The Best Face Serum For Every Skin Concern

If you invest in just one skin treatment, make it a great serum. Poised to steal the starring role in your routine, these highly concentrated formulas have the power to deliver both instant gratification and long-term benefits. Today, there’s a serum to suit all skin types and treat any complexion concern, from fine lines and pigmentation to acne scars and clogged pores.

Today’s best serums are indeed transformative, but they rarely come with a pleasing price tag. However, this is the step in your routine where you should spend the majority of your budget, as it will be the most ‘active’ product you apply. Readily absorbed and packed with potent ingredients (think hyaluronic acid, retinol, resurfacing acids and vitamin C), it’s the efficacy of these products that justifies the cost.

A serum is also the best way to fine-tune your routine, ensuring it’s precisely tailored to your skin’s needs at any given time. If your complexion cries out for moisture one week, then clarity the next, a serum switch is the simplest solution. Keep a couple on regular rotation, and you’ll be perfectly prepped to meet any demand your skin may throw at you throughout the month.

Above, discover the Bazaar verdict on the best face serum for every skin concern.

Photos: Courtesy

This article originally appeared on Harper's Bazaar UK. 

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Best for fine lines

Retinol is arguably the most powerful regenerating ingredient on the market, but few products harness it effectively. Unsurprisingly, Paula Begoun's offering ticks every box: the packaging is airtight and opaque (both light and air can degrade retinols) and the one per cent retinol complex works quickly with minimal irritation. The concentration of this one is strong and effective. Retinol first-timers should phase it slowly into a routine, starting with once-weekly application.

1 of 10

Paula's Choice

Best for breakouts

This is one of those brilliantly satisfying products that delivers results you can really see in a matter of days. The creamy, soothing texture is actually delivering a super-potent dose of niacinamide to the skin, which works to instantly take the redness out of active breakouts while preventing new ones from forming. Specially formulated peptides bring a glassy glow back to dull, congested skin, while zinc regulates oil production – especially helpful in times of hormonal flux.

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Medik8

Best for every day

Decree’s refreshingly prescriptive skincare collection contains one serum for day, and one serum for evening. The former is designed to offer your skin complete protection from stress and pollution, and to do so it enlists a remarkable list of active ingredients. Vitamin C, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid and ferulic acid all feature, meaning this really is the only serum you need to apply before heading out. What's more, the portion-controlled applicator means you're applying the optimum dose every time.

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Decree Protect Elixir

Best for dry skin

Holding over 1000 times its weight in moisture, hyaluronic acid is the ultimate booster for dry skin. However, not all hyaluronic-based serums are made equal – the best ones will include several different ‘molecular weights’, which will bind moisture to both the surface and deeper skin layers. Dr. Barbara Sturm’s offering features multiple molecule sizes alongside a dose of antioxidant purslane, (her signature ingredient), and little else. It’ll offer both immediate and long-term benefits.

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Dr. Barbara Sturm

Best for dull skin

This gel-textured serum contains a cocktail of resurfacing acids to dissolve the bonds that keep those dull, dead skin cells lingering on your face. Unlike many other formulations out there, this one contains both AHA and BHA acids, meaning it’ll work on multiple layers of the skin for optimal results. Even better, the raspberry seed oil inside acts as a soothing buffer, ensuring maximum benefits with minimal irritation. Use it every other night, either applying neat to cleansed skin, or blend a drop into the brand’s nourishing Marula Oil. Most importantly, always apply an SPF in the morning, as those fresh new skin cells will need the protection.

5 of 10

T.L.C Framboos Glycolic Night Serum

Best for uneven skin tone

Somewhat legendary among skincare obsessives, Skinceuticals’ powerful antioxidant serum is designed to ward off free radicals while brightening and unifying skin tone. When bolstered by ferulic acid, the high concentration of vitamin C works double-duty to brighten uneven patches and dark spots. The less-than soothing scent (this is a real case of performance over pampering) is a small price to pay.

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Skincecuticals

Best for signs of ageing

Plant-based skincare often gets overlooked when it comes to truly transformative effects, but this serum easily outperforms most others on the market – there’s a reason it’s the product Harper is personally most proud of. The recently reformulated Elixir Vitae 2.0 now contains 72 active ingredients, from green tea seed oil to African birch bark, and holistically tackles fine lines, slackness, and uneven skin tone. The price may be prohibitive, but hand-harvested ingredients, sustainable production processes, and wholly recyclable packaging are surely worth investing in.

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Tata Harper

Best for all skin types

If Victoria Beckham's foray into 'serious' (as in, triple-figure) skincare has you sceptical, consider how firmly she won over the famously hard-to-please fashion crowd. One of the most-hyped launches of the year, her Power Serum was formulated by skin scientist Augustinus Bader, and features his cult cell-rejuvenating Trigger Factor Complex alongside low-weight hyaluronic acid and barrier-supporting biopeptides. What's more, it's housed inside entirely recyclable packaging.

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Victoria Beckham Beauty by Augustinus Bader

Best all-natural option

A cult hero that truly deserves the hype, this batch-produced serum contains all the nourishment skin needs in one chic bottle. A hefty 22 botanical extracts work together to increase cell turnover, in turn leading to brighter, more resilient skin and a barrier that's shielded from pollution. If you're keen to keep your skincare in the natural realm, this is the gold standard.

9 of 10

Vintner's Daughter Active Botanical Serum

Best for sensitive skin

A heavy dose of essential oils makes a lot of plant-based serums unsuitable for sensitive skin. Votary has side-stepped any potential irritation issues by packing this peptide serum with broccoli, oat and chia extracts to calm redness while fortifying the skin barrier. With the microbiome balanced and happy, skin glows – without the need for harsh actives.

10 of 10

Votary