The 22 Best Face Serums for Glowing Skin in 2021

(Image credit: Rosdiana Ciaravolo)

By Chloe Metzger , Taylore Glynn , Julia Marzovilla

published 14 December 21

If cleansers, moisturizers, and sunscreen are the meat and potatoes of skincare, serums are the spices. They'll take your routine to a new level with ingredients and formulas that address your individual concerns, leaving you with perfect-looking, glowing skin. Whether you're looking to treat dryness, dark spots, fine lines, or oiliness, there's a serum out there for you that will address all these issues and more. Plus, you can layer them on to create an ingredient cocktail so you'll never have a bad skin day again.

But selecting the right serum for you can be overwhelming. Which serum does what? How do I know what my skin needs? The options feel endless, but I'm here to take your hand and guide you through the options so you can find a nice pocket-sized solution to the biggest skin woes. You're not alone if the "serum" category in stores feels intimidating—you're talking to a girl who didn't realize that nighttime serums are truly for dreamland, and came home with a nice sunburn. From Vitamin C serums, AHA/BHA concoctions, and B12-filled bottles, I promise you'll find an option to suit your needs and price point.

1/22

Glossier Super Pure

Best Beginner Serum

If you're building out your first-ever skincare routine, consider picking up the Super Pure serum from Glossier. It contains 5 percent niacinamide to help soothe irritated skin alongside zinc PCA, which will help reduce the look of congested pores.

2/22

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

Best For Oily Skin

This affordable serum is perfect for oily and acne-prone skin, and works hard to reduce the appearance of pores and blemishes. It contains none of the harmful ingredients that cause congestion, and is gentle enough to use twice a day.

3/22

Skinceuticals C E Ferulic

Worth the Price Tag

You're looking at one of the most hyped serums of all time, because it's that good. It offers vitamins and acids to protect against environmental damage and reverse signs of aging. It will brighten the skin, literally as soon as you apply it, as well as reduce fine lines and wrinkles.

4/22

Kate Somerville DeliKate Recovery Serum

Best For Sensitive Skin

For anyone who suffers from irritated, red, or inflamed skin, this serum is the calming antidote. It also brings hydration to sensitive skin, and you'll be able to see a noticeable difference in only a week.

5/22

Dr. Jart+ Cicapair™ Tiger Grass Serum

Best Calming Optio

If you're someone who deals with redness in your skin, this serum from Dr. Jart is here to help. The entire Cicapair line is designed to help soothe skin, and this serum gets the job done courtesy of Jartbiome to help strengthen the skin's barrier, Centella Rx to improve and soothe, and Cicabond to help rebuild skin from the inside out.

6/22

Paula's Choice Omega+ Complex Serum

Best For Dry Skin

If your skin looks dull and feels dry no matter the season, try this Omega+ Complex Serum from Paula's Choice. It's formulated with omega fatty acids that help to plump the skin and help retain its natural moisture barrier as well hydrating hyaluronic acid and five different times of ceramides that help to keep skin looking (and feeling) soft.

7/22

Embryolisse Hydra-Serum

Most Plumping

If a swimming pool isn't within your reach, a squirt or two of this gel will provide the same refreshing rush as a cannonball...or close enough. It's intensely hydrating, and it plumps up the skin for a bouncy, perfectly primed complexion.

8/22

iS Clinical Active Serum

Best Fast-Acting

Consider this serum a time-traveling DeLorean for your face. It softens skin and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and it zaps hyperpigmentation to make you appear more youthful in just weeks.

9/22

Versed Press Restart Gentle Retinol Serum

Best Beginner Retinol

Introducing a retinol to your skincare routine can feel daunting. If you're worried about peeling and irritation, try this one from Versed—it literally has 'gentle' right in the name! It's made a micro-encapsulated form of retinol in a creamy, lightweight formula.

10/22

PEACH & LILY Glass Skin Refining Serum

Best For Smooth Skin

This serum from Peach and Lily has been having a moment online recently, and for good reason. It claims to give you skin that appears to be virtually poreless and glowy thanks to ingredients like calming niacinamide, collagen-boosting peptide complex, hydrating hyaluronic acid complex, and soothing madecassoid.

11/22

Summer Fridays CC Me Vitamin C Serum

Best for Brightening

This serum from Summer Fridays is jam-packed with two super-concentrated types of vitamin C, so prepare to get the glowiest skin, ever. It's also made with Squalane for a boost of hydration and a peptide complex that's meant to improve your skin's elasticity.

12/22

Eminence Organic Skin Care Strawberry Rhubarb Hyaluronic Serum

Best Super-Organic

Apparently, strawberry and rhubarb are just as good of a duo in skincare as they are in a summery pie. Fruit-derived salicylic acid gently exfoliates while rhubarb imbues the skin with ascorbic acid to fight wrinkles.

13/22

Acure Brightening Glowing Serum

Most Brightening

The vegan formula (which is also USDA-certified organic) uses a mix of ultra-hydrating argan oil and anti-inflammatory borage oil to sooth irritated, acne-prone skin, while the added antioxidant-rich cranberry helps brighten dark spots and discoloration.

14/22

Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Serum

Best Retinol-Infused

This silky serum is filled with retinol—a.k.a. the big kahuna of anti-aging ingredients—and glycerin to rev up collagen production and smooth out wrinkles, all without drying out your skin.

15/22

No7 Lift & Luminate Triple Action Serum

The Cult Favorite

This product has three promises: softening lines/wrinkles, firming skin, and evening out skin tone, and nails all three with its ingredients, including Matrixyl 3000 Plus, No7's most effective anti-wrinkle peptide technology, as well as hyaluronic acid & hibiscus.

16/22

Neutrogena Hydroboost Hydrating Serum

Most Hydrating

This serum is meant for those of us whose skin is dying of thirst. Its main ingredient is purified hyaluronic acid, a hydrating compound that is naturally found in skin and can absorb up to 1000 times its weight in water.

17/22

RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Anti-Aging Retinol Night Cream

Best Drugstore Pick

This anti-aging serum has retinol (a fancy Vitamin A that also fights wrinkles), and skin-renewing minerals like magnesium, zinc, and copper to stimulate collagen production in the skin and reduce fine lines and wrinkles.

18/22

Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum

Best Vitamin C-Infused

This cult favorite serum uses vitamin C to powerfully reverse signs of aging, like fine lines, uneven texture, loss of elasticity, and overall dullness. It also hydrates and exfoliates so you can expect your brightest skin yet.

19/22

Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution

Best for Dark Spots

If you hate dark spots as much as I do, this correcting serum will be your new best friend. It uses peony and birch to diminish the look of dark spots, dullness, and uneven texture. You will immediately look brighter after application.

20/22

Tatcha Violet-C Brightening Serum 20% Vitamin C + 10% AHA

Best For Luminosity

This powerful serum is packed full of Vitamin C and AHA acids that all work to get you the the most luminous skin of your life. It's moisturizing, fast-acting, and encourages cell turnover for supple, smoother skin.

21/22

Dr. Barbara Sturm Glow Drops

The Celeb Fave

Every celebrity's skincare routine seems to feature this serum, and there's a reason for it. It contains anti-aging and revitalizing ingredients to give you a glowing boost.

22/22

KORA Organics Noni Night AHA Resurfacing Serum

Best For Overnight

If you've ever wanted Miranda Kerr's skin, now is your chance to try her line. This serum employs AHA and BHA acids to resurface your skin while you sleep, so you can wake up with rejuvenated, baby-soft skin.