Find the Very Best Serum for Your Skin Concern
September 2 | 4 minute read
Words by The MECCA Memo
Cleansers purify, moisturisers hydrate and serums, well they’re the real game-changers.
Serums are the miracle workers of your routine, powered by tiny (yet mighty) molecules that deliver potent actives deep into the skin where new cells, collagen and elastin are made. This means they don’t just treat the surface, they transform it.
When it comes to choosing a serum (or serums), one size most certainly does not fit all. Instead, the trick is to identify your most pressing skin concern and choose one or two serums accordingly. Whatever your skin needs, from combatting dehydration and soothing sensitivity to helping banish breakouts, there’s a serum designed to help.
So, before you start googling ‘best facial serum’, here’s our pick of the serums that guarantee results, according to your skin concern.
Best serum for ageing and fine lines
Augustinus Bader The Elixir
Three decades of stem cell and regenerative medicine research have led to this: The Elixir, Professor Augustinus Bader’s most advanced serum yet. Powered by a more potent version of his patented TFC8®, which delivers vitamins, lipids and peptides with pinpoint precision, it calls on a lineup of actives to transform skin from the inside out. There’s the Exclusive Phyto-Peptidic Concentrate, replacing water with phyto-peptides and antioxidants to fast-track the support of cellular turnover. Biomimetic elastin and collagen amino acids complex mimic and stimulate your skin’s own elastin and collagen for long-term firmness and bounce. Marine algae activator is instantly smoothing for radiance. Antioxidant-rich upcycled olive extract delivers illuminating benefits while reducing redness. And a ceramide complex locks in hydration. It’s a true game-changer for mature skin, with smoothing, firming and brightening results so good, you’ll never (ever!) skip a day.
Best serum for breakouts
Kiehl's Truly Targeted Blemish Solution
Backed by Kiehl’s’ 170 plus years of skincare know-how, this is a smart, gentle solution for those unpredictable breakouts – including adult acne and spots that show up uninvited at the worst possible time. With 2% salicylic acid and a blend of niacinamide and licorice root, it goes to work on individual blemishes fast, visibly reducing redness and any swelling without disrupting your skin barrier. The precise metal applicator makes it easy to target where you need it, so there’s less chance of over-drying.
Best serum for pigmentation
Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum
Pigmentation, discolouration and dullness can be stubborn, but if you want results without an in-clinic treatment, we’d recommend adding the Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum to your routine. Heralded as a ‘luminosity liquid’ that reduces and prevents the appearance of pigmentation, it combines 3% tranexamic acid and 2% alpha-arbutin – two clinical grade ingredients dermatologists swear by to visibly fade dark spots, melasma and post-acne fade marks. With 5% niacinamide and a calming fermented mushroom complex, it also brightens without irritation, strengthens the skin barrier and helps to prevent discolouration in the future.
Allies of Skin is founded by Nicolas Travis, a biomedical and pharmaceutical science grad obsessed with skincare efficacy (after suffering from severe acne as a teenager), and this is a shining example of his next-generation formulations.
Best serum for dehydration
Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops™
You can’t argue with millions of TikTok users and their obsession with the kind of incandescent glow delivered by Glow Recipe’s Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops™. Niacinamide is the hero ingredient, working to support the skin barrier and lock in moisture, but there’s other good-for-skin ingredients in there too – like watermelon extract (packed with vitamins and amino acids for a brightening boost) and hyaluronic acid (which works like a moisture magnet, binding water to the skin). Blending K-beauty innovation with clinically effective ingredients, the internet is so obsessed because it delivers that bouncy, glazed finish everyone’s always chasing in one step and without being greasy or tacky. Did we mention it sits beautifully under or over makeup for added glow?
Best serum for sensitised skin
Cosmetics 27 Recovery 27
If your skin is feeling irritated or extra sensitive lately, you could try apologising and sending it some flowers. Or, add Cosmetics 27 Recovery 27 to your beauty first aid kit. Whether it’s from dryness, over-exfoliation or environmental stressors (wind, cold, sun exposure), this cutting-edge formula is like a reset button for your skin. Trusted by dermatologists and beauty experts, it leans on anti-inflammatory ingredients like Centella asiatica, along with prebiotics, hyaluronic acid and plant-based actives to restore moisture, strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness. It’s the kind of serum that leaves your skin feeling relaxed and coddled upon application. Who doesn’t want that?!
