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10 best anti-ageing serums that target wrinkles, dark spots and dullness

These products will be the superheroes of your skincare routine

Jane Druker
Beauty journalist
Tuesday 22 October 2024 20:08 BST
A little of these concentrates goes a long way – a pea sized amount is enough to reap the benefits
A little of these concentrates goes a long way – a pea sized amount is enough to reap the benefits (Jane Druker/iStock/The Independent)
Our Top Picks

Once upon a simple time, we cleansed, toned and moisturised. Today there is a new step to add to that skin-enhancing list: anti-ageing serums. Specialist, potent treatments that aim to repair, turn back the clock and erase crow’s feet, wrinkles, dryness and melasma (pigmentation from sun damage), they contain a concentrated amount of high-performing active ingredients. They come in small bottles and have a light-as-a-feather consistency unlike heavy-duty moisturisers: think oils and clear gels.

Most of the serums chosen below contain a cocktail of acids, vitamins, omega oils and collagen peptides. Vitamin C in particular can reduce pigmentation, while peptides are strings of molecules called amino acids, which are the "building blocks" of healthy skin. Hyaluronic acid is also a major component of skin, involved in repairing tissue, and omega oils are naturally occurring and hydrate skin. These have been shown to help reverse the effects of ageing, benefiting and plumping the surface, making wrinkles appear diminished and smoothing the skin with their exfoliating, softening powers. 

Use a pea-sized amount as they are concentrates, so you don’t need to slather them on, and a little goes a long way. Think of them more like elixirs that are targeted wrinkle-smoothers. In terms of bang for your buck (and they are not all cheap), my selection ranged from the reasonable end of the market at just £12 (that’s three matcha lattes and guaranteed to last longer) up to almost £150, but they are all of superior quality which has been professionally tried and tested, guaranteed!

How I tested

We assessed each serum over a three-week period
We assessed each serum over a three-week period (Jane Druker)

I tested each of these ten products for at least three weeks. Some daily in the morning and evening, others twice weekly – both of which are recommended by the beauty glitterati. Some of them are historical favourites of mine and others are brand new. But, as they have high potency ingredients, and especially if you have sensitive skin, build up to using twice daily over a few weeks and target specific areas instead – lines, crow’s feet, wrinkles and dry spots or melasma to see a positive, swift difference.

The best anti-ageing serums for 2024 are:

  • Best overall – Skinceuticals P-Tiox wrinkle-modulating peptide serum: £10.80, Amazon.co.uk
  • Best budget serum – Cetaphil healthy radiance brightening serum: £30, Boots.com
  • Best for 50+ skin – Skinceuticals P-Tiox wrinkle-modulating peptide serum: £130, Lookfantastic.com
  • Best make-up artist favourite – Estee Lauder advanced night repair multi recovery serum: £71.20, Boots.com

Q&A collagen booster serum

Best anti ageing serum IndyBest review Q&A collagen booster serum
  • Best: Overall
  • Size : 15ml
  • Key ingredients : Collagen derived from seaweed, honey locust seed and algae extracts
  • Why we love it
    • Affordable
  • Take note
    • Very light in texture
    • More mature skin may need something more intensely moisturising

This comes at an entry-level price and will make a really brilliant addition to a skincare routine, whatever your age. You can use this concentrated serum daily, mixed in with your moisturiser, or on its own twice weekly for a highly effective result.

The formula combines the benefits of plant-derived collagen with honey locust seed extract and algae extracts, to smooth the skin and the collagen helps to support hydration. But it is worth noting that the formula is very lightweight, so if you have more mature skin, you may need something more moisturising. That said, it works wonders and it’s a real steal.

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Cetaphil healthy radiance brightening serum

Best anti ageing serum IndyBest review Cetaphil healthy radiance brightening serum
  • Best: For dark spots
  • Size : 30ml
  • Key ingredients : Niacinamid, sea daffodil, antioxidant C
  • Why we love it
    • Light texture is a treat to apply
    • Remarkably reasonable price
  • Take note
    • The bottle is small so a repeat purchase will be necessary after a few weeks.

At a modest price point, this active-ingredient-infused serum is great for sensitive skin that displays dryness, tightness or irritation, it’s also fragrance-free and doesn’t clog pores. Its purpose is to diminish those pesky dark spots that amass with age – I always come back from holiday with freckly patches, especially on my forehead, and this really helps to quickly fade them.

I’ve also found that it leaves me with a brighter, more glowy complexion almost immediately, which is a winner in my book. Light in texture, it includes the power punch of niacinamide (vitamin B3) – which is known for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and skin barrier-strengthening properties – sea daffodil (which works to even skin tone) and antioxidant C to instantly diminish signs of dullness and fatigue.

I applied a one-pence size amount evenly all over my cleansed face morning and night, and I looked markedly more rested, hydrated and glowing after use.

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Skinceuticals P-Tiox wrinkle-modulating peptide serum

Best anti ageing serum IndyBest review Skinceuticals P-Tiox wrinkle-modulating peptide serum
  • Best: For 50+ skin
  • Size : 30ml
  • Key ingredients : Niacinamide, advanced peptide complex, 5% PHA
  • Why we love it
    • Potent
    • Quickly evens out skin tone
    • Small bottle actually lasts up to six weeks
  • Take note
    • Expensive

Known as “Botox in a bottle”, this new P-Tiox serum is an advanced peptide-filled anti-wrinkle miracle proven to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and crow’s feet. The clear fluid comes in a pipette and I used it to target lines around my mouth, nose and eyes, known as ‘contraction’ lines as these are the most common expression lines we all get as we age. I saw an immediate plumping effect in my general appearance and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it, particularly for 50+ skin thanks to its ultra-hydrating, softening properties.

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Skin Rocks retinoid 1 vitamin A face serum

Best anti ageing serums IndyBest review Skin Rocks retinoid 1 vitamin A face serum
  • Best: For beginners
  • Size : 30ml
  • Key ingredients : HPR retinoid, bakuchiol and soybean extract, squalane and vitamin E
  • Why we love it
    • Great for beginners as it prepares the skin for retinols

For a gentle introduction to retinoids, I’d recommend this face serum from Skin Rocks by skincare expert Caroline Hirons. It’s been formulated with a gentle strength and it works to minimise the look of fine lines and wrinkles, and it helps to leave the skin with a more even-looking tone. Designed for use in the evenings, I’d recommend allowing it to absorb fully before following with your usual moisturiser. Gentle, effective and suitable for sensitive skin, this is an excellent entry-level serum for superior moisturisation.

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Origins plantscription multi-powered youth serum

Best anti ageing serums IndyBest review Origins plantscription multi-powered youth serum
  • Best: For the neck
  • Size : 50ml
  • Key ingredients : Peptides, niacinamide
  • Why we love it
    • A little goes a long way
    • Smells heavenly
    • Silky and lightweight, so a great introduction to layering serums
  • Take note
    • Quite a steep price for a small bottle

This vegan serum smells of oranges and has an airy texture. The potent formula contains peptides and niacinamide and it promises an anti-ageing, rejuvenating effect so you see fewer visible lines and pores. This formula helps skin boost its naturally occurring collagen and relax the appearance of expression lines, while the addition of anogeissus helps support the skin’s youthful bounce.

When testing, I applied this liberally over my face, neck, and décolleté, and it really helps the appearance of lines and wrinkles on that notoriously hard-to-treat area.

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Sarah Chapman overnight facial

Best anti ageing serum IndyBest review Sarah Chapman overnight facial
  • Best: For overnight radiance
  • Size : 5ml, 15ml
  • Key ingredients : Vitamins, peptides and omega oils
  • Why we love it
    • Start to see a real difference in fine lines in just a few days

This has five stars because Sarah Chapman is renowned for her uplifting, firming facials and this smooth cocktail of vitamins, peptides and omega oils is (almost) as good as coming out of one of her facials appearing radiant and relaxed.

It is designed to improve skin texture as you sleep and it reduced my freckly forehead visibly, so it’s a big yes from me. It has an oil consistency, which is lovely overnight, but not so useful under make-up, however, so I’d not recommend using it in the morning.

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Medik8 advanced liquid peptides

Best anti ageing serums IndyBest review Medik8 advanced liquid peptides.
  • Best: Daily serum with SPF
  • Size : 30ml
  • Key ingredients : Peptides, hyaluronic acid
  • Why we love it
    • Deeply hydrating
    • Ideal for post holiday dry skin
    • Contains SPF
  • Take note
    • Small bottle

Powered by three key ingredients: vitamin C, vitamin A and non-negotiable SPF, the brand’s signature skincare ranges are famed for the potent potions. Its powerful formula also calls on the hydrating hero that is hyaluronic acid which draws in and retains up to 1,000 times its weight in water. I found the daily serum to visibly smooth, plump and hydrate my complexion and it also worked to reduce the appearance of fine lines and deep-set wrinkles.

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Tatcha dewy serum

Best anti ageing serums IndyBest review Tatcha The dewy serum
  • Best: For exfoliation
  • Size : 30g
  • Key ingredients : Hadasei-3, hyaluronic acid, squalane
  • Why we love it
    • Effective at exfoliating
    • Quickly makes your complexion look smoother
    • Light texture goes a long way

This three-in-one skincare treatment is jam packed with skin-loving ingredients that help moisturise, plump and resurface the complexion. At the heart of the formula is a blend of twice-fermented akita rice, okinawa algae and uji green tea, which all merge to deliver high levels of gentle AHAs and lactic acid to help remove the dead skin cells that can dull our complexion. The addition of hyaluronic acid helps to make the skin appear fuller and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, while squalane locks in moisture. Add this creamy gel into a skincare routine to help restore a supple, radiant complexion.

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Emma Lewisham supernatural vitale face elixir

Best anti ageing serum IndyBest review Emma Lewisham supernatural vitale face elixir
  • Best: For glow and wrinkle reduction
  • Size : 30ml
  • Key ingredients: Neuropeptides, hyaluronic acid
  • Why we love it
    • Could be used solo rather than underneath your usual skincare
    • Replacing your moisturiser with this could be cost-effective
  • Take note
    • More of a moisturiser than a serum
    • Prohibitive price but if you replace your moisturiser with it you will be quids in in the long run

It’s fair to say this additional is an outlier in this round-up as the formula is more like a traditional cream and it comes in an environmentally-friendly refillable pouch. The unique dual-action release and fill system works to provide immediate and long-term wrinkle reduction. Neuropeptides help relax expression lines, while hyaluronic acid works to hydrate from within. Over time, collagen is stimulated as is elastin production, leaving the skin feeling firmer and smoother. This is now a non-negotiable part of my twice-weekly routine.

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Estee Lauder advanced night repair multi recovery serum

Best anti ageing serum IndyBest review Estee Lauder advanced night repair multi recovery serum
  • Best: Make-up artist favourite
  • Size : 50ml
  • Key ingredients : Hyaluronic acid
  • Why we love it
    • Sure fire hard-working skin transformer
  • Take note
    • A tad pricey

Estée Lauder’s place in the serum pyramid is unique because of the beneficial effects on ageing skin that has been tried and tested by everyone in the know. And this award-winning serum is a must-have in everyone’s arsenal for good reason. It maximises your night’s sleep so you wake with a radiant, even complexion.

The serum helps to visibly soften, smooth and plump the skin with its hyaluronic acid potent formula that helps to lock in moisture, so you wake up looking as refreshed as you would if you’re returning from a two-week vacation. A sure-fire winner.

  1.  £71 from Boots.com
Prices may vary
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Anti-ageing serum FAQs

What to look for in an anti-ageing serum

Retinol is widely considered by dermatologists as the best anti-ageing ingredient and can often be found in serums as it tackles fine lines and wrinkles. As it can cause irritation if used wrongly, it’s important that you introduce it gradually into your skincare routine, applying only in the evening two to three times a week.

Additionally, hyaluronic acid is a popular ingredient thanks to its plumping effect. One molecule can hold a thousand times its weight in water and it helps to attract and retain moisture for the skin.

Antioxidants are another great choice as they have multiple benefits, from protecting against free radicals to preventing environmental damage. Vitamin C is one of the most common, but niacinamide, vitamin E, ferulic acid and green tea are also hardworking ingredients that can improve the appearance of skin.

The verdict: Anti-ageing serums

In terms of efficacy, Estee Lauder and Skinceuticals’ offerings win hands down, but if you’re somebody on a tight budget Q&A is your go-to and if you are new to retinols Skin Rocks is a great place to start.  We were also super impressed with Cetaphil, not just because of the formula, but the price point is great for this type of formulation.

Give your skin an extra boost with one of these foundations for mature skin

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