8 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:
- Best anti-ageing serum for 30s:
- Best anti-ageing serum for mature skin:
- Best budget anti-ageing serum:
- Best luxury serum:
Boots No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Serum
- Boots No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Serum, £22.45 from Boots –
Pros: Glides onto your skin, leaves skin feeling soft, non-sticky
Cons: It feels like it sits on your skin, rather than sinking into it, caused minor breakouts for me
Rating: 4/5
No 7 Protect & Perfect has many fans, myself among them and while I’ve used the day and night moisturisers in the past, I’ve not tried the serum until now.
The first thing I noticed was the texture – it’s very soft but feels a little plasticky, which has to be down to silicone being one of the biggest ingredients. That’s not a bad thing, lots of skincare products contain silicone in one form or another, but it can cause breakouts in some people.
I found that after using the serum for a while I had lots of tiny bumps or milia along my cheek bones and while I don’t know for sure if this is down to the silicone content, I suspect it is.
Protect & Perfect promises to re-energise your skin, boosting glow and smoothing texture. It contains vitamins A, C and E, as well as hyaluronic acid, matrixyl and antioxidants, all of which make for a nourishing skincare cocktail.
On the plus side, I was happy to see the fine lines around my mouth looked less noticeable, as did the lines on my brow, though my skin didn’t particularly look any brighter.
Size: 30ml bottle, Hero ingredients: Matrixyl 3000 Plus, pro-retinol, hyaluronic acid, Cruelty-free: Yes, Vegan: Yes
Review by Lisa Burn
Kiehls Ultra Pure High-Potency Serum 1.5%
- Kiehls Ultra Pure High-Potency Serum 1.5%, £30 from Kiehls -
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.
Size: 30ml bottle, Hero ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, Cruelty-free: No, Vegan: Unknown
Review by Joanna Carrigan
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Kiehl's Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum
- Kiehl's Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum, from £50 at Kiehl's -
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.
Size: 30ml bottle, Hero ingredients: Retinol, ceramides and peptide Cruelty-free: No, Vegan: Unknown
Review by Olivia Perl
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
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.
Size: 15ml bottle, Hero ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, vitamin C and ferulic acid Cruelty-free: Yes, Vegan: Unknown
Review by Charlie Thomas
SkinCeuticals Silymarin CF Vitamin C Salicylic Acid Antioxidant Serum
- SkinCeuticals Silymarin CF Vitamin C Salicylic Acid Antioxidant Serum, £165 from LookFantastic –
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.
Size: 30ml bottle, Hero ingredients: Salicylic acid, milk thistle, ferulic acid and vitamin C, Cruelty-free: No, Vegan: Unknown
Review by Laura Mulley
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 -
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.
Size: 30ml, Hero ingredients: Hyaluronic acid (hydrates), polyglutamic acid (plumps), squalane (nourishes and softens), Cruelty-free: Yes, Vegan: No
Review by Natalie Chui
Evolve Organic Beauty Age Defying Lifting Serum
- Evolve Organic Beauty Age Defying Lifting Serum, £54 from Evolve Organic Beauty –
Pros: Rich texture, absorbed quickly, spread easily, didn’t need much each time
Cons: left a slightly tacky feel for a minute or so
Rating: 4.5/5
This anti-ageing serum promises to firm, lift and plump, which are all things my skin could do with more of. It includes peptides, such as argireline and marine ingredients that boost collagen production and have a lifting effect (antarcticine and sirtalice).
I applied this morning and night, after cleansing but before moisturising. While I didn’t notice any lifting, I did think the lines on my neck looked less deep and the lines around my mouth were also fainter.
The texture is creamy but the serum sinks in quickly, though it does leave a slightly sticky feel for a minute or so. That wasn’t a problem for me, I was happy to wait for the tackiness to go before applying moisturiser – what’s 60 seconds in the great scheme of things.
I enjoyed using this and loved the pump-action delivery as it’s easier to gauge how much product is dispensed, whereas with the more usual pipette delivery I think there’s more wastage.
You only need a couple of pumps to cover your face and neck as the serum spreads easily, so the bottle should last a while, which is a good thing as it’s rather expensive.
Size: 30ml bottle, Hero ingredients: Reunion Island Marine Active (sirtalice), antarcticine and argireline, Cruelty-free: Yes, Vegan: Yes
Review by Lisa Burn
Trinny London Overnight Clarity
- Trinny London Overnight Clarity, £75 from Trinny London –
Pros: My skin looked brighter the next morning
Cons: Slight tingling a couple of time I used it, no difference to facial lines, no noticeable difference to pigmentation, can stain, price
Rating: 3.5/5
Overnight Clarity is an evening treatment that works its magic while you sleep and though it’s expensive, Trinny London says you just need one pump of the product to cover your face, so it should last a while.
I started off as per the instructions using the serum twice a week – the first time I experienced slight tingling but other than that, the only other time I experienced this was when I applied the product just after taking a shower.
From first use I noticed my skin looked brighter, but I couldn’t put my finger on what exactly had changed. I increased the number of days I used the product until I was using it nightly, but while my skin continued to look brighter, I saw no difference to pigmentation (I have freckles) or lines, fine or otherwise.
The serum is bright yellow so you need to wait until it’s fully absorbed before going to bed otherwise you could end up with stained pillows. It absorbs pretty quickly though.
Overall, I was a little disappointed, I had high hopes for this serum but sadly it didn’t really live up to them. It was okay, but it’s not something I’ll continue to use.
Size: 30ml, Hero ingredients: retinal (which converts into high strength vitamin A), niacinamide (boosts hydration, repairs and supports collagen production), azelaic acid (for hyperpigmentation and inflammation), Cruelty-free: Yes, Vegan: Yes
Review by Lisa Burn
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.