The Best Anti-Aging Serums, According to Dermatologists

Medik8’s Crystal Retinal Serum’s hero ingredient is retinaldehyde, which fights wrinkles and fine lines quicker than other commonly usedretinols, according to board-certified dermatologistDr. Marisa Garshick. Even though it’s fast-acting and potent, the serumdoesn’t cause irritation or redness, side effects usually associated with retinoids. That’s thanks to its double-encapsulation system, which releases the vitamin A throughout the night instead of all at once. Other ingredients include hydrating glycerin and hyaluronic acid for smooth and plump-looking skin. Since this is both gentle enough for all skin types and highly effective, this anti-aging serum takes the cake.

It really shouldn’t come as a surprise that CeraVe’s retinol serum would top our list as an excellent affordable option. It’s beenrecommended by dermatologists beforeand was brought up again when I spoke to Garshick. The formula includes an encapsulated retinol that is released into the skin over time, meaning all the benefits (reducing the appearance of fine lines and dullness) without any irritation. Plus, the added niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides strengthen theskin barrier.

If you’retackling dark spots,Lormejuste says your best bet is a vitamin-C serum. It not only helps fade dark spots over time, but it also helps protect against future sun damage.SkinCeuticals’s C E Ferulic was recommended by her, and it happens to be ourtop favorite in the category. It’s incredibly potent with 15 percent L-ascorbic acid, but it doesn’t cause redness or irritation because of its high pHlevel. As its name suggests, it also contains the antioxidant ferulic acid, which is used to fight off free radicals (known to cause age spots and wrinkles).

When we spoke to her for the “Beauty Aisle” column,dermatologist Dr. Michelle Henryput us on this under-$20 L’Oréal serum. It has 10 percent glycolic acid, so it’s high enough to see results but not so high that it’s irritating. On top of exfoliating, it draws in moisture, so your skin won’t dry out from using it. She says it’s highly effective for anyone with dull skin or dark spots. “I struggle a lot with hyperpigmentation, and with time, you start to see it improve,” she says. “If you have some acne scars or any fine lines, it’s great for that.”

If you have sensitive skin and are wary of retinoids, there is an alternative. Bakuchiol, touted as “nature’s retinol,” increases cell turnover and reduces fine lines and wrinkles without negative side effects. (Just be sure to temper expectations; it’s a slower active than retinol and requires consistency and patience.) Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Marnie Nussbaum recommends Isdin’s Melatonik, since it uses bakuchiol as its anti-aging ingredient, plus melatonin for soothing and calming redness overnight.

Here’s an option that’s less than half the price of Isdin’s serum. Dr. Brendan Camp ofMDCS Dermatologysays his go-to is Herbivore Botanicals’s Moon Fruit serum. Packed with peptides andglycerin, the formula also firms and strengthens skin elasticity.

Garshick also sang praises for bakuchiol, but called out this TruSkin serum at half the cost of the serum made by Herbivore Botanicals. The same anti-aging benefits from bakuchiol apply here, but this serum doesn’t contain peptides and glycerin. Instead, it’s formulated with lingonberry stem cells, which protect the skin from oxidative stress and blue light (known to worsen hyperpigmentation).

If you haveoily skinor areacne prone, Garshick recommends SkinCeuticals’s Blemish and Age Defense Serum. The cocktail of 2 percent dioic acid, salicylic acid, and alpha hydroxy acids (glycolic and citric acids) work hard to reduce excess sebum, unclog pores, and even out skin tone while also improving the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

La Roche Posay’s Effaclar Adapalene Gel is about a third of the price of the above and also works well with acne-prone skin. The main ingredient here is adapalene, which is a retinoid used for clearing and preventing acne,blackheads, and whiteheads. Camp says it doubles as an anti-aging product and is especially effective for oily skin.

On the other side of the spectrum is dry skin, and Dr. Taylor Worden, celebrity aesthetician and founder ofTaylor Worden Skin, recommends SkinMedica’s TNS Advanced+ Serum. Made with the brand’s TNS-MR ingredient, it fights fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin while supporting collagen and encouraging cell renewal. It’s also been recommended to us as an go-to anti-aging serumfor your 40sby board-certified dermatologist Dr. Corey L. Hartman, founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology in Birmingham, Alabama.

If you don’t want to shell out nearly $300 on a serum, there’s a much more affordable alternative. Vichy’s Mineral 89 serum is just $40 with lots of skin-plumping benefits. Formulated with hyaluronic acid and minerals from Vichy volcanic water, it hydrates the skin while also strengthening and repairing theskin barrier. And though it’s highly moisturizing, it won’t cause any additional oil buildup.

Sunday Riley’s Good Genes countsour readers,dermatologists, and evenRedditorsamong its devoted fans for brightening andexfoliating skin. Camp recommends it as an effective anti-aging serum for anyone concerned with texture issues. Thanks to its star ingredient, lactic acid, it reduces the look of lines, wrinkles, and dark spots through gentle exfoliation. I use it as a once-in-a-while skin-care pick-me-up when my skin’s dull or dehydrated. Without fail, the next day after applying it, my skin has that post-facial look: brighter and smoother. I don’t use it weekly because of its high price tag, but I see myself using it more frequently when wrinkles and fine lines become more prominent.

Glow Recipe’s Strawberry Serum is a little over half the price of the Sunday Riley treatment and was recommended by Garshick. It uses a combination of AHAs and BHAs (more onwhat the actives do here) to exfoliate for improved skin texture and tone. Its gel-like consistency and hyaluronic acid also makes it hydrating to combat dehydrated skin.

Cosmetic chemistJulian Sasssays retinols are fast-acting anti-aging ingredients (his favorite serum being the Medik8, above), but folks should also look to peptides for plumping and smoothing skin texture. What they do is signal your skin to produce more collagen without as much irritation as retinoids. The only drawback is that it typically takes longer to see results. One of Sass’s favorites is the Ordinary’s Mulit-Peptide + HA Serum (previously known as the Buffet Serum), because it’s effective at boosting elasticity and moisture. It also happens to be a longtime favorite of ours. Back in 2021, our beauty columnist,Rio Viera-Newton, included it in herroundup of affordable-yet-effective serumssince it restores, soothes, and improves the appearance of any fine lines or wrinkles.

Prather calls out Alastin C-Radical because it’s formulated with avitamin Cthat contains sodium ascorbate, which is shown to promote and restore elastin in aging and compromised skin. Prather explains that elastin (which keeps skin stretchy and elastic) repair is especially important because we have a limited supply of it and it degrades with age.

Estée Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair serum is a multitasker, which is why Dr. Nussbaum recommends it for mature skin. It’s formulated with hyaluronic acid for locking in moisture, antioxidants for free-radical protection, and peptides for firming and skin-cell renewal. Plus, it’s been recommended to us before by makeup artist and Smashbox global beauty lead Lori Taylor Davis when we spoke towomen over 40 about the skin-care product they can’t live without. “I wake up looking well rested. It’s also simplified my nighttime routine since it delivers multiple benefits in one step,” she says.

Garshick likes Vichy’s Neovadiol Meno 5 Serum, which is more than $150 less than the above, because it’s formulated specifically for pre- and post-menopause. Made with a blend of proxylane, cassia extract, vitamins b3-C-E, omega fatty acids, and Vichy volcanic water, it helps to improve the appearance of dark spots, fine lines, and wrinkles while also firming, brightening, andhydratingthe skin.

There are a bevy of skin-care ingredients that have anti-aging benefits but aren’t pregnancy safe. Luckily, my colleaguesRachael GriffithsandTembe Denton-Hurstrounded up thebest products to use while pregnant and nursing, according to dermatologists. This Sonage Retinol Crème is packed with bakuchiol instead of retinol but still increases cell turnover and helps with collagen production. It’s also formulated with noncomedogenicskin-barrier-protectingceramides, so it will hydrate your skin without clogging your pores.