The best face serums for every skin concern.

You already use a moisturiser twice daily, but how does a serum further benefit your skin? While a moisturiser hydrates dry, dehydrated skin, serums offer targeted solutions for specific concern. A serum might be formulated to address age-related concerns, like wrinkles and fine lines. Or it could brighten dark circles if it's a serum with vitamin C.

Serums typically offer a higher concentration of active ingredients compared to creams, providing more intensive skincare benefits. "Both can be used though, and it is a matter of how you use them and using them in the right order," explains board-certified dermatologist Dr. Nkem Ugonabo M.D., M.P.H.

To understand the benefits of face serums, it's essential to understand their application, as explained by dermatologist Dr. Roberta Del Campo, M.D. “I like that serums can absorb very quickly and can be spread very easily on the skin," she says. “I'm a big serum fan, and these will often have more potent ingredients while a moisturiser can provide an added layer of hydration."

Using a serum and a moisturiser that contain complementary ingredients is like a one-two punch on a skin issue: you'll see results faster. Together, they're the ideal support group to help you achieve great-looking skin.

Now that you know the answer to 'what is a face serum,' you may be wondering, 'which do I apply first, serum or moisturiser?' Follow this skincare rule of thumb: go from thinnest to thickest. Serum first, moisturiser second. And always start with clean skin.

Sometimes people will layer products on in the wrong order, which can affect the absorption of the products, advises Dr. Ugonabo. Serums are going to be more effective and potent, but are thinner and should be used first, then layered with a cream afterward. This is how to apply serum:

Apply a few dabs of your serum to clean skin and use your fingertips to dab the serum all over your face. Remember, a little goes a long way.

Wait one minute for the serum to settle into your pores before applying moisturising cream.

In the morning, follow up your serum with a daytime moisturiser and SPF. In the evening, follow with a night cream and eye cream with more skin-loving ingredients.

When choosing a serum, it's important to consider what specific skin concern you'd like to address. Every Clinique serum is uniquely formulated to target specific concerns, and it's important to select one that aligns with your needs to ensure you're getting the full benefits. But what does a serum do for your face? They're designed for a variety of benefits, for example, to provide intensive nourishment, address specific concerns like ageing and dehydration, and to enhance your skin's healthy appearance. Here are some of our best serums for a variety of common skin concerns:

When thinking about anti-ageing treatments, “you need to consider not just your skin type, but also how sensitive your skin is and what the skin can tolerate," explains Dr. Ugonabo. “Everyone is going to vary, so this needs to be considered when choosing a treatment option."

Smart Clinical Repair™ Wrinkle Correcting Serum is Clinique's most advanced anti-ageing serum with 9.5% peptides and 1% retinoid. It helps to reduce the look of wrinkles while firming, smoothing and boosting radiance. 84% say deeper wrinkles look reduced.* That's one of the reasons why we think it's our best retinol serum.

“One of the things that really impressed me about Smart Clinical Repair™ Wrinkle Correcting Serum when looking at the data and clinical photos was that it showed people having improvement in their fine lines and wrinkles," Dr. Ugonabo says.

With key ingredients like 1% advanced retinoid, 9.5% peptides and hyaluronic acid, this triple-threat dermatologist-developed formula visibly repairs, resurfaces and replumps the look of skin.

This innovative, gentle formulation makes it a great retinol serum for beginners or or those with sensitive skin. "I've found that I can use Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum twice a day, even with my sensitive skin," explains Dr. Del Campo, who had avoided retinoids for a long time because they'd irritate her skin.

Excitingly, we've also just launched a gentle retinoid eye serum, All About Eyes™ Brightening Serum Concentrate. Formulated with potent retinoid and brightening vitamin C, it hydrates and brightens the appearance of the undereye area for smoother skin and more wide-awake-looking eyes.

Sometimes your skin just needs extra moisture. Whether you have dry skin, very dry skin or dry combination skin, a potent face serum, especially one with hyaluronic acid, can go a long way to help lock in moisture.

Our Moisture Surge™ Hydrating Supercharged Concentrate is our best hyrating serum with antioxidants. Skin stays hydrated for 72 hours while strengthening and repairing the skin's moisture barrier, replenishing hydration and helping protect skin from environmental stressors.

Liquid-Sphere^TM Technology combines water-binding ingredients with encapsulated antioxidants, while hyaluronic acid and activated aloe water plump skin with moisture.

Remember, hyaluronic acid helps improve dull, dehydrated skin by plumping it up, which also minimizes the appearance of wrinkles and fine, dry lines. It floods your skin with hydration and helps strengthen your skin's natural moisture barrier. Replenishing your skin's reservoir helps maintain a plump, dewy and healthy complexion.

You can apply this face serum in the morning and evening after cleansing skin.

Dark spots and patches are due to the skin producing extra melanin and are often referred to as hyperpigmentation.

Our solution for reducing the look of dark spots? Our best vitamin C serum, of course. When you apply a serum like Even Better Clinical™ Radical Dark Spot Corrector + Interrupter, the ingredients – vitamin C, yeast extract, salicylic acid and Clinique's proprietary brightening molecule UP302 – help reduce the look of dark spots, while soothing gyokuro green tea extract helps quell visible irritation.

Our best vitamin C serum also includes salicylic acid and glucosamine. "Salicylic acid is wonderful for promoting exfoliation," says Dr. Orentreich, M.D. Looking for a vitamin C eye serum? Our new All About Eyes™ Brightening Serum Concentrate also contains vitamin C to help brighten the look of under-eye circles.

Look for a salicylic acid serum to help get breakouts and blackheads under control. The Anti-Blemish Solutions Blemish + Line Correcting Serum visibly improves lines while fighting blemishes and breakouts. For those of us who are tackling breakouts and wrinkles at the same time, the powerful ingredients in this serum help skin look clearer, smoother and appear more youthful.

Ingredients like salicylic acid help to slough away dirt and oil to reduce breakouts. It's a crucial component of any blemish-prone skincare routine.

The powerful formula, with acetyl glucosamine, whey protein and clary sage extract helps to clear pore-clogging dead skin cells, while visibly smoothing and re-plumping skin.

Ready to build a skincare routine that you can stick to for the long haul?

“Sometimes less is more," says Dr. Del Campo. “If you have the right products and the right ingredients with two to three products, that's all you need. In the morning, think about the preventative side and in the evening, think about the corrective side."

When you're looking to achieve results with your skincare routine, remember the two C's. “Compliance and consistency are key," says Dr. Ugonabo. “You can have the right products but, without using them consistently, you will not achieve the same results." Our experts are here to help guide you to your best-looking skin yet. Stop by your nearest counter or book a virtual 1:1 consultation to start your great skin journey with Clinique.