5 best anti-ageing serums 2024 UK; tried and tested
ADDING an anti-ageing serum to your skincare regimen is a great idea whether you’re in your 20s and are looking to prevent wrinkles, or in your 50s with lines staring back at you every time you look in the mirror.
The best anti-ageing serums combine active ingredients to rejuvenate and nourish your skin, as well as moisturisers to keep it hydrated and supple, in a form that’s simple to apply and easily absorbed.
Choose your anti-ageing serum carefully. If your skin is sensitive, you have acne, suffer from flaky patches or breakouts then take that into account before buying. You don’t have to spend a fortune either; there are serums to suit all budgets, from the inexpensive to the eye-wateringly costly.
Selecting an anti-ageing serum can be a bit of a nightmare if you’ve not used one before, so we’ve tested a few to help you. Read on to find out what our reviewers thought.
How we tested
Our reviewers ranged in age from their 20s to their 50s, with different skin types and needs. They tested each serum over at least a week, often longer, so they could more accurately see any changes in their skin.
Serums were applied according to the instructions for the individual product (so morning, night or both), after cleansing and toning, but before moisturising.
Best anti-ageing serums at a glance:
- Best overall anti-ageing serum: Tula 24-7 Ultra Hydration Triple-Hydra Complex Day & Night Serum
- Best anti-ageing serum for 30s: Kiehls Ultra Pure High-Potency Serum
- Best anti-ageing serum for 40s: Kiehl’s Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum
- Best luxury serum: SkinCeuticals Silymarin CF Vitamin C Salicylic Acid Antioxidant Serum
Kiehls Ultra Pure High-Potency Serum 1.5%
- Kiehls Ultra Pure High-Potency Serum 1.5%, £30 from Kiehls – buy here
Pros: Skin felt soft and moisturised, kind to sensitive skin, only need a small amount, absorbs quickly leaving no residue, fragrance-free, visible difference to fine lines around the eyes and mouth
Cons: There wasn’t a noticeable effect on deeper forehead lines
Rating: 4/5
I tested this moisture-plumping serum on sensitive skin, prone to rosacea and eczema.
It contains just seven ingredients, including 1.5% hyaluronic acid, which was well tolerated. I liked the fact it’s fragrance-free and contains no colouring, which are potential triggers for sensitive skin.
Results were visible from day two, with skin appearing brighter and softer. The serum absorbed quickly, with no residue, so it had no effect on make-up applied afterwards.
After 10 days skin felt more hydrated and less irritated. Flare-ups lessened and fine lines around the mouth and eyes looked less prominent. The serum didn’t seem to have much of an effect on forehead lines, but these were deeper and more established.
Read our full Kiehls Ultra Pure High-Potency Serum review.
Review by Joanna Carrigan
SkinCeuticals Silymarin CF Vitamin C Salicylic Acid Antioxidant Serum
- SkinCeuticals Silymarin CF Vitamin C Salicylic Acid Antioxidant Serum, £165 from LookFantastic – buy here
Pros: Reduces oil production and breakouts, lightweight and non-greasy, non-drying, feels great on the skin
Cons: Very expensive, not for all skin types
Rating: 5/5
This serum contains 15% L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) with antioxidant ferulic acid and salicylic acid. It’s designed for blemish-prone or oily skin, reducing sebum and helping get rid of spots and blackheads.
I found the formula was potent but happily it didn’t dry out my skin; it’s lightweight, fragrance-free and feels great when I apply it, I could tell it was having beneficial effects.
If I could afford to use this serum every day I would do so.
Read our full review on the best vitamin C serums.
Review by Laura Mulley
READ MORE:
- Best beauty boxes
- Best vitamin C serums
- Best non-comedogenic sunscreens
- Best primers
- Kiehl’s ultra facial cream review
Lumin Men’s Skincare
- Lumin Men’s Skincare, the bundle reviewed – including the Wrinkle Defence Serum – cost £84 but you can get a free trial of their personalised skincare here
Pros: Skin feels brighter and more even after use, each product is light and non-greasy, no strong scents, just good quality product
Cons: Expensive, confusing website layout
Rating: 4.5/5
Lumin specialises in men’s skin, body and hair care. It offers a complete range of skincare products that includes face wash, scrub, serum, moisturiser, anti-redness cream, face mask and dark circle balm, available to buy individually or in bundles.
I tested the Badass Bundle, consisting of Wrinkle Defense Serum, Charcoal Face Wash, Charcoal Scrub, Dark Circle Defense Balm and Daily Face Moisturizer.
All products were great to use: they’re light and non-greasy, contain skincare actives such as niacinamide, hyaluronic acid and vitamin C, as well as herb and spice extracts such as meadowfoam seed oil and ginger.
The Wrinkle Defense Serum is designed to target signs of premature ageing and has a gel-like consistency, which spreads easily. It contains hyaluronic acid for hydration, ferulic acid to fight wrinkles, fine lines and age spots, and vitamin C to protect skin from pollution and UV damage.
I used the serum in conjunction with the moisturiser and dark circle balm for a month and at the end of that time I noticed definite improvements – dark circles were less noticeable, skin redness decreased, breakouts were fewer and skin tone was more even. Overall, my complexion looked brighter and healthier.
Read our full Lumin review.
Review by Charlie Thomas
Tula 24-7 Ultra Hydration Triple-Hydra Complex Day & Night Serum
- Tula 24-7 Ultra Hydration Triple-Hydra Complex Day & Night Serum, £41 from Space NK – buy here
Pros: Instantly hydrating, layers well
Cons: Pricey
Rating: 5/5
This serum from Tula hydrates for up to 24 hours. It contains probiotic and prebiotic extracts to restore skin balance, as well as hyaluronic acid, squalane and polyglutamic acid for maximum hydration.
It has a runny texture, which meant it was easy to spread smoothly over my face and I found it absorbed quickly – in less than a minute.
I used it on dry skin that’s prone to redness and hormonal breakouts and was impressed with the result. My skin was less dry and this lasted throughout the day; where there were flaky patches, they were soothed and moisturised.
Practically speaking, the packaging locks by twisting it, so it doesn’t leak into your bag, and it worked well with other serums.
Overall I found this gave a great hydration boost and I’ll continue to use it as part of my skincare routine going forwards.
Read our full Tula Skincare review.
Review by Natalie Chui
Kiehl’s Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum
- Kiehl’s Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum, from £50 at Kiehl’s – buy here
Pros: smooths skin, skin looks more youthful, hydrating, anti-ageing
Cons: Best to use at night only
Rating: 4/5
If you’ve not used retinol before then it can seem a bit of a scary ingredient in skincare, however, it is a potent player and can really improve your complexion by evening out skin tone and texture, brightening and firming the skin, and reducing lines and wrinkles.
This product from Kiehl’s contains retinol alongside hydrating and moisturising ingredients such as ceramides and peptides and is suitable for all skin types, including sensitive ones.
Although the serum was yellow when first pumped from the bottle, I found it became clear once massaged into my skin, leaving it glistening.
Retinol promotes cell turnover and encourages collagen production, so it’s a great addition to an anti-ageing skincare regimen.
I found it best to use this serum before bed so it could work overnight. Generally speaking, retinol products should be used at night, rather than in the morning as they make skin more sensitive to the sun.
Read our full Kiehl’s review.
Review by Olivia Perl
Where to buy anti-ageing serums in the UK
Anti-ageing serums have become so popular in recent years that they’re now a part of many people’s skincare routines and are widely available. Check out the skincare counters of department store beauty sections, as well as large branches of pharmacies, such as Boots or Superdrug, and specialist beauty retailers.
Online, you’ll find the biggest choice at large beauty retailers such as Look Fantastic and Sephora, while Amazon is always worth checking, especially because it often has special offers on products.
We found the anti-ageing serums tested by our reviewers at:
How much do anti-ageing serums cost?
Anti-ageing serums vary in price, from just a few pounds up to over £100. Cost depends on the active ingredients as well as the brand, with designer names costing more than a generic product from the pharmacy.
The anti-ageing serums reviewed in our feature cost from £30 and went up to £165 for the most expensive product tested. The average seems to be between £25 and £50.