Best serums for all skin concerns 2021

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5

This is my everyday serum. It’s cheap and it works really hard.

Working in a large office all day with the air conditioner blasting truly does dry out your skin. And when your skin is dry and lacks water, it looks dull, saggy and your lines are more prominent. Hyaluronic acid (HA) serums are an answer to all these woes. HA molecules attract 1000 times their weight in water and draw this moisture into the skin, keeping it plump and hydrated.

This particular serum absorbs quickly, it’s lightweight and it sits beautifully under moisturiser and makeup. It works just as well as products that I’ve paid $80 for. This is a great serum for all skin types and helps your complexion look healthier.

• Price: $12.90
• Where to buy: Amazon, Adore Beauty
• Suitable for all skin

La Mer The Regenerating Serum

Full disclosure, when I decided to try this serum I was almost hoping it wouldn’t work. At $485 for just 30mL of this product, it’s not exactly an affordable option.

But it does work – very well. The product description claims that you’ll see results in just a day and I definitely did. I used it at night, and after the first application, I woke up and my skin was visibly smoother and my pores were smaller. In the long term, this product helped me regain a lot of the fullness under my eyes so I look less tired and sunken. I don’t have too many lines to speak of, but this serum did help repair the small ones I do have.

Mercifully, you don’t need too much product to get the benefits of this serum. Just a little half-pea size was enough for my whole face. Also consider investing in one of those Japanese metal moisturiser applicators so you’re not wasting any of this serum on your fingers.

• Price: $485 for 30mL
• Where to buy: Amazon, David Jones
• Suitable for all skin, particularly ageing skin

Obagi Professional-C Serum 20% Strength

This is a very strong serum, so it’s probably not the best for sensitive skin. There are 15% and 10% options if you prefer, but the 20% delivers the strongest results.

Not only does vitamin C offer antioxidant-style, preventative, anti-ageing benefits, but it also brightens your complexion. If your skin is dull from lack of sleep or environmental aggressors, this goes a long way to getting a glow back into your skin. In addition, high concentrations of vitamin C trigger “collagen synthesis”. In layman's terms, your body makes more collagen which is the stuff that keeps your skin young, plump and free of wrinkles!

Use this one at night because sunlight makes it less effective. You should also store it away from the sun. And make sure you wash your hands after you apply the serum because it is quite orange. I once put sticky orange fingerprints all over my white sheets.

• Price: $136.40
• Where to buy: eBay
• Not suitable for sensitive skin

Endota Spa Age-Defying Retinol Serum

I was initially bothered by the fact that this particular serum doesn’t disclose the percentage of retinol that it contains. Retinol can be drying and irritating to the skin, so if you’re not used to it, you need to start on a lower percentage. But whatever is in this serum, it works and it didn’t irritate my skin.

This serum made my list because it’s had the most significant effect on my frown lines. After two months of using this serum nightly, I noticed that the line between my brows was a lot less deep. On the Endota website, the results of clinical tests claim “wrinkles & fine lines reduced by 50% in some participants” and I definitely believe that these are the results I saw.

It didn’t do too much to help brighten my skin or reduce my pore size. But when a serum works that well at combating deep wrinkles, does it really need to do anything else?

• Price: $140
• Where to buy: Endota Spa
• May not be suitable for dry or sensitive skin

Sunday Riley Luna

I personally have not tried this serum, but it makes it into our top list based on the reviews from other members of the team. Based on what I’ve heard, no “best serum” list should exist without this product.

The list of ingredients shows exactly why so many people love this product. The active ingredient is a trans-retinoic acid, which is what retinol is turned into when processed by our skin. Using trans-retinoic acid instead of retinol is like skipping a step, and means that the serum is much more effective. So why don’t all serums just use trans-retinoic acid? Because it’s very drying and irritating to the skin. But Sunday Riley seems to have found a solution to that issue by blending the trans-retinoic acid with oils. It uses grape-seed oil, which is an oil that very closely mimics the natural oil in our skin, as well as chia and avocado oils. This blend of antioxidant-rich oils moisturises deeply without interfering with the skin-renewal benefits of the trans-retinoic acid.

This serum is also commonly used to help acne! Once I’ve finished up with my La Mer, this is the next one I will be trying.

• Price: $144-$154 depending on where you shop
• Where to buy: eBay
• Suitable for most skin types. May not be suitable for very sensitive skin.

Alpha-H Liquid Gold

This serum is a bit different from the rest. Most serums are designed to nourish, protect and repair. This one is a resurfacer. And if you’re not getting the results you want from your skincare routine, this is probably what you’re missing.

Alpha-H’s Liquid Gold uses glycolic acid and a blend of other ingredients to resurface and exfoliate the skin. If your skin is dull and congested, you likely have dirt, oil, dead skin and left-over makeup sitting in your pores and on your face. This serum helps your skin shed all of this, leaving just bright and new skin behind. This process also helps increase the rate of cell turnover, meaning your body makes new skin faster.

This product won beauty awards from both Harper’s Bazaar and BeautyHeaven in 2017. Give it a try and you’ll see why.

• Price: $59.95
• Where to buy: Sephora,
• Adore Beauty
• Not suitable for sensitive skin

Ultraceuticals Ultra Protective Antioxidant Complex

Since many active ingredients like retinoids, retinols and vitamin C can be compromised by sunlight, many serums are designed to be applied at night – especially since this is the time when your skin is renewing.

But this serum has been designed for day use, so you can protect and nourish your skin during the daylight hours as well. In fact, that is the purpose of this serum – to protect your skin from daytime environmental aggressors that age your skin. It has a potent blend of antioxidant ingredients that can stop and slow the damage caused by the sun. When used in tandem with an SPF moisturiser, this is the ultimate protection against photo-ageing.

I never leave the house without using this in the summertime. I also use a generous layer under my sunscreen if I’m heading to the beach. If you’re concerned about UV damage, this is the serum for you!

• Price: $89
• Where to buy: eBay
• May not be suitable for acne-prone skin

The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 5%

According to The Ordinary, Granactive Retinoid’s formula supposedly works even better than the retinol formula. The brand even goes as far as recommending this over its own retinols. The reason being that retinols can cause skin irritation and for most people, you actually need to build up to using a high dose since it takes your skin a while to get used to it.

But this formulation supposedly causes very little irritation and is still considered by the brand to be a high-strength formula. While I don’t think this product necessarily works better than other high-strength retinoids/retinol products I’ve tried, it’s on this list because it’s a lot cheaper. My partner and I use this particular product and we’ve both had very good results. This serum gives us the same results as products that are 10 times the price – this one is under $20.

This is a very high-quality product that is accessible and affordable.

• Price: $19.80
• Where to buy: Adore Beauty
• May not be suitable for sensitive or dry skin

MAC Lightful C Marine Bright Formula Softening Lotion

The bottle says it’s a lotion but it has the consistency of a toner, so I think a serum is the best way to describe this product. Part of the MAC Lightful C range, this product uses vitamin C to help brighten and renew the skin.

What I really like about this formula is that it hydrates and moisturises beyond regular moisturiser. The whole reason serums and oils are ideally applied before and in addition to moisturisers is because the molecules in a serum are smaller, so they sink deeper into the skin than moisturisers.

This product is a bit like putting a moisturiser on under a moisturiser. I use it during periods when my skin is really dry and irritated to add an extra boost of hydration and freshness to my skin without making it look oily or shiny. This particular product also sits really well under makeup.

And as promised in the product name, it really does make your skin feel baby soft.

• MakeupAlley rating: 4.5/5 stars
• Price: $45
• Where to buy: Myer, David Jones, Selfridges
• May not be suitable for acne-prone skin

Natio Rosewater Hydration Antioxidant Serum

This serum makes my list because of its simplicity. Although serums exist to be hard workers with impressive active ingredients, sometimes these targeted and specialised additives can be aggressive on the skin. Especially if you have sensitive, congested or dry skin. These skin types often do not react well to retinols, vitamin A, glycolic acids and rich oils.

This particular product is free from harsh ingredients. The main ingredient is rosewater which is balancing and acts as a gentle anti-inflammatory aid that calms spots and irritations. It also has a small amount of thinner oils like rose oil, almond oil and sesame seed oil. These oils gently nourish the skin and seal in all the hydration benefits of the rosewater.

If you’re looking for a serum that can give you that extra hit of hydration without irritating your skin, this is it. I used it when I was trying to get used to strong retinol. It’s what I recommend for sensitive skin that can’t tolerate anything fancy.

• Price: $22.95
• Where to buy: Amazon, Chemist Warehouse,Priceline
• Suitable for all skin types

Mario Badescu Vitamin C Serum

Sukin Purely Ageless Hydration Elixir

real-U Control Face Gel

The Mario Badescu Vitamin C is seriously a lifesaver when I’m breaking out. I use it almost every day, even though they say a couple of times a week. - Zahra

I like this serum for an everyday, reasonably priced option. It feels and smells nice and doesn't leave my skin feeling oily. I also like it because it's vegan. - Sally

For me, this has actually worked to combat my bad skin. It’s an extra barrier to fight break outs outside my normal moisturiser. It also acts as a primer. - Caitlin