9 min read
Which serum should i use?
04/22/2025 / Last Edited 08/31/2026Choosing the right serum starts with understanding your skin’s needs. Different serums target concerns such as hydration, dark spots, fine lines, wrinkles, and sensitive skin. This guide highlights the best Dermalogica serums for each skin concern, from anti-aging and brightening to skin-strengthening solutions.
Best serum for sensitive skin
Relieve discomfort, rebuild strength: Stabilizing Repair Serum is a clinically tested face and body serum for eczema-prone, reactive, and irritated skin that immediately relieves signs of sensory irritation including itching, stinging, and tightness.*
- Immediately calms and comforts reactive skin
- Relieves sensory irritation, including itching, stinging + tightness
- Builds a hydration reservoir to help fortify dry, flaky skin
*Results after 30 minutes. Based on a consumer perception evaluation within a clinical study, 2 applications/day for 4 weeks.
Best serum for longevity + damage correction
Powered by longevity science, FutureCode Booster biohacks skin's longevity to visibly reduce DNA-related damage and is clinically proven to transform the look of skin in 7 days.*
- Supports skin's natural repair functions for firmer-looking, more even-toned skin
- Replaces visible DNA-related damage with revitalized, healthy-looking skin
- Rebuilds the skin barrier to defend against environmental aggressors
*Results at 7 days. Clinical expert evaluation results on multiple skin attributes. Based on an 8-week clinical study with 33 participants, 2 applications/day.
Best serum for sculpting and facial symmetry
Powered by neuroscience and propelled by human touch, NeuroTouch Symmetry Serum is a lightweight facial oil formulated to visibly restore facial symmetry for more sculpted-looking skin.*
- Visibly restores facial symmetry for a more sculpted appearance
- Leverages skin treatment expertise with the power of human touch
- Supports the skin-mind connection
*Independent clinical testing of 31 people, 2 applications/day for 8-weeks.
Best serum for strength and barrier resilience
If you're looking for stronger, more resilient skin, Dynamic Skin Strengthening Serum is exactly what you need. This nourishing multidefense serum builds barrier resilience to help skin age stronger.
- Strengthens skin to resist signs of aging.
- Nourishes for more supple skin.
- Helps rebuild barrier to improve skin resilience.
Best night serum for hydration and radiance
BioLumin-C Night Restore is an overnight serum that restores the skin's moisture barrier for long-lasting radiance and hydration.
- Provides long-lasting brightness + immediate hydration.
- Helps repair + restore skin's moisture barrier.
- Helps reverse daytime damage.
Best serum for collagen preservation
Promote, protect, and preserve skin's collagen today, so you have more for tomorrow: Pro-Collagen Banking Serum supports visibly plumper, more luminous skin and hydrates to help reduce the look of fine lines into the future.
- Helps preserve collagen.
- Plumps and hydrates for a firmer appearance.
- Helps minimize the look of fine lines and wrinkles.
Best retinol serum for fine lines and wrinkles
Dynamic Skin Retinol Serum is a high-dose, fast-acting multi-retinoid with booster technology that helps visibly reduce the 4 signs of skin aging in just 2 weeks.*
- Helps reverse the appearance of wrinkles
- Retexturizes and reduces the appearance of pores
- Evens skin tone
*Clinical results with 30 volunteers on reduction in appearance of wrinkles, pores, dark spots, and uneven texture in 2 weeks test.
Best personalized serum for skin's changing needs
Skin care just got smarter: Smart Response Serum delivers what your skin needs, when and where it needs it. It delivers a personalized response every time, for healthier-looking skin over time.
- Helps maintain optimal hydration levels.
- Brightens and helps reduce the appearance of dark spots.
- Helps to soothe and reduce the appearance of redness.
- Helps improve the look of fine lines and wrinkles.
Best serum for long-lasting hydration
Kick-start skin's hydration cycle: Circular Hydration Serum immediately floods skin with hydration, replenishes from within, and helps prevent future hydration evaporation.
- Immediately hydrates to quench hydrated skin.
- Delivers long-lasting hydration to help prevent future dehydration.
- Replenishes skin from within.
Best firming serum for smoother, younger-looking skin
Our top choice for wrinkles is Phyto Nature Firming Serum, which is actually two serums in one. It uses biomimetic peptides and potent botanicals to reawaken the nature of younger-looking skin.
- Doubles skin's luminosity after just 1 application.
- Minimizes the appearance of fine lines after just 1 application.
- Reduces visible wrinkles in 4 weeks.
Best brightening serum for dull or uneven skin
That would be BioLumin-C Serum! This brightening Vitamin C serum outperforms the competition by delivering three times more Vitamin C to skin.
- Exfoliates and reduces unbalanced pigmentation.
- Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
- Prevents and corrects free radical damage.
Best serum for clearing breakouts
Clear breakouts and related signs of skin aging simultaneously by using a 2-in-1 solution like AGE Bright Clearing Serum.
- Exfoliates to help prevent breakouts and accelerate cell turnover.
- Boosts skin radiance in 1 week.
- Reduces the appearance of breakouts and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation in 4 weeks.
Overnight: Retinoid Clearing Oil is a high-performance night oil that combines a retinoid and Salicylic Acid into one skin-soothing formula that exfoliates to help prevent breakouts and accelerate cell turnover.
- Targets breakouts and visible signs of premature aging skin at the same time.
- Renews and soothes skin overnight.
- Delivers clearer, more vibrant skin by morning.
Best serum for hyperpigmentation
Use PowerBright Dark Spot Serum, a potent hyperpigmentation-fading serum that starts fading the appearance of dark spots within days.
- Fades dark spots in just days.
- Helps prevent future dark spots.
- Brightens and boosts skin's natural luminosity.
What is a serum, anyway?
Skin care serums are topical treatments that target specific skin concerns. They are usually applied after cleansing and/or exfoliating, but before facial oils or moisturizers, for the best results. Facial oils and moisturizers can create a protective barrier that prevents serums from absorbing into your skin surface, which is why serums should go on first. You can apply one serum or layer different serums on top of one another to treat different concerns.
How do I layer serums?
Apply your serums from lightest texture to heaviest texture. If you are unsure whether it is okay to layer your serums, ask a Dermalogica skin therapist.
