The best serum for your skin type - Target specific skin concerns
Facial serums are extremely popular for their potent formulas and versatility. By layering underneath your favourite moisturiser, you can select the most appropriate ingredients for your skin. With the wide range of skincare ingredients available, you can choose as many or as few actives as you want, or double-up on your favourite ingredients.
Some of the most popular serums target areas such as dryness, blemishes, wrinkles, dark spots, ageing and dullness; deciding on one serum can feel impossible. We created helpful guides to help you navigate the complex world of skincare serums. Read about our favourite serums, according to common skin types and needs.
Click on the links below to jump to that section:
- The best hydrating serum
Discover the best ingredients for dry skin and which of our favourite products you should try
- The best serum for radiant skin
Achieve your most radiant skin yet, with our tailored list of specialist serums from top brands
- The best anti-ageing serum for wrinkles
Tackle the first signs of ageing with your skincare routine, look out for these potent serums
- The best clarifying serum for blemishes
Clear up your skin with a daily blemish-fighting serum - find the most effective formulation
- The best serum for dark spots
Target dark spots or age spots - get the most effective results with a specialist serum
The best hydrating serum
Hydrating serums help to address dry or combination skin concerns in several ways. Drawing and sealing moisture into the skin and boosting the skin barrier function are some of the features of the best hydrating serums.
There are three types of ingredients to look for in your next hydrating serum. Humectants are ingredients which draw moisture into the skin. Emollients seal moisture into the skin. Barrier-boosting ingredients help reduce transepidermal moisture loss. Look for the following ingredients in your hydrating serums.
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Our top picks for hydrating serums
Meaghers stocks the latest and most popular skincare products. Here are our top picks for hydrating serums, explore the products or read our comprehensive guide on hydrating serums :
Which is the best hydrating serum for your skin
Knowing the best products for your skin type achieves the best results. We analysed our favourite hydrating serums to find out what they’re best for. Find your new favourite serum from our expert selection below:
The rich formula of the CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum makes it suitable for treating severely dry skin.
Vichy Mineral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Serum protects against environmental pollutants and is lightweight enough for daily use. This is also our go-to for budget skincare fanatics. This nourishing gel serum is one of the more affordable options.
The best-value hyaluronic acid serum is the Vichy Mineral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Serum. An effective and affordable hydrating serum.
For radiant, hydrated and glowing skin, the only choice is the Ella & Jo Hydrating Hyaluronic Serum
Sensitive skin needs gentle hydration and balanced ingredients. The Avene Hydrance Boost Hydrating Serum is soothing and hydrating for even the most sensitive skin. The lightweight formula makes it ideal for combination and oily skin as it doesn’t leave additional shine or residue.
Because of its versatility, gentle formula and natural ingredients, we awarded the Avene Hydrance Boost Hydrating Serum the best overall.
The best serum for radiant skin
Radiance serums are popular for improving complexion, reducing blemishes and targeting dullness and pigmentation. Serums are often ultra-concentrated and help brighten and nourish the skin. Here are the best ingredients to look for in a serum for radiant skin.
Vitamin C
Niacinamide
Retinol
Azelaic acid
Serum top picks for radiant skin
With the vast number of serums to choose from, we narrowed down the best brightening serums to make your decision easier. Learn about the most potent daily facial serums for radiant skin.
What’s the best brightening serum for your skin?
Brightening serums come in many forms and the best one for you may depend on your skin type and what you prioritise. Here are our favourites for oily, dry and sensitive skin.
Use Ella & Jo Hydrating Hyaluronic Serum if you have oily skin - the niacinamide manages oil production and doesn’t leave a greasy finish.
Try IMAGE Vital C Hydrating Antioxidant Serum for dry skin - it hydrates and balances while tackling dullness.
IMAGE ILuma Intense Brightening Serum is suitable for sensitive skin
The best anti-ageing serum for wrinkles
Ageing gracefully can mean different things for everyone. However, a good skincare routine is the most popular and natural way to maintain a youthful appearance. Many serums nowadays are packed with age-fighting ingredients; here are the most important ones to look out for.
Hyaluronic acid
Retinol
Vitamin C
Glycolic acid
Peptides
Not every anti-ageing serum is created equally. At Meaghers, we stock the most adored and effective products. We’ve searched for the best anti-ageing serum so you don’t have to.
Mature skin can be more sensitive and drier than when you were younger. The skin barrier wears down over time and protein matrices (collagen and elastin) aren’t as quick to replenish. As a result, serums should cater to your specific requirements. We outline the best serum for mature skin, dry skin and oily-to-combination skin.
The Clarins Double Serum is specifically formulated for mature skin - try it for yourself.
The IMAGE Vital C Hydrating Antioxidant A C E Serum is well-suited to dry skin and as a preventative treatment for fine lines, wrinkles and skin damage.
The lightweight formula of Skinceuticals Blemish and Age Defense Serum is perfect for combination-to-oily skin. Meanwhile, it helps protect against environmental stressors.
The best clarifying serum for blemishes
We all deal with skin blemishes at some point and for many, acne, scars, pigmentation and marks can harm your self-confidence. Clarifying serums offer concentrated blemish-fighting ingredients to help you achieve clear skin daily. The most important ingredients to look for include skincare acids, retinol and vitamins. Explore our favourites below:
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With all the skincare brands available, we narrowed down the most potent and effective serums for clear skin. Explore some of the most popular products and our insider picks.
Clarifying serums can sometimes irritate or dry the skin - it’s one way they eliminate acne-causing bacteria. However, it makes finding effective blemish control serums challenging for dry, combination or sensitive skin. The best way to ensure your skin stays balanced is to pick skincare products formulated for your skin type.
Dry-to-combination skin may want to include hydrating factors into their clearance serum which is why the CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum, containing hyaluronic acid is a smart option.
Gentle acids and natural ingredients are preferable for sensitive skin so the Avene Clearance AHA Serum is your best bet for gently clearing the skin.
Finally, oily, acne-prone skin can often benefit from sebum and oil reduction. Look for niacinamide and glycolic acid, or try the La Roche Posay Effaclar Concentrated Serum.
The best serum for dark spots
Dark spots can become more visible with age because they’re usually the result of cumulative skin damage. You can target dark spots by rejuvenating the deeper layers of the skin and by preventing their formation. Here are the best skincare ingredients for treating and preventing dark spots.
Vitamin C
Retinol
Niacinamide
Kojic acid
Glycolic Acid
Glycerin
Our top picks for dark spots
If you want to reduce pigmentation or other signs of skin damage, you’ll want to check out our curated list of powerful skincare serums for dark spots.
Dark spots often appear on damaged skin so selecting the right formula is crucial to avoid irritation and further damage or dryness. For sensitive skin, we’d recommend the CeraVe Resurfacing retinol serum which contains hydrating factors and niacinamide.
Oily skin on the other hand may require oil and debum control as well as exfoliating factors - look out for niacinamide and salicylic acid.
Combination skin needs a well-balanced formula - one that’s both hydrating and doesn’t leave your skin feeling greasy. Our favourite dark spot serum for combination skin is the SkinCeuticals Discolouration Defence Serum 30ml.
