How To Choose The Best Face Serum – On A Budget!

Chances are that, by now, you have your whole beauty skincare routine worked out -from toner to moisturizer, to make up remover, and so on! However, you still can't get over the fresh, brightening, and rejuvenating feeling that facial serum you tried last week at the store left you with. And that's because these light moisturizers can work wonders on the texture, look, and hydration of your skin. To top it all up, facial serums' high concentrations of active ingredients can target and improve the specific needs of your skin.

But, before we dive into the nuts and bolts of how to choose the best budget face serum for you, let's get the hang of what this 'gelly' beauty really is!

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What Is A Face Serum?

Lighter than a moisturizer but heavier than a toner, it's an ideal ally for people with dry skin, blemishes, fine lines, and wrinkles. In a few words, face serums are skincare products with a gel-like consistency whose small particles allow deeper absorption through the layers of the skin. A high concentration of active ingredients such as antioxidants, Hyaluronic acid, Retinol -and more- combined with a soft texture, make it a great option for boosting any skincare routine!

 

How To Apply Facial Serum?

Depending on the specific needs of your skin, you'd apply it either once or twice a day. Before bedtime, sparse just two or three drops between your toner and night cream. If you wear makeup during the day, then a teeny-tiny bit of face serum before you start getting ready will enhance the look of your skin and will help your makeup look smoother.

Apply the product on clean skin, with soft circular moves using just your fingertips -you can even tap very gently to reactivate circulation and help deeper absorption. Enjoy the fresh, soothing feeling of the face serum on your skin!

 

Choosing The Best Face Serum For Your Skin

First of all, identify your type of dermis and needs. Do you need an all-rounder to improve your skin's texture? Or wanna say 'ciao' to those dark spots, blemishes, open pores, or wrinkles on the rise?

Once you are clear on your skincare goals, it's time to find the perfect product for you. Here's a roundup of the best face serums on a budget sorted by type of issues!

 

Best Serums For Combination Skin

Facial serums can be quite the godsend for people dealing with both oily and dry skin! As serums are much lighter than traditional moisturizers, they'd never clog your pores. Also, as they're jam-packed with vitamins, peptides, and Hyaluronic acid -the holy grail of hydration- a good quality serum would never dry your skin.

 

Maio Badescu Anti-Acne Serum

Salicylic acid and thyme to prevent acne outbreaks and help balance and hydration. Oil-free.

Andalou Naturals Turmeric + C Enlighten Serum

Formulated with Vitamin C, Aloe Vera, and Turmeric. This serum not only hydrates and brightens up the skin but also targets the classic inflammation of acne outbreaks.

Eva Naturals Skin Clearing Serum

Combining retinol's cleansing effects with Salicylic Acid and a powerhouse of vitamins, essential oils, and organic ingredients, the Eva Naturals' serum is a great all-rounder for all types of skins!

 

Best Face Serum For Oily Skin

There are many serums on the market formulated for those dealing with oily skin and overactive sebaceous glands. In this case, disinfectant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory components must join the lines of sebum control and hydration. 

 

Odacité Pure Elements Gr + G

Grapeseed oil and grapefruit oil join forces in this 100 % natural facial serum. The goal? To improve the looks of clogged pores, minimize skin shine, and keep the skin disinfected -hence preventing more outbreaks!

Lixiskin Night Switch BHA/AHA

A power trio of acids to win the game! Lactic Acid to hydrate the skin, Salicylic Acid to fight bacteria, and Azelaic Acid for sebum control.

Innisfree The Green Tea Seed Serum

This lightweight, refreshing serum has been praised by people with oily skin as it maximizes the natural properties of organic green tea water and oil. Green Tea Seed is a natural soothing and antiseptic and is recommended to keep the skin moist during acne treatments.

 

Best Hydrating Serums For Dry Skin

If you feel like your skin is like a tree during autumn losing its leaves -but what's falling are dry skin flakes- then chances are, you need a top facial serum to moisturize and keep hydration within your skin! In this case, you should aim for face serums with Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Glycerin, retinoids, peptides, and botanical herbs like Chamomille.

 

TruSkin Vitamin C Serum

TruSkin's plant-based formula is free of synthetic color additives and fragrance, and boasts a combination of botanical Hyaluronic Acid, Aloe Vera, and Organic Jojoba oil to bring plumpness and brightness to your skin. 

OZNaturals Hyaluronic Acid Serum For Face

Deep hydration is what this serum promises! Packed with vitamins, Hyaluronic Acid, and botanical derivates like Rose Hip, this is also a great choice for sensitive skin.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum

Rise and shine with this oil-free formula is great for all types of skin. A product focused on the benefits of Hyaluronic Acid, this serum is said to help skin restore 3 times its moisture within 1 hour!

 

Best Serums For Dark Spots

Age and sun radiation -among other factors- can lead to dark spots, also known as hyperpigmentation. This happens when some areas of the skin produce more melanin than usual, resulting in unwanted patches of darkened skin on our faces and bodies. The good news is that there are face serums in the market designed to soften the appearance of skin pigmentation. The main ingredients used for this purpose are Vitamin C, Turmeric, Hydroquinone, and Retinol. However, it's important to understand that past a certain age, it's very likely to keep getting these, and it's recommended to treat them with the help of a dermatologist. 

 

Burt’s Bees Brightening Skin Perfecting Serum

Infused with Daisy extract -a botanical extract used specifically for brightening up the skin and reducing hyperpigmentation- the Burt's Bees serum is a great choice for those keen to try a natural approach to reducing dark spots.

Insta Natural Vitamin C Serum with Hyaluronic Acid & Vit E 

This powerful face serum keeps receiving praise from customers around the world! Its unique formula blends Ferulic Acid and Sea Buckthorn Oil. Both ingredients improve the skin's integrity and help the healing sunburns. All these, in combination with Hyaluronic Acid, will give your skin top results!

La Roche Posay Mela-D Pigment control Glycolic Acid Serum

A super-concentrated serum, containing Glycolic, Kojic and Lipo-Hydroxy Acids. These 3 ingredients help exfoliate the outer layers of skin, improve the tone of sun-damaged skin, and inhibits high levels of melanin production. Recommended to be used at night! 

 

Best Anti-Wrinkle Facial Serums

As you can guess, at this stage many different ingredients have been coming up over and over. And there's a good reason for this: they all help increase the overall health, texture, and radiance of your skin! The main difference is that they target different specific issues by promoting hydration, pore reduction, skin tone, etc. Now it's time to tackle fine lines and wrinkles! Serums are a very efficient way to deal with the signs of aging. They have a strong absorption power and function as a great complement to your beauty routine. Antioxidants, Hyaluronic Acid, Retinol, peptides, Collagen, and more are going to become your best wrinkle-fighting friends!

 

RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Facial Serum

This Retinol-based product is said to visibly reduce wrinkles within 8 to 12 weeks! It also helps with sun damage.

Olay Regenerist Face Serum With Collagen Peptide

This Collagen Amino-Peptide-charged facial serum penetrates deeper into the outer layers of skin to rejuvenate, regenerate and create a soft and voluminous feeling. 

Tree of Life - Antiaging Serum 3-Pack for Face

This combo trio is chocked with anti-wrinkle goodness! Moisturize, rejuvenate and keep your skin young and glowy with this set of serums. Use the Retinol Serum just before bedtime. Get a dose of Vitamin C in the morning, and sprinkle a bit of Hyaluronic Magic for ultimate hydration!

 

 

Are You Ready To Step Up Your Beauty Routine?

Now that you have all the tools for choosing the perfect face serum for your type of skin, age, and concern, it's time to get to it and start reaping the results. Achieving a visibly youthful and flawless skin it's not just about the looks, it's also a reflection of your overall health. Complement the use of a serum with your toner, moisturizer, and sunscreen for even better results -without breaking the bank!