cells, while a version of hyaluronic acid adds a moisture boost.

Tatcha Violet-C Brightening Serum
What makes Tatcha’s Violet-C Brightening Serum unique is that it combines 20% vitamin C with 10% AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) to help leave skin looking glowing and feeling smooth and soft. Another critical ingredient is Japanese angelica root extract, which helps with discoloration.

Facial Serum: The Bottom Line

Overall, the best serum is Carrot and Stick Repair Serum. Followed by Carrot & Stick’s The Defence Serum. We recommend Day and Night Routine, as it contains both serums. 

A facial serum is the workhorse of any routine. No matter what skin issue you’re trying to address, the best face serum can help. 

While you may be looking specifically for a face serum for women or a face serum for men, the reality is, a well-formulated product that contains evidence-based ingredients is not gender-specific. When choosing a facial serum, it’s about taking your skin type and concerns into consideration. 

Many serums are multi-taskers, addressing more than one skin issue. They’re suitable for any age (prevention is essential) but can be especially helpful for those with older, more mature skin.

Serums do tend to be pricey, but they last for a long time; if you break down a bottle into a per-use cost, the sticker shock is softened. Another way to think about the price is that serums are highly potent, so you’re getting a lot of ingredients for your money.

When shopping for the best serum, look for ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin, niacinamide, vitamins C and E, glycolic acid, retinol, and peptides.

What’s the best face serum, in your opinion? Let us know in the comments below!