Face Serum 101: Our Tips & Tests

Let’s talk face serum sets.

What exactly is face serum and how do you most effectively use it?

We spoke with three board-certified dermatologists for this article—each told us that face serum is designed to repair skin damage or other issues (brown spots). Face serum isn’t a moisturizer or lotion. 

Face serum is a concentrated oil or water-based solution that typically has vitamins plus acids (like glycolic acid), antioxidants and retinol (which is a from of Vitamin A). The ingredients vary depending on what skin issue you are targeting: brown spots (Vitamin C), inflammation (retinol, niacinamide) or wrinkles (resveratrol).

How to use face serum

The experts we spoke with suggest using face serum after you wash your face, but before you put on a moisturizer. And a little goes a long way—because face serums are concentrated, a few drops should work for an entire face.

Another tip: for dry skin, look for serums that have Vitamin E and glycolic acid—these are most effective for that issue.

Our Tests

To test face serum, we moved the serum to generic bottles so we could try it without being influenced by brand names or fancy packaging. We followed manufacturer instructions and used the face serums for two weeks of testing.

Here are the face serums we think did the best in our testing:

About the Authors

Denise & Alan Fields are consumer advocates and best-selling authors. The Fields have authored 12 books with three million copies in print, including the best-selling guide to baby gear, Baby Bargains.

The Fields have been featured and quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times.

As consumer products experts, the Fields have been guests on the NBC Today Show, Good Morning America and ABC’s 20/20.

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We often turn to our readers (3 million strong!) to find products to recommend. We ask our parent readers for their favorites and consider their real-world experiences in our recommendations.

When we test a product, we always purchase it with our own monies. We do not take free samples, as we believe that compromises our independence.

We also fact check manufacturer information with our own measurements. If a maker claims a product weighs X pounds, we will weigh it to make sure. If the battery life is supposed to be six hours, we will see how it stands up in the real world.

In some cases, we will do interviews with experts in the field to get additional feedback on products.

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We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do extensive research, evaluating products with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability.

We make our living from affiliate commissions, but we always recommend what we think are the best bets for our readers (not the ones that are the most expensive). We are always looking for products that offer the best bang for the buck.

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