Amazon, Target, Sephora
A good serum should do a lot of heavy lifting in one’s skin care routine, helping to pare down the overall number of products one uses. I’d rather invest big bucks in one great serum than have a ten-step routine that adds up to the same amount in the end. Not only does it help to save time, but it can be much more efficient in terms of results.
Here at HuffPost, we’ve covered quite a range of anti-aging serum options to address the number of skin concerns one might have as the years roll on. Whether you’re curious about active ingredients like resveratrol and mandelic acid, want to invest in a great vitamin C serum, are hoping to find a dermatologist-recommended serum that’s right for your skin or enjoy the convenience of being able to shop for skin care at Amazon, we’ve got you covered.
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Below, we’ve rounded up a collection of HuffPost readers’ most-beloved anti-aging serums based on the data from our previous coverage. They include popular affordable brands like The Ordinary and The Inkey List as well as pricier options from luxury brands like iS Clinical and Sunday Riley. The categories you’ll find are:
- Retinol serums
- Vitamin C serums
- Hydrating serums
- Serums for acne-prone skin
- Resveratrol serums
HuffPost and its publishing partners may receive a commission from some purchases made via links on this page. Every item is independently curated by the HuffPost Shopping team. Prices and availability are subject to change.
HuffPost Readers' Favorite Retinol Serums At Amazon
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Sephora
Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose retinol serum
HuffPost Shopping writer Tessa Flores has long touted the benefits of this popular serum, and HuffPost readers agree with her enthusiasm. In past coverage, she noted that it's a great option "for anyone who experiences retinol-related irritation or has been noticing dwindling results from the their regular retinol product, this high-dose serum by Sunday Riley contains a unique retinoid blend that imparts texture-improving wonders without redness, flaking or dryness. This particular blend is composed of a retinoid ester, encapsulated retinol and retinol-alternative extracts derived from blue-green algae, all of which can impart the texture-improving wonders that retinol is known for without overwhelming the skin and causing irritation. Additionally, an antioxidant known as COQ10 improves the appearance of sun damage while two humectants soothe redness and draw moisture into the skin."
View before-and-after photos at Sephora.
View before-and-after photos at Sephora.
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Amazon
CeraVe Skin Renewing retinol serum
Great for most skin types, retinol beginners and those with sensitive skin, CeraVe's offering includes an encapsulated, time-released retinol along with moisturizing, skin-repairing ingredients like ceramides, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. It has a gentle-yet-effective formula that can help smooth and brighten skin. When we included it in our list of the best anti-aging products at Amazon, HuffPost readers couldn't get enough.
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Sephora
Murad Retinol Youth Renewal eye serum
HuffPost readers' flocked to Flores' coverage of this eye serum. She explained that it's formulated to correct and prevent nearly every aspect of premature skin aging around the eyes, Murad's Youth Renewal eye serum is part of the brand's clinical line of products for aging skin. It contains its exclusive retinol complex, which fights fine lines and irregular skin tone. It also contains agents that hydrate skin and claim to boost skin elasticity for a firmer appearance.
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HuffPost Readers' Favorite Vitamin C Serums
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Maelove
Maelove The Glow Maker antioxidant serum
Considered by many skin care enthusiasts to be an affordable alternative to SkinCeuticals' extremely expensive cult-fave serum, this option from Maelove is full of vitamins C and E, ferulic acid and hyaluronic acid. It provides long-lasting hydration as well as all the benefits that come along with a powerful vitamin C serum. HuffPost readers can't get enough — it's nearly always one of the top three sellers when covered.
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Sephora
The Inkey List 15% Vitamin C & EGF brightening serum
Ideal for sensitive skin or those who are only just beginning to dabble in active ingredients, this serum from The Inkey List is as powerful and effective as it is gentle. Vitamin C and plant-derived epidermal growth factors can help smooth, brighten and tighten the appearance of skin. Time and again, HuffPost readers (and reviewers) turn to The Inkey List for high-quality, affordable skin care, and this beauty is no exception.
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Amazon
iS Clinical Super Serum Advance
I will never stop raving about the effectiveness of this luxury serum, unfortunately for my wallet it's worth every penny. My esthetician recommended adding it to the lineup, and now I can’t imagine my skin without it. It's an oil-based vitamin C-rich serum that not only has the potential to help reduce typical signs of aging like fine lines, wrinkles and sun damage, but can help to reduce scarring as well. While it costs a pretty penny, she thinks it’s absolutely worth it. A little goes a long way, making it less of a financial burden than one might imagine. It’s definitely worth the splurge.
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Sephora
Tatcha Violet-C Brightening Serum 20% Vitamin C + 10% AHA
HuffPost readers, dermatologist and reviewers love Tatcha products, and this serum is no exception. This serum has an very high 20% concentration of vitamin C, plus mild fruit AHAs to act as gentle exfoliators and Japanese Angelica root extract that softens, smooths and helps to counterbalance and enhance the effects of vitamin C.
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Amazon
TruSkin Vitamin C serum
HuffPost readers can't get enough of this cult-favorite serum. It has over 91,000 5-star ratings and is overflowing with glowing reviews. It has a nourishing formula to help reduce fine lines and sun damage, improve the look of dark spots and leave skin looking and feeling bright and fresh.
HuffPost Readers' Favorite Hydrating Serums
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Sephora
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Oil Control Serum
Flores mentioned that The Ordinary's niacinamide serum is one of the internet's best-known niacinamide formulations, an active ingredient that has become popular for its all-purpose skin care benefits. And it's a product that she has known and loved for years. It's affordable and utilizes a high-strength concentration to effectively brighten skin tone and reduce the appearance of blemishes. Plus, 1% zinc helps to support a balanced complexion by regulating excess sebum activity.
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Amazon
Cosrx Snail Mucin 96% Power repairing essence
Find out why this serum has cult-like status and is probably one of the best-known products in Korean beauty along with being a HuffPost reader must-have. It's a skin-softening serum that contains concentrated snail secretion said to help improve damaged skin barriers, offer deep hydration and even promote wound healing. The formula also contains allantoin, which can be great for soothing inflammation and irritation.
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Sephora
The Inkey List SuperSolutions 10% Azelaic Serum Redness Relief Solution
Dr. Adeline Kikam, a board-certified dermatologist who shares advice on @brownskinderm, is a huge fan of this particular azelaic acid serum. She told HuffPost that "it is gently formulated with azelaic acid at 10% and allantoin at .3% for extra moisture." It can help soothe and calm irritated skin and help to reduce the appearance of redness. It's also formulated with micro-fine green color particles that can help to mask the look of existing redness as well, acting almost like a color corrector.
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Sephora
Dieux Deliverance Antioxidant & Niacinamide serum
Find out why Dieux's cult-favorite Deliverance serum keeps flying off the shelves. It's formulated to address three main skin issues: irritation, uneven tone and the look of fine lines. The lightweight formulation helps leave skin soft, soothed and delightfully glowy. It's a great starter serum for anyone looking to amp up their routine or a wonderful addition to an already-established regimen. It harnesses the power of cannabinoids, niacinamide, peptides and more to leave skin looking and feeling its absolute best.
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HuffPost Readers' Favorite Serums For Acne-Prone Skin
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Amazon
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA liquid salicylic acid exfoliant
While technically a toner more than a serum, I couldn't help but include this since it functions similarly in terms of chemical exfoliation and prepping the skin for other skin care products — to say nothing of the fact that HuffPost readers adore it. This powerful 2% BHA salicylic acid exfoliant is beloved by skin care obsessives. It helps to clear skin and unclog pores by gently sloughing away dead skin to reveal the texture-free glow hiding underneath. It's especially great for those with acne-prone skin or who want a smoother, brighter complexion.
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Target
Naturium Mandelic Topical Acid 12%
This is also on Kikam's list of must-haves. She explained that it's "a lightweight serum with 10% azelaic acid boosted with other calming ingredients like niacinamide, vitamin C and coffee seed extract to help with oil control and discoloration." It's designed to slowly penetrate the skin, encouraging cell turnover and leaving the complexion looking brighter, radiant and more youthful.
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Sephora
The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA serum
Mandelic acid is a game-changer for acne-prone skin like mine, and The Ordinary makes it easy to pick up a high concentration of this anti-bacterial AHA exfoliant without breaking the bank. It's recommended for sensitive skin by two board-certified dermatologists, Dr. Purvisha Patel in Memphis, Tennessee, and Dr. Jennifer MacGregor of UnionDerm in New York City. The addition of hyaluronic acid brings skin extra hydration, making this a great formula for introducing your skin to mandelic acid. It's ideal for acne-prone skin, reducing the look of fine lines and chemical exfoliation.
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HuffPost Readers' Favorite Resveratrol Serums
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Sephora
The Ordinary Resveratrol 3% + Ferulic Acid 3% serum
The Ordinary is a long-standing source for ingredient-specific products available at accessible prices that HP readers turn to over and over again, and this potent formulation is no exception. It is formulated with a 3% concentration of resveratrol and ferulic acid, another powerful antioxidant that can help to reduce irregular skin tone and brighten skin. It can be applied every other day after your water-based serums but before heavier products like creams or facial oils.
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Sephora
Caudalie Resveratrol-Lift instant firming retinol alternative serum
In previous reporting by Flores, Dr. Margarita Lolis, a board-certified dermatologist and MOHS surgeon at Skin Laser and Surgery Specialists in New Jersey, described Caudalíe’s Resveratrol-Lift as a patented blend of resveratrol, squalene and vegan collagen, which work together to visibly firm and lift the skin.
This nourishing formula includes squalene and a blend of seed oils, along with another popular hydrator, hyaluronic acid, which draws moisture into the skin.
"What makes this serum particularly different is its high content of natural-origin ingredients, [which make up] 98% of its formulation," Lolis said.
This nourishing formula includes squalene and a blend of seed oils, along with another popular hydrator, hyaluronic acid, which draws moisture into the skin.
"What makes this serum particularly different is its high content of natural-origin ingredients, [which make up] 98% of its formulation," Lolis said.
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Dermstore
SkinCeuticals Resveratrol B E serum
In Flores' previous coverage, she pointed out that this nightly concentrate from the dermatologist-approved clinical skin care brand SkinCeuticals uses a three-ingredient blend of antioxidants that offer an optimal defense against the causes of premature skin aging. "Aside from containing 1% pure resveratrol, the serum also contains 1% alpha tocopherol, a pure form of vitamin E that neutralizes skin-damaging free radicals and replenishes the skin's lipid barrier for a stronger, plumper epidermis," she shared.
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