Serums are wonderful things. Lighter than a moisturiser, they are well and truly packed with active ingredients and can travel that bit deeper down into the skin than your daily face cream, thanks to the tiny size of the molecules they contain.
Their super speedy absorption also means you can layer products over the top and ergo, gain double the effect on the skin – and the best part? The consistency means you can use them on any skin type. Yep, ANY.
Whatever your main concern, be it signs of ageing redness, dullness, discoloration and the like, we’ve rounded up a hotlist of our favourite tested and adored formulas…
The art of mixology
Whether it’s fine lines, loss of radiance, uneven skin tone or enlarged pores that top the list of your skincare concerns, this serum contains 1.00% pure Copper Tripeptide-1 (GHK-Cu) to tackle them all. The serum comes in powder form, which you mix yourself with an activator before the first use. The copper content also prevents the loss of elasticity and increases skin firmness so if you want plumped without resorting to injectables, this may be the serum for you.
Niod Copper Amino Isolate Serum 1.00%, £38 at Look Fantastic
Target your decollete
Aging doesn’t just happen on the face – sadly. The neck and decollete are also vulnerable to crepey skin, sagging and wrinkling. This serum was designed to tackle that problem on all of those areas and contains a highly concentrated amino peptide complex to do just that. Want proof? Clinical trials in women over 35 revealed a significant improvement in skin firmness and an improvement in the appearance of skin.
Olay Regenerist 3 Point Super Serum, £25 at Boots
Repair and renew
There are a lot of things, other than our genetics, that can contribute to skin looking older than it is. Stress, poor sleep, pollution and a poor diet can all contribute to that dull, tired look we try to avoid. This serum accelerates epidermal repair and improves skin’s ability to protect itself, which is just the ticket if you’re feeling off balance or out of kilter.
Vichy Idealia Life Serum, £31 at Boots
Hydrate and strengthen
The buzzword in beauty right now is probiotics, thanks in large part to their skin strengthening properties and this serum combines them with 100% pure blend of organic plant oils. This particular serum manages to be incredibly hydrating while remaining super light in texture making it perfect for layering – try mixing it with your foundation or BB cream for a super-dewy finish. If you feel like your skin needs some muscle – this might be the serum for you.
Aurelia Revitalize & Glow Serum, £47 at Net-A-Porter
For a mega-watt glow…
If fine lines and dull skin are your bug-bear try one drop of this high-science serum under your moisturiser to tackle them. It’s jam-packed with antioxidants and sodium hyaluronate that hydrate and brighten – furthermore it also features a self-loading dropper for the perfect dosage every single time.
Lancome Advanced Genifique, £59 at John Lewis
The two-phase serum
The signs of ageing aren’t just about fine lines and wrinkles you know. Loss of radiance, uneven skintone and enlarged pores are all thrown into the mix. This serum is a two-phase serum, mixed when you ‘pump’ the applicator that contains 20 plant extracts to tackle all the things that can make your skin look less youthful than you’d like.
Clarins Double Serum, £55 at John Lewis
The serum/gel hybrid
Knowing when and where to use it serum can get anyone’s regime into a bit of a muddle. This serum’s texture is actually something of a serum-gel, which makes it soft, supple and intensely hydrating meaning you don’t have to use an extra layer of moisturiser before applying make-up. The Nobel Prize winning ‘hero’ ingredient EGF, is cultivated in the brand’s Icelandic laboratories, and encourages cell renewal so skin looks and feels restored.
BIOEFFECT EGF Day Serum, £110
Boost your beauty sleep
While we’re sleeping our skin goes into its very important repair phase. While the day is when it protects itself once we’re under the covers it’s as though our skin performs a full system check and goes into recovery mode. This night time serum helps that process along thanks to ChronoluxCB technology for skin that’s smoother, firmer and younger looking.
Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair, £50 at Boots
Get the glow
For a lit from within radiance, turn to this super light serum. Honey, silk amino acids, sea buckthorn oil and vitamin E promise to provide your skin with an intense hit of moisture, for a glowing and nourished complexion day in, day out.
Hey Honey Serum, £25 at Hey Honey
