Discover which serum best suits your skin with our pick of the best face serums and essences that offer the most hydration and protection
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Our cabinets and dressing tables are teeming with skincare. Some are relatively straightforward. Moisturisers, toners, and cleansers all do what they say on the tin but the ‘new kids on the block’ are the best face serums, and their role isn’t quite so clear-cut.
As you can read more about in our science of serums article, face serums target specific skin concerns, whether it’s dehydration, ageing, dull skin, or more. They’re typically packed full of a high concentration of potent ingredients that penetrate deeper into the skin than moisturiser to get to the root of the problem.
When seeking out the best face serum, it’s crucial you know exactly what you want to achieve and choose a serum that contains ingredients that target those goals specifically.
We recently started a series on TikTok in which we’re testing the hydration levels of different skincare products in a bid to find the best serums and essences, as well as the best moisturisers in the UK.
We’re tracking the scores for each on a spreadsheet which you can find here, or by clicking the button below.
We’ve started listing the best serums that have been tested as part of this series, as well as the serums that we’ve used in real life that we highly recommend. For the purposes of these tests, we’re putting essences and serums together. This is because they largely do the same thing and a lot of the differences are marketing terms.
Serums, typically, have more concentrated or specific ingredients though so if you’re looking for a product for a particular skincare problem, a serum is usually the better way to go.
If you’re interested to learn more about how we test serums, jump straight to that section, and if you want to take part in our skincare reviews and get free samples, join our mamabella Reader Review panel.
This list is due to change and evolve as more tests are completed. These are the best serums and essences as of January 2023. You can see the current leaderboard for the best moisturisers here.
WANT TO KNOW MORE? Best BB cream | Best moisturiser | Best tinted moisturiser | Best toner | Best primer | Best cleanser| Best eye cream| Best anti-ageing cream | Best hand cream| Best foot cream | Best face mask | Best face exfoliator | Best face oil| Best serum | Best night cream | Best SPF | Best Vitamin C serum | Men’s skincare routine| Best stretch mark cream
We’ll be adding to this best serum list as the tests continue and as the scores and leaderboard change. If you have any specific requests then please drop us a comment, or via TikTok.
£27 | Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)
View the full TikTok test here
Fenty Skin Technically this group test isn’t for toners, however, Fenty Skin claims its Fat Water toner doubles up as a face serum so we’re treating it as such.
In fact, a serum that offers additional benefits (like toning) is a bonus.
In our best serum test, Fat Water increased the hydration of our skin by 10. 7 percentage points, which is a staggering increase of 41.5% overall.
Until this test, the previous highest hydration came from the COSRX’s Snail Mucin Essence, at 32.2%.
The fact that Fenty’s toner/serum added 10% on top of that is quite frankly astonishing.
Not to mention the fact that the entire Fenty Skin range is vegan-friendly and cruelty-free.
It’s not perfect.
We find it a nightmare to squeeze out of the tube. You have to twist the lid and turn the tube upside down, and the serum comes out of a small hole in the top. Yet the hole is so small, you either get too little, or you squeeze the tube and get too much!
Plus the lid has a habit of twisting closed easily, meaning you can’t get any out.
It’s also not the cheapest serum we’ve tested, which will likely put it out of many people’s reach.
The plus side is that you’re effectively getting two products for the price of one and if our test is anything to go by, you’re getting a whole lot of hydration and impact for your money.
READ NEXT: Fenty Skin UK: Rihanna looks to add Fenty Hair to her growing beauty empire
£16.50 | Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)
View the full TikTok test here
Beauty Pie We were Beauty Pie members years ago, when the brand was still relatively new, and we didn’t rate it at all. More recently, we’d seen some positive reviews from people we trust so thought we’d give it another go – and we’re so glad we did.
The range and quality of products are greatly improved and one of our favourites is the Beauty Pie Triple Hyaluronic Acid Serum Mist.
Part of the wider Triple Hyaluronic Acid collection, the serum mist (as its name suggests) is a hyaluronic-based serum that is applied by spraying it on your skin.
Although opinions vary, it’s suggested that patting hyaluronic acid into your skin, rather than rubbing it, can have a greater effect and the same is said for spraying it on your face, neck, and chest.
In our hydration test in our hunt for the best face serums, this mist increased the hydration of our hand by 7.9 percentage points or 30.4%.
This puts the Beauty Pie product in third place overall, but fourth place for hydration alone.
The reason it scored higher overall is that it’s cruelty-free, plus it’s a semi-affordable product if you’re a Beauty Pie member.
If you want to learn more about Beauty Pie membership, click here.
As with all hyaluronic acid products, it’s advised that you apply your moisturisers or lotions on top of the serum while your skin is still wet.
Buy now from Cult Beauty
£16.99 | Buy now (UK)
View the full TikTok test here
Hada Labo Hada Labo is Japan’s leading skincare brand and for good reason.
It has developed a cult following for products that are as effective as they are affordable.
The name comes from the Japanese Skin Laboratory and the range is formulated by the Japanese pharmaceutical company Rohto.
There are a number of serums, hydrators, and creams in the range and the first one we put to the test was the Hada Labo Anti-Ageing Hydrator.
In our test, the almost water-like serum increased the hydration of our skin by 8.5 percentage points, which is equivalent to a 32.8% rise.
This means it increased the hydration of the skin on our hand by a third in just five minutes.
And it felt incredibly lightweight and gentle on the skin in the process.
Many of our followers on TikTok requested the Premium Lotion version from this brand, however, this cheaper, Anti-Ageing Hydrator performed better on our skin.
As with all of our best serum tests, these results should be used as a guide only.
They’re not designed to mimic lab conditions and if you’ve had a better experience with the Premium Lotion, then carry on buying it!
However, if you’ve not tried either or you’re wondering if the cheaper Anti-Ageing version is worth it, these tests confirm that it may well be.
Buy now from Amazon
£5.90 | Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)
View the full TikTok test here
The Ordinary As with the entire The Ordinary range, its Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 Serum is cheap, cheerful, and does the job.
In our skincare group test, it increased the hydration of our skin by 5.1 percentage points.
This is equivalent to a 16% percent increase overall.
It didn’t create the highest hydration rise of all the serums we’ve tested, however, it appears high up on the face serum leaderboard because it’s cheaper than COSRX and other rivals.
On the INCI Decoder database, The Ordinary’s HA serum is shown as containing no “icky” components, and none of its ingredients have an Irritation Rating higher than 1, or a Comedogenic Rating higher than 2.
This suggests that the chances of this serum causing irritation, breakouts or spots are low.
Elsewhere, this serum is vegan and cruelty-free, whereas some of the other serums and moisturisers we’ve tested can’t make that claim.
This serum’s formula uses three forms of hyaluronic acid with varying molecular weights, as well as a hyaluronic acid cross-polymer, to offer “multi-depth” hydration and visible plumping without drawing water out of the skin.
Hyaluronic acid is found naturally in the skin but diminishes with age, and since it can attract up to 1,000 times its weight in water, The Ordinary’s concoction (combined with the addition of Vitamin B5) leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth.
READ NEXT: The best The Ordinary products for all skincare concerns
Buy now from Cult Beauty
£24 | Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)
mamabella | mamabella The Cos De Baha Hyaluronic Acid serum is simple, yet highly effective. It contains just three ingredients – purified water, hyaluronic acid and a solvent called 1,2-Hexanediol. That’s it.
Due to this minimalist formula, it’s suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin.
The high hyaluronic acid content makes this serum slightly slimy but on the plus side it’s also hydrating.
In our best serum group test, this serum increased the hydration levels of our skin by 3.8 points (11.2%). After an hour, this dropped slightly to give a total rise of 3.1 points (9.3%).
This is below the average of 14.5% but the product scored highly overall due to the fact the brand is vegan and cruelty-free.
Plus it scored the maximum amount of points available in terms of the ingredients, with none of them having any risk of irritation, and none of them being linked with clogged pores.
The serum is lightweight, fast-absorbing, and gentle.
£14 | Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)
mamabella | mamabella We were already aware of just how well-regarded Korean beauty brands are but there are so many that we’ve yet to try.
Until recently, this included the Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum.
It has a honey-like colour and feels lightweight on the skin.
Thanks to the fact it includes 60% Propolis extract and 2% niacinamide – two ingredients renowned for helping clear and brighten the skin – the skin looks radiant after just one application.
Propolis extract in particular has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties making it great for targeting acne and breakouts.
According to the brand’s description, the Glow Serum also contains so-called Hanbang ingredients (traditional Korean herbal medicine) to help reduce the appearance of enlarged pores.
In our test, this serum rose the hydration levels of our skin by a high 7.7 percentage points (29%) after just five minutes.
After an hour, this instant hydration boost dropped every so slightly by 0.5 points. Yet this still meant that the serum increased hydration by a total of 7.5 points or 28%. Highly impressive.
The brand lost points because it sells vegan products but isn’t a fully vegan brand. It gained points for being cruelty-free and affordable.
£24 | Buy now UK | Buy now (US)
View the full TikTok test here
COSRX COSRX is a brand that we only learned of relatively recently when we discovered its Blackhead Power Liquid was a great alternative to the Paula’s Choice BHA exfoliator.
However, as soon as we started our skincare series on TikTok, the COSRX Snail Mucin was one of the most requested products. Almost immediately.
In our test, it increased hydration by 8.4 percentage points, which equates to a 32.2% increase overall. This is astonishing.
This means that this serum (when applied to damp skin) increased the amount of hydration in our skin by almost a third of what it was before.
What’s more, this face serum promises to help get rid of age spots, improve skin texture, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and soothe damaged skin.
The brand claims this hydration stems from the use of Korean beauty, or K-beauty staple, Snail Secretion Filtrate.
This filtrate is said to protect the skin from moisture loss suggesting that over the course of the day, the hydration levels we saw during our test should stay high.
And as you’d expect, it’s the excretion from a snail. Rather than being the slime it leaves on the ground as it moves, snail mucin is what’s produced when the snails are under stress.
Due to the fact it’s a stress-induced excretion, it’s made up of ingredients designed to repair or protect from injury. Which in turn helps increase skin turnover and boost collagen production.
Sadly, this requires putting snails into a state of stress and many vegans and vegetarians have bemoaned the use of this ingredient.
READ NEXT: Korean skin care and K-beauty brands: Where to buy the best Korean makeup and skincare in the UK
Buy now from Boots
£19.45 | Buy now (UK)
View the full TikTok test here
Hada Labo The second entry for Hada Labo – Japan’s leading skincare brand – in our best serum list is for the Premium Lotion. Or to give it its full name, the Hada Labo Tokyo Intense Lotion 5X HA Super Deep Hydrator Premium Lotion.
It’s slightly more expensive than the Hada Labo Anti-Ageing Hydrator (tested above), coming in at almost £20 rather than £17 and in our hydration test, the watery serum increased the hydration of our skin by 6.3 percentage points or 17.6%.
By comparison, the Anti-Ageing Hydrator rose hydration by 8.5 percentage points, which is equivalent to a 32.8% rise.
We’ve also started separately testing all of our serums and moisturisers an hour after application.
We still use the five-minute test to determine the rankings but the hour-long test is a good indicator as to how much hydration is retained.
In our Hada Labo longer-wear test, hydration dropped to 33.8% which is a 1.9-point drop from its highest, five-minute reading.
However, it shows that even after an hour, the hydration of our skin was still 4.4 points higher than before we applied it.
Plus, in order to test the product (and the product alone), we didn’t seal it with a moisturiser which is standard practice.
The reason why moisturisers are typically added on top of hyaluronic acid (and other serums) is to lock the hydration in and give it a chance to penetrate deeper into the skin.
This makes the 4.4 overall increase even more impressive in our view.
Buy now from Superdrug
£6.99 | Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)
View the full TikTok test here
The Inkey List In the battle for ingredient-led, affordable skincare brands, The Inkey List just misses out on our best serum list to The Ordinary’s serum of an almost identical name.
The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Serum costs slightly more – at £6.99 versus £6.40 – and increased the hydration of our skin by 3.4 percentage points.
This is an equivalent percentage increase of 10.5%.
By comparison, The Ordinary’s HA serum increased hydration by 5.1 percentage points, or 16% percent overall.
What’s more, The Ordinary’s version also contains Vitamin B5 which helps the skin (and hair) retain moisture, while protecting it from the elements, and boosting the skin’s natural repair process.
All that said, The Inkey List’s HA serum still performed well.
Instead of Vitamin B5, it contains an ingredient called Matrixyl 3000. This is a peptide that helps the skin look more plumped and reduces the appearance of fine lines.
Ultimately, your choice between these two products will come down to personal preference.
Buy now from Boots£24 | Buy now UK | Buy now (US)
View the full TikTok test here
mamabella | mamabella COSRX is a brand that we only learned of relatively recently when we discovered its Blackhead Power Liquid was a great alternative to the Paula’s Choice BHA exfoliator.
However, as soon as we started our skincare series on TikTok, the COSRX Snail Mucin was one of the most requested products. Almost immediately.
In our test, it increased hydration by 8.4 percentage points, which equates to a 32.2% increase overall. This is astonishing.
This means that this serum (when applied to damp skin) increased the amount of hydration in our skin by almost a third of what it was before.
What’s more, this face serum promises to help get rid of age spots, improve skin texture, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and soothe damaged skin.
The brand claims this hydration stems from the use of Korean beauty, or K-beauty staple, Snail Secretion Filtrate.
This filtrate is said to protect the skin from moisture loss suggesting that over the course of the day, the hydration levels we saw during our test should stay high.
And as you’d expect, it’s the excretion from a snail. Rather than being the slime, it leaves on the ground as it moves, snail mucin is what’s produced when the snails are under stress.
Due to the fact it’s a stress-induced excretion, it’s made up of ingredients designed to repair or protect from injury.
Which in turn helps increase skin turnover and boost collagen production.
Sadly, this requires putting snails into a state of stress and many vegans and vegetarians have bemoaned the use of this ingredient.
READ NEXT: The best The Ordinary products for all skincare concerns
Buy now from Boots
£98 | Buy now (UK) | Buy now (US)
View the full TikTok test here
Vichy Another top performer in our skincare group test was the Vichy Mineral 89, a hyaluronic acid hydrating serum that contains the highest concentration (89%) of Vichy’s Thermal Mineralizing Water.
It’s designed to hydrate, plump the skin and boost radiance in our tests, it increased our skin’s hydration by 10.7 percentage points. This equates to a rise of 28%.
Although this represents the highest percentage point increase of the serums we’ve tested to date, its total percentage rise is lower than that seen with the COSRX Snail Mucin essence.
It also dropped places on the leaderboard because it’s the most expensive serum we’ve tested (so far).
The reason it’s said to be so loved by dermatologists is that it contains a relatively low number of 11 ingredients.
Its hyaluronic acid comes from natural sources, and it’s full of essential minerals that are hypoallergenic and suitable for sensitive skin.
It has a lightweight gel texture that feels cooling and calming on the skin. It absorbs easily and Vichy claims its hydration lasts for 24 hours.
We haven’t put this particular claim to the test yet but we have plans for more skincare tests and when we do, we’ll update this mini Vichy Mineral 89 review.
Like with other serums in this list, this needs to be applied to clean damp skin to see the full benefit of hydration.
Buy now from Boots
For each best face serum test, we use a gadget called the Mili Pure to record the hydration level of the skin on our hand. We then wash them with cold water, to make the skin damp. We then apply each serum or essence onto the damp skin.
We then wait five minutes at which point we take a second skin hydration reading. After an hour, we take a third and final reading.
We test the products on our hand because we have adult acne and the oil and hydration levels on our face can vary. We’re aware this isn’t perfect, because the products are made for our face, however, given that the hydration levels of our hands are more consistent, we feel this is a fair way to compare the products.
We recently added three new categories – INCI score, Irritation Rating, and Comedogenic Rating. We explain more about the scoring system and the spreadsheet below.
To determine a product’s total score, which determines where it sits on the leaderboard, we add together the points in the Vegan, Cruelty-Free, Hydration Percentage, and INCI Score categories. We then subtract the price per 30ml, and the Irritation and Comedone Rating scores.
Note: The Irritation and Comedogenic ratings should be seen as a guide only. The rating can change depending on the amount of being used. For example, if an ingredient has an irritation rating of 4 but only features in trace amounts in the product in question, the chances of it causing irritation is lower than the rating would suggest. This means that while it’s a useful indicator, it shouldn’t be used as gospel. You can find out more about this here.
You can also learn more about how serums work in our science of serums article, and explore the INCI Decoder and its ratings in our skincare ingredient checker guide.
If none of the best serums do exactly what you want them to do, or there isn’t one that ticks all your skincare boxes, why not try a personalised, customisable serum?
Personalised beauty is a fast-growing trend in which companies use either online questionnaires or consultations – over Live Chat or Zoom during lockdown – machine learning and AI to deliver highly tailored products and regimes.
When it comes to skincare, we can highly recommend Dermatica. Following a 1-2-1 virtual consultation, via an online questionnaire, Dermatica’s consultants formulate a serum tailored to you and your skin concerns.
A bottle of serum is delivered each month (for £19) and as your skin changes and improves – tracked over time via an online dashboard – so does your formula.
If you want to take things even further, Nomige creates DNA-based skincare based on your unique genetic makeup.
Developed by Belgian bioengineer Dr Barbara Geusens, Nomige uses a sample of your DNA to uncover your skin’s ageing process before developing serums and creams that target your very specific needs.
This doesn’t come cheap – as you’d imagine. A Nomige kit costs a whopping £439.
Victoria is founder and editor-in-chief of mamabella, freelance journalist and Mum. She has a passion for empowering people to feel beautiful whatever their age, size, skin type and budget
