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As dermatologists over 50 have previously told SELF, hormones and other changes that happen as you get older can have a major impact on your skin. That means you may need to adjust your skin care routine to keep up. While moisturizers and eye creams are certainly important for hydration (which is key for plump skin at any age), the best serums for mature skin can tackle any loss in firmness or fine lines you’re noticing—both of which are totally normal, by the way.
These products have a high concentration of active ingredients and a thinner, water-based consistency that absorbs easily into the skin, Ellen Marmur, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of MMSkincare, tells SELF.
Using intel from Dr. Marmur and other board-certified dermatologists, plus years of SELF Healthy Beauty Award testing, we’ve rounded up the best serums to help hydrate and brighten your skin. Shop our top picks below.
Our top picks
- Best Overall: Matter of Fact Wrinkle + Texture Concentrate, $108
- Best With Vitamin C: SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic with 15% L-Ascorbic Acid, $182
- Best for Glowing Skin: Augustinus Bader The Serum, $405
- Best Wrinkle Treatment: Alastin Skincare Restorative Skin Complex, $242
- Best With Peptides: Skinmedica TNS Advanced+ Serum, $295
- Best Retinol: Marie Veronique Gentle Retinol Night Serum, $122
- Best for Dark Spots: Glytone TranEXamide Discoloration Treatment Serum, $70
- Best for Acne: The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%, $12
- Best for Dry Skin: Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid Activating Serum, $69
- Best Steal: Olay Super Serum, $35
In this article
Shop the best serums for mature skin
We’ve tested some of these firsthand—others are often recommended by experts to their patients.
Best Overall: Matter of Fact Wrinkle + Texture Concentrate
We can’t say enough good things about this 2024 Healthy Beauty Award winner. It combines several of the expert-recommended ingredients you’ll see throughout this list—retinol, vitamin C, and azelaic acid—into one formula to tackle wrinkles, dark spots, and uneven texture, respectively.
One SELF tester says a little pump goes a long way because the silky smooth consistency is easy to massage into your skin. And the results? Unmatched. “It’s changed how I feel about my skin,” they say. “After years (YEARS!) in the sun and wind, I have renewed confidence about my appearance when out with same-age friends. This is a holy grail product for me.”
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Silky texture spreads easily | Some Amazon reviewers don’t like the smell |
| Fades dark spots | |
| Reduces wrinkles and fine lines | |
| Fragrance-free |
Other notable ingredients
Smoothing dimethicone, exfoliating bakuchiol, vitamin E and ferulic acid (antioxidants)
Best With Vitamin C: SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic with 15% L-Ascorbic Acid
Justine Park, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Skin and Beauty Center in West Hills, California, highly recommends this vitamin C serum for anyone wanting to brighten up their skin tone or prevent sun damage. “This iconic product is a treat for mature skin types,” she says, thanks to its potent combo of vitamin C and ferulic acid. These antioxidants fight free radicals that can lead to premature aging—plus, they can help fade dark spots for a more even complexion.
Pro tip: Apply it first thing in the morning, before your sunscreen. That way, it’ll act as a second layer of defense against damaging UV rays.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| High concentration of vitamin C | Dropper isn’t the most convenient packaging |
| Contains soothing and hydrating ingredients | Small bottle |
| Dark bottle keeps vitamin C stable longer |
Other notable ingredients
Moisturizing glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin E
Best for Glowing Skin: Augustinus Bader The Serum
A favorite of Dr. Marmur’s, this formula combines peptides and amino acids with an array of antioxidants to help tighten skin and get you glowing. “This is a great all-around serum that not only targets wrinkles and fine lines, but also boosts the skin’s radiance and reduces any redness,” she says (that’s thanks to anti-inflammatory rice bran oil).
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Contains anti-aging peptides | Very pricey |
| Reduces redness | |
| Packed with antioxidants to brighten and protect skin |
Other notable ingredients
Free-radical-fighting vitamin C, ferulic acid, resveratrol (another antioxidant), skin-barrier-supporting squalane
Best Wrinkle Treatment: Alastin Skincare Restorative Skin Complex
This serum’s proprietary peptide complex ramps up collagen production in the skin (read: less wrinkles and crepey texture), which makes it a top pick for Jennifer Sawaya, MD, a board-certified dermatologist with US Dermatology Partners Scottsdale. “This is my favorite line for post-procedure skin,” she says, because it encourages cell turnover and speeds up the healing process. Ceramides and squalane can also help restore the skin barrier, while niacinamide has soothing, anti-inflammatory properties.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Supports collagen production | Small bottle |
| Ideal for helping skin recover after treatments |
Other notable ingredients
Moisturizing glycerin, argan and jojoba oil, and shea butter; resveratrol; skin-barrier-strengthening squalane and ceramides
Best With Peptides: Skinmedica TNS Advanced+ Serum
The combination of peptides and growth factors in this serum make it a top choice for Dr. Sawaya. Peptides—which are sometimes called a retinol alternative—are proteins that help make up the collagen and elastin in your skin. In other words, they keep your skin looking plump and smooth. This formula also contains green microalgae to further boost collagen and elastin, plus hydrating, smoothing flaxseed.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Contains peptides to help plump wrinkles | Pricey |
| Growth factors can improve firmness | Small bottle |
| Fragrance-free |
Other notable ingredients
Softening shea butter
Best Retinol: Marie Veronique Gentle Retinol Night Serum
This serum is made with microencapsulated retinol, which may be more gentle on the skin than typical retinol, as it’s designed to be released more slowly. Green tea extract soothes and hydrates, to fight wrinkles with less irritation.
“It’s also packed with vitamins C, E, and coenzyme Q, among other natural ingredients, for a powerful nightly treatment,” says Dr. Park. This antioxidant trio will help brighten dark spots and protect the skin from free radicals too.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Powerful retinol paired with a gentle formula | May take longer to see results, since it’s less potent, according to Credo Beauty reviewers |
| Contains three types of antioxidants | Small bottle |
| Brightening |
Other notable ingredients
Moisturizing glycerin, argan and jojoba oil, and shea butter; skin-protecting antioxidant resveratrol; skin-barrier-strengthening squalane and ceramides
Best for Dark Spots: Glytone TranEXamide Discoloration Treatment Serum
Tranexamic acid and kojic acid, two powerful antioxidants, join forces in this treatment to brighten the skin and fade dark spots caused by sun damage and blemishes. These “powerful lightening ingredients,” as Dr. Park calls them, also provide protection from free radicals that can contribute to dull skin.
Bonus: It contains niacinamide, which Dr. Park says calms inflammation and can help fight acne, making it a good choice for anyone dealing with signs of aging and breakouts at the same time.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Good for blemish-prone skin | May not be as effective at addressing wrinkles as other options |
| Brightening | Small bottle |
| Contains moisturizing ingredients to prevent dry patches |
Other notable ingredients
Moisturizing panthenol
Best for Acne: The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%
Have some blemish scars that have stuck around for years? This creamy serum is a great pick for tackling those and current acne (because we all know pimples don’t always stop after your teenage years). Azelaic acid is a chemical exfoliant that has been shown to improve hyperpigmentation and skin texture. Dr. Park also likes this one for reviving the complexion overall (bye, dullness!).
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Gentle formula is unlikely to cause irritation | May not be as effective at smoothing wrinkles as other options |
| Fades sun damage and scarring | Small bottle |
| Budget-friendly |
Other notable ingredients
Smoothing dimethicone
Best for Dry Skin: Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid Activating Serum
Dr. Marmur praises this lightweight serum’s B-L3 Complex, which is made up of peptides, lipids, and vitamins that help the skin build the proteins that give it structure. “I like that this serum goes beyond the surface to target signs of aging,” she says. In addition to plumping peptides, it has polyglutamic acid, which gives your skin a healthy dose of hydration, and niacinamide to tame inflammation.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Contains wrinkle-fighting peptides | Not as exfoliating as other products on this list |
| Contains several hydrating ingredients | Small bottle |
| Fragrance-free |
Other notable ingredients
Moisturizing glycerin and jojoba oil, exfoliating lactic acid, skin-barrier-strengthening ceramides
Best Steal: Olay Super Serum
This drugstore serum proves that you don’t need to spend a ton to get noticeable results. It combines vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, lactic acid, and niacinamide to give your skin a smoother, glowier, and overall healthier appearance.
“If I could only have one skin care product on a deserted island, it would be this,” one 2024 Healthy Beauty Awards tester said. “First of all, the serum is shimmery pink and has a fun, holographic appearance. Because it’s made with a ton of my favorite ingredients, it’s my go-to whenever I travel and can’t bring all of my skin care essentials in a tiny makeup bag.”
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Very hydrating | Contains fragrance, which may irritate some |
| Instantly makes skin look glowy |
Other notable ingredients
Glycerin, dimethicone, vitamin E
How do you use a serum for mature skin?
You can incorporate a serum into your routine after cleanser and toner, but before your moisturizer, Dr. Sawaya says. After you use a serum, you’ll want to wait about a minute before applying your next product, notes Dr. Marmur. This will give the serum enough time to sink in.
Serums for mature skin often contain ingredients that can be irritating if you introduce them too quickly, like retinol and alpha hydroxy acids (or AHAs), Dr. Sawaya says. When trying a new product, she recommends using it once weekly and seeing how your skin reacts. If you don’t notice any irritation, you can start using it every other day or night, then once daily or nightly. It’s also a good idea to start with a lower concentration of retinol, she adds (think 0.5% or less), to prevent eczema or redness from flaring up.
Another note: If your serum does contain retinol, you should only use it at night, Dr. Sawaya says, since it can make your skin more sensitive to the sun. Other serums can be applied in the morning or even twice daily, she explains. And as always, make sure you’re wearing sunscreen during the day.
What should you look for in a serum for mature skin?
Here’s how to find your perfect skin care match.
Active ingredients
Most anti-aging serums are made with ingredients that exfoliate, brighten, hydrate, and promote cell turnover, Dr. Sawaya says.
- For hydration: To plump up the skin while blurring fine lines, Dr. Sawaya recommends hyaluronic acid, squalane, and ceramides.
- For brightening: You can boost glow and fade dark spots with ingredients like vitamin C, kojic acid, tranexamic acid, or hydroquinone.
- For cell turnover: Growth factors and peptides can help rejuvenate the skin at the cellular level, Dr. Sawaya says.
- For collagen production: Dr. Marmur suggests peptides for restoring collagen, a protein in the skin that provides structure and elasticity. (Retinol can help with collagen production too.)
Price
It can be tough to find one product with all of these ingredients at a budget-friendly price point, so it’s fine to use multiple serums if you want to target a few different concerns. Just be on the lookout for irritation, and avoid layering too many at once if you notice your skin starting to act up.
Related:
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