Achieving a healthy glow is the coveted skin goal of many beauty enthusiasts. Adding a brightening serum to your regimen is one of the best things you can do for your complexion. Brightening serums help even skin tone and bring life back into dull complexions, whether from blemishes or sun-related dark spots. Aside from being a skincare staple, it’s also an excellent way to protect against signs of aging, thanks to a handful of key ingredients.

Serums are the grand finale of your skincare routine. They should be applied before other products, like moisturizers, to ensure all ingredients are absorbed. The best brightening serums are formulated with ingredients to target multiple skin issues.

When choosing a face serum, read the label and consider your skin type. It is also essential to run patch tests and seek recommendations from trusted sources.

Oily Skin

A serum is a lightweight formula penetrating the skin more efficiently than other skincare products. They’re ideal for addressing many skincare concerns, including fine lines and wrinkles, dark spots, and acne. Serums can help reduce pigmentation and boost collagen for a brighter complexion due to their high concentration of active ingredients.

If you have oily skin, it’s essential to choose a serum that won’t clog your pores or leave a greasy residue. Look for a light texture, and consider ingredients like vitamin C to promote brightness, salicylic acid to kill acne-causing bacteria, and hyaluronic acid to add moisture without adding extra oil.

Dry Skin

For dry skin, a brightening serum can visibly reduce dullness and discoloration for a more even complexion. Many of these products also feature ingredients that lighten uneven skin tone to help correct dark spots and freckles caused by sun damage, hormones, blemishes, or scarring. They’re typically gentle enough for daily use. However, following your face serum with broad-spectrum sunscreen in the morning and a retinol anti-wrinkle complex in the evening is recommended.

Unlike traditional bleach-like ingredients, most brightening serums do not contain hydroquinone (although a few do). Instead, they target dark spots and uneven skin tones with other, more natural components such as vitamin C, alpha hydroxy acids, and licorice extract. These ingredients can be used alone or combined to address your concerns.

In addition to brightening ingredients, some formulas are designed to exfoliate and hydrate the skin. This tip can help your brightening serum work better: well-hydrated skin reflects light better than dull, dehydrated skin.

An excellent example is a serum that combines brightening and exfoliating ingredients for an all-in-one treatment. The oil-free formula delivers hydration with jojoba oil, plant extracts, and aloe vera, while the vitamin C complex, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid fade dark spots and discoloration. The formula is also free from parabens, sulfates, and phthalates.

Normal Skin

The skin brightening serum you choose for your typical skin type should reduce the appearance of mild discoloration and even out skin tone without exfoliating too heavily. Sensitive skin should not be irritated by any of its ingredients.

Look for serums with naturally brightening ingredients that can help minimize the look of dark spots and uneven skin tones, like bearberry and licorice extracts and a natural form of kojic acid. Look for a formula with hydrating ingredients like glycerin to ensure your skin isn’t drying out while you try to correct uneven color.

Some brightening serums work by directly inhibiting the synthesis of melanin pigment in dark spots, while others help to minimize the appearance of sun damage. Many also work to increase cell turnover rate so that your skin is replacing dead cells more frequently, which can help diminish the appearance of dullness and discoloration over time.

If you have normal skin, consider a serum with niacinamide (to help combat discoloration) and retinol (to smooth fine lines and wrinkles). Niacinamide can also help improve skin’s overall texture by reducing redness and irritation caused by environmental stressors. Retinol can stimulate collagen production and promote healthy-looking skin.

Sensitive Skin

If you have sensitive skin, look for brightening serums free of harsh chemicals and fragrances. Also, look for ingredients that hydrate and soothe the skin, such as rose water, aloe vera, and squalene. A good face serum for sensitive skin will also have skin-strengthening ingredients, such as beta-glucan, lipids, and peptides.

Serums that reduce blemishes and redness are also excellent for sensitive skin. They work by unclogging pores and shedding dead skin cells to prevent clogging. Look for ingredients like niacinamide and azelaic acid, which help reduce acne breakouts. You can find products with anti-inflammatory properties, perfect for sensitive skin.

Look for serums that contain antioxidant-rich ingredients, such as vitamin C and kojic acid. These help to prevent dark spots and discoloration by blocking specific steps in the production of melanin, the pigments that give skin color.

Some skin-brightening serum features niacinamide, kojic acid, and vitamin E to fade the appearance of dark spots and discoloration.