These 5 Serums Are Under $20 and Work Just As Well As Expensive Ones
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Despite their petite packaging,serumsare often some of the priciest skin-care products on the market. Buzzy, shelfie-worthyserums— like Dr. Barbara Sturm’s hyaluronic acid serum or SkinCeuticals’ bottle of vitamin C, for example — can be extremely expensive, costing anywhere between $100 and $300.
According toDr. Loretta Ciraldo,brand founderand board-certified dermatologist based in Miami, there are a few reasons why a serum may be particularly costly: First, there are marketing costs. Brands might spend extra money on a celebrity contract, use expensive packaging, or simply raise their prices to align with other “luxury” beauty brands, all of which factor into the price you see at checkout. But there are also formulation-related reasons — brands can spend a lot of clinical time developing and testing products before they ever reach the market, so you’re paying for the hours of research and expertise behind the final formula.
But according toDr. Loretta,splurging on a product doesn’t guarantee greater benefits. “There are so many wonderful affordabledrug-storeproducts. Instead of worrying about pricing, I would prioritize learning about ingredients and purchasing products that are both kind and effective on your skin,” she said. There are tons of affordable and effectiveserumsout there that can help treat and target whatever your skin-care concern may be (hydration, radiance, reducing inflammation, to name a few) without breaking the bank. Below, a list of my favoriteserumsunder $20.
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If you’re struggling with breakouts, dullness, or congested skin, you just might love thisniacinamideand zinc serum from Naturium. Niacinamide is a wonderful, workhorse ingredient that can help prevent and control current acne breakouts, even out your complexion, and smooth fine lines and wrinkles. There’s a reason whyniacinamidehas become such a beloved ingredient among skin-care professionals — it justworks. And its partner in crime here, zinc, is pretty great also — its soothing and anti-oxidant properties make it an excellent candidate for reducing inflammation and irritation.
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Vitamin C serumsare a wonderful way to deliver radiance and fade hyperpigmentation marks left behind from breakouts. However, a lot of vitamin C serums quickly oxidize and lose potency — annoying. But this particular brightening serum uses 15% ascorbyl glucoside, a more stable derivative of vitamin C that ensures a longer shelf life. This serum also uses one percent Epitensive, which can help promote elasticity and repair skin damage.
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If maintaining skin elasticity and adding a kind of bounciness and plumpness to your skin is a main priority, Skin Buffet from The Ordinary may be a great serum for you. It’s chock-full of peptides, which can restore, soothe, and improve the appearance of anyfine lines or wrinkles.It also uses hyaluronic acid, which adds a boost of hydration.
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If you’ve long wanted to integrate aretinolinto your routine, but have feared the initial irritation period, you might love this gentle (and wonderfully affordable) option from The Inkey List. This formula uses aslow-release retinol, which makes the product sink into the skin at a slower rate, lessening the initial redness and flakiness you often get with retinol. This serum also has squalane, which creates a cushion of moisture to soothe and calm the skin.
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If you’ve long coveted the Hailey Bieber–approvedhyaluronic acidfrom Dr. Barbara Sturm but couldn’t bear to pull the trigger on a $300 30ml bottle, look no further. This wonderful $16 serum from Naturium uses hyaluronic acids with four different molecular weights, meaning the serum’shydrationreaches multiple levels of your skin. The hydration is deep and comprehensive — not superficial — and creates a plumping effect. This serum also uses hydrating ingredients propanediol and glycerin for maximum moisture. If you have dry, flaky wintertime skin, this is definitely worth checking out.
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