It’s inevitable that as we grow older our skin will change, which means inevitably so too do our products. And while there’s so much beauty in the laughter and smile lines that illustrate a life well lived, it’s natural to want to keep our skin as healthy as possible as it ages with us. Typically, skin tends to lose a lot of its natural elasticity and hydration over time—so choosing products that will help to support your skin’s collagen and moisture levels not only means that it will remain strong and healthy, but it will look brighter, smoother and firmer too. It’s a win-win. And while experts agree that bookending your skincare with a decent cleanser and a moisturiser for mature skin is really important, choosing the best serum for you might actually be the most important step in your routine. With that in mind, here is the Marie Claire guide to the best serums for mature skin.
What do the best serums for mature skin actually do?
“Serums are the powerhouses in your skincare routine that deliver lightweight, fast-absorbing, targeted actives directly to the skin,” explains skincare and clinical expert Fatma Shaheen, Founder and CEO of Skin Design London. “A serum is the product that addresses a specific skin concern—such as hyperpigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles, dehydration and lifting or firming the skin. They penetrate deeply to deliver potent ingredients in the most effective way.”
Which ingredients should we look for in a serum for mature skin?
“The most common concerns I see from clients are fine lines and wrinkles, loss of firmness and sagging skin, hyperpigmentation and sun damage, dryness and dehydration, and dullness and lack of glow,” explains Fatma. Quite the list. If you’re also looking to target some of these areas then there are specific ingredients to seek out which can really help.
“For fine lines and pigmentation look for retinols or retinoids, for redness look for azelaic acid and for a brightening effect look for niacinamide,” explains Consultant Dermatologist Dr Sophie Momen. “Hyaluronic acid will add moisture to the skin and vitamin C or antioxidant serums are a great addition to a morning skincare routine to combat signs of ageing and pigmentation.”
The 7 best serums for mature skin
1. Beauty Pie YouthBomb 360° Radiance Concentrate Serum
Price shown is Beauty Pie member price.
I’m a huge advocate of Beauty Pie as its direct-from-the-lab formulations are always seriously impressive, but at a fraction of the price of some of its competitors. This is one of the most expensive products that it's ever launched—the non-member price is £185—and it really does hold its own against some of the seriously expensive dermatologist skincare brands on the market. Created in collaboration with renowned Consultant Dermatologist Dr Andrew Markey, it aims to boost glow, smooth skin texture and tighten and brighten via a potent blend of 15 active ingredients—including marine actives for elasticity and firming, a synthetic hexapeptide to brighten and protect, and a moisturising phyto extract. Dr Markey claims it will “replicate the wow effect” that you can expect post-treatment at a dermatologist's office, and I can attest to the post-facial radiance that it delivers.
2. CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum
Every time I talk to dermatologists and skin experts about the best ingredients for mature skin, retinol is always the one that comes out on top. However, retinol serums do need to be introduced with caution, and if you’re entirely new to using one then I’d recommend this as a great place to start—and Dr Sophie Momen suggests it as a brilliant evening serum for mature skin too. Formulated with an encapsulated retinol, this serum has been formulated with sensitive skin in mind to minimise risk of irritation and redness. Alongside all of the skin-smoothing and renewing benefits of the retinol itself, there’s also niacinamide to brighten, and the brand’s trademark ceramide blend to nourish and bolster the skin barrier. It’s particularly good if you had acne in your younger years and are still dealing with the scars, but it also helps to smooth over large pores and other texture for a more even complexion all-round. Start by using it once a week and then build up as your skin tolerates it.
3. Vichy Liftactiv Vitamin C Brightening Skin Corrector Serum
Dr Sophie Momen recommends this as one of the best antioxidant serums to use in the morning for mature skin and it’s a great affordable alternative to another one of her favourites—the cult SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic .Formulated with 15% pure vitamin C, this serum is a real hard worker when it comes to protecting skin from external factors like pollution which can really cause our skin to become dull as we age. Instead, a morning dose of this acts like an antioxidant defence shield—brightening skin, boosting radiance and smoothing texture as it protects. The bottle is small, admittedly, but vitamin C loses potency once exposed to air so this means you’ll enjoy the product at its most active before you hit the bottom.
4. Dermalogica Pro-Collagen Banking Serum
As we age our body starts to produce less collagen, which is why lack of firmness and elasticity is one of the first changes that we might notice in our skin as we grow older. I’m 35 now and can already attest to the fact that my skin feels so much thinner and less dense than it did five years ago. This innovative serum from Dermalogica aims to tackle that very concern using a science-backed blend of collagen, amino acids and Carnosine Dipeptide—a potent antioxidant—to hydrate and plump the skin in the short-term, but help your skin’s collagen levels to last longer for improved texture and tone in the long-term too. (Hence the ‘banking’ in the name.) It can be used morning and night to hydrate, plump and strengthen the skin barrier, and skin undoubtedly looks firmer, fuller and smoother with continued use.
5. Skin Design London Face Tight Serum
With a lifetime of experience under her belt treating top-tier clients and working alongside dermatologists and doctors, it’s no surprise that award-winning skincare and clinical expert Fatma Shaheen’s skincare line is as impressive as the woman herself. Likened to botox in a bottle, her Face Tight serum lifts, tightens, smooths and rejuvenates the skin so you’ll look like you’ve just had a professional facial. Alongside peptides—which really are the building blocks of the skin—and some impressive cosmoceuticals to firm, it’s an expensive but effective choice if you’re looking to blur over more settled lines and wrinkles. And if you’re not convinced then the 5-star reviews really speak for themselves with one customer describing it as a “game-changer” that “visibly reduced fine lines”.
6. La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Anti-Dark Spot Serum
One of the most impressive skincare launches of the last year in my opinion, La Roche-Posay’s latest serum is brilliant for anyone looking to target dark spots, discolouration or pigmentation—but is particularly suited to mature skin thanks to the complex formula that looks after skin health too. The active that gets to work on the hyperpigmentation is Melasyl, which not only minimises any existing discolouration but actually prevents new dark spots from forming. Plus, it is also brimming with niacinamide (10% in fact) and retinol to strengthen the skin barrier and encourage a faster cell turnover for stronger, brighter, healthier skin. I’ve had pigmentation post-pregnancy and this has really helped to fade its appearance.
7. Caudalie Resveratrol-Lift Instant Firming Serum
This serum has been going viral on TikTok this year with fans of the product referring to it as a facelift in a bottle. Bold claims indeed, but in this instance I can see where they’re coming from. (And I’m not alone either—Marie Claire contributor Jazzria Harris also raves about the smoothing effects of this serum.) Unlike a lot of the serums on this list, I’d highly recommend this if you have sensitive skin that’s starting to see the effects of ageing—as it has none of the potentially irritating actives of some of the other formulas and is totally free from retinol. Instead, it uses something called Vegan Collagen 1—a plant-derived collagen combined with the brand’s patented anti-ageing complex of vine resveratrol, hyaluronic acids and a vegan collagen booster to improve the bounciness of skin, smooth fine lines and improve texture overall. The brand claim that this innovation makes it three times more effective than retinol based on studies, but whether or not that is the case, the visible results can’t be argued with. Skin is left smooth, dewy and plump with an almost glass-like shine with regular use, and no irritation in sight.
