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These potent serums target everything from fine lines to wrinkles to dark spots.

Look, we’re not telling you that you need another skincare product, but a targeted anti-aging serum might be just the thing your skin is craving. We’re also not telling you aging is bad—aging is a beautiful thing—but if you’re looking to age gracefully, or elevate your skincare routine a bit to combat skin concerns like fine lines and wrinkles, the best anti-aging serum could be the powerhouse product you’ve been looking for.

So, what is a serum anyway? “A serum really is a concentrated product of either one or a few active ingredients,” explains Cheri Frey M.D., board-certified dermatologist. Dr. Frey describes serums as “the biggest bang for your buck,” because they are highly efficient though you generally only use a small amount. “Serums are very effective whether you're looking to address things like sunspots, or wrinkles, fine lines, or pores,” adds Melissa Kanchanapoomi Levin M.D., board-certified dermatologist and founder of Entière Dermatology. “There are different serums that are able to address all the reasons why we age.”

It’s not always easy adding a new item to your skincare routine—especially if you have skin that’s sensitive, super-dry, or acne-prone. But the good news is that there are so many innovative formulas that address different concerns and skin types. Ahead, we’ve corralled some of the best anti-aging serums out there that tackle everything from fine lines and wrinkles to dark spots and dry skin.

We consulted Dr. Frey, Dr. Levin, and the Good Housekeeping Institute, which tests countless products to ensure a fair and accurate representation of each item, and sifted through tons of online reviews to find the best anti-aging serums available.

Recommended by Dr. Levin, this serum uses seven different peptides to boost production of collagen and elastin—resulting in bouncier, firmer, smoother skin. The formula also includes glycerin, a powerful humectant, to keep skin hydrated and healthy. Users praise the serum’s ability to diminish fine lines and wrinkles, with one user dubbing the product “Botox in a bottle.”

Size: 0.5 fl. oz.| Active Ingredients: Peptides, glycerin | Skin Type: All

Truly a buffet for your skin, this serum delivers heaps of skin-loving ingredients to your pores, including not one, but two different peptide complexes. Hyaluronic acid also provides a boost of hydration and moisture for optimal skin health. This serum boasts 4.2 stars on Sephora with 80% of the 1,500 reviewers recommending the product. “This serum is so good for my skin,” one Sephora user writes. “I have seen a great improvement in my skin, fine lines and texture.”

Size: 1 fl. oz. | Active Ingredients: Peptides, hyaluronic acid | Skin Type: Dry

This powerful serum combines a variety of active ingredients to address a wide-range of anti-aging skin concerns. The highly effective formula earned a Good Housekeeping Seal after it “improved skin texture, blurred the look of pores and boosted firmness by 21% after four weeks.” It also earned a whopping 4.7 stars on Ulta with 389 reviews stating the product is a “must have,” and a “go-to product.”

Size: 1 fl. oz. | Active Ingredients: Peptides, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid | Skin Type: All

Made with powerful moisturizers and hydrators like hyaluronic acid and panthenol, this powerful serum not only firms the skin over time but delivers instant plumping benefits. This serum also earned a Good Housekeeping Seal for its fine-line diminishing abilities—thanks to an effective blend of active ingredients. “It really does keep your skin refreshed and youthful looking if used regularly,” writes one Amazon customer. “I’m almost 44 years old and always get compliments on how smooth and youthful my skin looks.”

Size: 1.7 fl. oz. | Active Ingredients: Peptides, niacinamide | Skin Type: Dry

According to our experts, vitamin C is one of the most powerful and effective antioxidants for use in skincare products, especially for aging-related dark spots and discoloration. This serum boasts 20% vitamin C with an encapsulated delivery system to keep the ingredients fresh and effective. One Skinstore user writes: “This vitamin C serum is so wonderful. Helps combat dark spots, breakouts, signs of aging. It's a miracle product that truly tackles it all."

Size: 1.0 fl. Oz. | Active Ingredients: Vitamin C | Skin Type: Balanced, dull

Recommended by Dr. Frey, she explains that the serum contains “hyaluronic acid to hydrate the skin and Volcanic Minerals to support the skin barrier,” making it an excellent choice for those with dry and/or dehydrated skin. Humectants and hydrators may not be the most popular anti-aging effect, but these ingredients are powerful in decreasing the visible signs of aging by prioritizing skin health and plumping the skin.

Size: 1.0 fl. oz. | Active Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid | Skin Type: Dehydrated, dry, sensitive

This gentle yet effective serum is a wrinkle-busting powerhouse. GH’s Beauty Lab reveals the formula to be exceptional at “reducing the look of lines and wrinkles…lessening their appearance by 5% over just four weeks.” Testers also noted the “almost immediate” improvement in fine lines.

Size: 1.7 fl. oz. | Active Ingredients: Niacinamide, peptides, glycerin | Skin Type: All

Powerful exfoliation drives the efficacy of this advanced alpha hydroxy acid serum. This formula breaks down dry, dead skin cells to reveal a healthy complexion with glycolic acid—which also aids with collagen production, according to Dr. Frey, contributing to its amazing anti-aging benefits. This serum earned 4.5 stars on Amazon with 168 ratings—and many of them are glowing: “Loved this product so much,” one user writes. “My skin is so soft and beautiful and it is healing my hyperpigmentation nicely. A little goes a long way and it layers nicely under your moisturizer and makeup.”

Size: 1.7 fl. oz. | Active Ingredients: Glycolic acid, vitamin E | Skin Type: Oily, combination

Peptides are a powerful anti-aging ingredient, an ingredient that happens to be a favorite of Dr. Levin. “The most evidence-based, well-studied peptide line is by Alastin,” Dr. Levin notes. “Their data is really good and a lot of my patients including myself are on that [line].” Enter: Restorative Skin Complex, an expertly formulated serum full of peptides that encourage the production of collagen and elastin for smooth, bouncy skin.

Size: 1.0 fl. oz. | Active Ingredients: Peptides, antioxidants | Skin Type: All

This lightweight, retinol-based serum works overtime with the help of licorice root extract and niacinamide to combat pores, pigmentation, and fine lines. Retinol is a robust ingredient that is “very effective in terms of increasing collagen production, which then helps with acne with scarring, fine lines, wrinkles, and overall plumpness of the skin,” according to Dr. Levin. “But it also helps with pigmentation so that helps even out skin tone as well.” This retinol-based serum touts over 25,000 reviews for an overall 4.6 star rating—with one user calling it the “holy grail,” and another claiming it’s “the best retinol I’ve ever used.”

Size: 1.7 fl. oz. | Active Ingredients: Retinol, niacinamide, ceramides | Skin Type: Sensitive

Both Dr. Frey and Dr. Levin praise this serum for its potent blend of antioxidants that work overtime to brighten and smooth the complexion. This serum contains a “blend of 18 antioxidants including a potent form of vitamin C to neutralize free radicals and enhance skin radiance,” explains Dr. Frey. These antioxidants help with free radical damage attributed to the environment (visible light, infrared, pollution, etc.) as well as the free radicals generated from the aging process. For all of these reasons, Dr. Levin considers this product to be “the most superior antioxidant serum on the market.”

Size: 1.0 fl. oz. | Active Ingredients: Antioxidants, niacinamide | Skin Type: All

Not only is this serum packed with antioxidants, but it also contains sun protection in the form of SPF 50. This inclusion is especially helpful because Dr. Frey emphasizes the need for sun protection for anti-aging routines: “there's no point in doing any of these other things, if we're not protecting ourselves from this [the sun].” Additionally, Dr. Levin notes that the inclusion of vitamin C helps to boost the efficacy of your sunscreen—which makes this serum an all around winner for preventative and proactive anti-aging efforts. This serum maintains a 4.6 star rating out of almost 3,000 reviews.

Size: 1.0 fl. oz. | Active Ingredients: Vitamin C, vitamin E, SPF 50 | Skin Type: All, sensitive

If you’re looking to prevent or combat fine lines, pores, texture, or discoloration while also managing sensitive skin, look for a gentle exfoliator. This lactic acid based serum provides effective skin renewal for brighter, more even skin without irritation associated with other exfoliating agents. With over 5,000 reviews on Sephora this serum flaunts a 4.3 star rating. One user attests to the products anti-aging benefits, writing “You can tell the difference almost immediately on smaller wrinkles with this, but I have also noticed after several weeks that my deeper lines are also looking better.”

Size: 1.0 fl. oz. | Active Ingredients: Lactic acid | Skin Type: Dull, sensitive

This impressive serum is “a powerful combination of a plant-based retinol alternative, alpha hydroxy acids, niacinamide, and antioxidants that helps to improve skin tone and texture,” explains Dr. Frey. The retinol alternative, bakuchiol, gently reduces fine lines and wrinkles as it boosts collagen production and increases cell turnover—all with less irritation associated with retinol. The formula also includes aloe, zinc, and manuka honey to further fight irritation and inflammation.

Size: 1.0 fl. oz. | Active Ingredients: Bakuchiol, antioxidants, alpha hydroxy acids | Skin Type: All

Formulated with humectants and the brand’s anti-wrinkle peptide technology, this serum helps to plump, firm, hydrate, and smooth the skin. The advanced formula is dispensed with a cooling, massaging applicator to help penetrate the skin and ensure immediate benefits. According to GH Beauty Lab data analysis “nearly 80% of users found that their skin felt firmer after only one week.” And, with almost 300 reviews on Ulta the product has an impressive 4.3 star rating.

Size: 1.0 fl. oz. | Active Ingredients: Peptides, hyaluronic acid | Skin Type: Dry

This hydrating and rejuvenating serum combines antioxidants, peptides, and ceramides to combat dryness, dehydration, fine lines, and discoloration with one product. This formula also works to calm sensitive skin and irritation as it protects against environmental stressors and strengthens the skin barrier. 400 Amazon reviews later, this serum lives up to its claims with a 4.6 star overall rating. “I use it at night and my skin feels SO soft in the morning,” writes one Amazon user. “The texture of my skin also feels more refined and smooth.”

Size: 1.0 fl. oz. | Active Ingredients: Vitamin C, peptides | Skin Type: Balanced, dry

✔️ Consider your skin type and concerns. The best anti-aging serum for you will depend on your unique skincare needs. Once you determine your goals and preferences, you’ll then need to look for products with the appropriate active ingredients to target those concerns. “A serum within itself is not a skincare ingredient,” explains Dr. Frey. “A serum is just the description of the product.” Dr. Frey recommends patients ask themselves: “What do we need? Do we need an antioxidant serum? Do we need a brightening serum? Do we need a moisturizing serum?”

✔️ Think about your skincare routine. You’ll need to determine where this new serum will fit into your current skincare routine before deciding on a product. Some active ingredients are more suitable for daytime (like vitamin C), while some should only be used at night (like retinol). You’ll also want to ensure the new product will agree with any other active ingredients that might be in your current products.

✔️ Don’t forget SPF. “The main thing we’ve got to do is we've got to put on sun protection,” Dr. Frey emphasizes. “And that is for patients of all skin types.” If you are not applying sun protection, especially if the ingredients in your anti-aging serum are sensitizing, the sun damage makes virtually all other anti-aging efforts useless. So, be sure to slather on your favorite face sunscreen as the last step in your morning skincare routine for the best preventative anti-aging method available.

If you have a specific concern, like discoloration or fine lines, Dr. Frey recommends choosing a product with a potent, high concentration of an active ingredient proven to target that concern. Otherwise, it’s a great idea to pick a formula with a combination of ingredients below:

✔️ Antioxidants. “The most important thing we need to do for our skin is to protect it,” explains Dr. Levin. “And the only that we currently can do that, that's very evidence based, is [with] antioxidants.” Antioxidants protect from free-radicals, which break down the skin. The most well-studied antioxidant is vitamin C, which is proven to brighten the complexion, improve discoloration, tighten pores, and reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Vitamin E is another great antioxidant, which pairs well with Vitamin C as a stabilizer, according to Dr. Frey.

✔️ Retinol. Dr. Levin calls retinol, a vitamin A derivative, “the gold standard and the Holy Grail,” for its ability to increase collagen production. According to our experts, retinol helps with scarring, fine lines, wrinkles, overall plumpness of the skin, tone, and texture—truly hitting all the bases. Caution: Dr. Frey warns that retinol can be a bit sensitizing and irritating, so be sure to introduce retinol-based products slowly, and as a part of a hydrating and moisturizing routine. You’ll also want to only use retinol at night, as sunlight will inactive the ingredient, per Dr. Levin.

✔️ Peptides. “I am a big fan of peptides,” explains Dr. Levin. Peptides, which are teeny-tiny proteins, are extremely effective in signaling the skin to create more collagen and elastin (also proteins!) which are responsible for the bouncy quality of the skin. By introducing a peptide-based product into your skincare routine you will see a smoother and much more even complexion.

✔️ Humectants. The most popular humectant (moisture retaining ingredient) is hyaluronic acid, but glycerin, panthenol, and urea are also powerful water-loving ingredients to look out for. “As we age, our skin loses its ability to maintain moisture,” explains Dr. Frey. However, humectants can help replenish that moisture, supporting healthy skin and provide bouncier, more radiant-looking skin by concealing fine lines that appear deeper when the skin is dry and dehydrated.