The Best Serums for Your Skin Type

While serum isn’t typically included in the top three most essential skin care products—cleanser, moisturizer, and SPF—the right formula can do plenty good for a complexion. Serums can be used to magnify the effects of moisturizer (read: amp up the hydration), mattify the appearance of your skin, boost radiance, and more. Best of all, nearly every single skin type can benefit from using a beauty-boosting serum in their routine. Ahead, we share the best face serums for every skin type. Whether you have sensitive skin or mature skin, there’s a serum out there for you!

COMBINATION SKIN

Unlike skin that’s flat out oily or dry, combination skin battles a mix of both. As such, caring for combination skin with the right products can be tricky. When it comes to serum for combo skin, an oil-based formula is one to reach for. We share our picks of the best serums for combination skin here. 

OILY SKIN

The best serums for oily skin are those that—first and foremost—help target skin-specific concerns from excess sebum production to breakouts and enlarged-looking pores. It’s equally important for the serum’s texture to be lightweight and non-greasy so as not to clog pores weigh down skin. We share our full list of the best serums for oily skin here.

SENSITIVE SKIN

Serums are often formulated with a higher concentration of ingredients which, when compared to other formulas, can make them extra potent. While strong potency is one of the reasons why serums are so beloved in skin care, it can pose a risk for sensitive skin types. The good news is that there are plenty of gentle serums available for sensitive skin types. Even better news? We went ahead and found a few for you. Here, our picks for the best serums for sensitive skin.

MATURE SKIN

One of the reasons why anti-aging products are so popular is because most everyone wants their skin to look youthful, bouncy, and radiant. While we can’t control the toll of intrinsic aging—that is, aging caused simply by the passing hands of time—we can be sure to incorporate effective anti-aging products into our routine to help combat the visible evidence. If your mature skin is dealing with wrinkles and fine lines, incorporate an anti-aging serum into your routine to help reduce their appearance. We share our full list of the best anti-aging serums for mature skin here.

DRY SKIN

Serums, when layered underneath your regular moisturizer or mixed in with your foundation, can help to add an extra burst of hydration that dry skin is thirsty for. During the cold, windy winter, this step can be especially beneficial to help lock in moisture and combat dryness. Whether your skin is dry or dehydrated, here are our picks of the best hydrating serums for dry skin.