A serum is an indispensable step in your skincare regime.
I could wax lyrical about my love for serums, but all you really need to know is this: lighter than a moisturiser, a serum penetrates the deepest layers of skin to combat myriad skin concerns through a targeted formula of active ingredients. From brightening and resurfacing, to soothing skin and softening wrinkles, these are the supercharged serums to shop now. Ready to unveil your best complexion yet?
Clarins Double Serum has garnered cult status, and for good reason. The oil-based texture glides on like a dream, and absorbs super-quick (perfect for those mornings when you are in a rush). Containing 21 active plant extracts, this unassuming bottle really packs a punch. Continued use leaves skin firmer, improves the appearance of wrinkles, diminishes pores, and gives skin a radiance akin to that observed post a rather expensive facial. The bottle’s rotating push button also delivers a made-to-measure dosage of serum, so you won’t lose a drop.
It gives skin a radiance akin to that observed post a rather expensive facial.
Celebrities and Beauty Editors alike have fallen head-over-heels for the latest drop from Dr Barbara Sturm. This hard-working serum combines three types of vitamin C which together reduce pigmentation, brighten, and improve overall skin tone for an unparalleled glow. Bolstered by zinc to aid absorption, and hyaluronic acid and aloe vera for hydration, this is a true heavy-hitter.
If enlarged pores are your biggest skin bugbear, a serum brimming with niacinimide (a form of vitamin B3) is your NBF. This wonder ingredient is known to reduce congestion, shrink pores, reduce oil secretion, and improve texture. Paula's Choice is always at the forefront of skincare development, and this is the first serum to harness a megawatt 20% concentration of niacinimide. As if this product wasn't efficacious enough already, the addition of antioxidant-rich licorice extract and vitamin C leaves skin bright and glowing.
If enlarged pores are your biggest skin bugbear, a serum brimming with niacinamide (a form of vitamin B3) is your NBF.
Those with sensitive skin, or who suffer from rosacea, need a reliable serum that gets to work quickly to mollify and repair. Packed with organic rose hip oil – known for its anti-ageing and antioxidant rich properties – this decadent serum reduces redness and smooths skin, whilst restoring bounce. The heavenly rose scent never fails to lift the spirits too. A definitive bathroom cabinet stalwart.
Transform parched skin fast with this comfortable-on-skin serum from La Roche Posay. The formula uses two weights of super-hydrating hyaluronic acid – one to work on the surface to reduce wrinkles and re-plump, whilst a smaller molecule penetrates deep to increase skin volume. Skin immediately feels juicy and fresh. Four hours later, skin feels noticeably firmer and stays pleasingly hydrated throughout the day.
Transform parched skin fast with this comfortable-on-skin serum from La Roche Posay.
Lots of serums can irritate those with blemish-prone, oilier complexions, so look for specific ones with salicylic acid to blast imperfections and unclog pesky blackheads. Apply this anti-bacterial enriched serum directly onto spots to diminish their appearance, whilst the added zinc will work wonders on the marks left behind. Typology's affordable serums are fragrance-free, so as not to disrupt the equilibrium of your skin.
U Beauty is on a mission to streamline your beauty regime, and a good place to start is their OG product, the Resurfacing Compound. It’s a multifunctional serum which replaces as many as five products by brightening, resurfacing, renewing, and tightening skin. A cocktail of antioxidants, retinol, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid are delivered precisely where needed. Smoother, glowing skin begins to show within three days of use. I can vouch for it, it’s a worthy investment.
A cocktail of antioxidants, retinol, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid are delivered precisely where needed.
I thought things couldn't get any better than Tan-Luxe's The Face. I was already enamoured with the lightweight tanning drops, which allowed me to wake up looking like I'd spent the week basking in St Tropez, and then they created this new serum. It's bursting with hyaluronic acid to leave skin glowing and plumped, whilst anti-oxidant rich, cocoa-seed extract helps fight against external aggressors. All whilst delivering that signature Tan-Luxe sun-kissed sheen I have come to love.
It's time to upgrade your eye cream for an efficacious eye serum. Whilst moisturisers give a surface moisture boost, if you are after a more youthful look, a serum can penetrate active ingredients deeper. Tata Harper’s super natural formulas are hyper-potent, and this eye serum is no different. It makes light work of crepey wrinkles, pesky lines, puffiness, and dark circles for a wide-awake look.
It makes light work of crepey wrinkles, pesky lines, puffiness, and dark circles for a wide-awake look.
We couldn't do a round-up of the best serums without covering the hero anti-ageing ingredient, retinol. Wake up to better skin than you went to bed with, thanks to this reparative serum that gets to work as you sleep. The turbo-charged formula has a form of retinal at its core to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, stimulate collagen, boost elasticity, and resurface skin. Meanwhile, a nurturing concoction of oat lipid and polyglumatic acid hydrates and repairs skin. Beauty sleep personified.
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