As we age, our skincare routines are likely to change. Along with the best cleansers and moisturising day creams, the best anti-ageing serums could be worth a spot in your lineup. These targeted formulas are designed to tackle specific signs of ageing, delivering high concentrations of actives in fast-absorbing, weightless textures.
The best anti-ageing serums blend proven ingredients such as vitamin C for brightness, peptides to support skin structure, hyaluronic acid for bounce and repair, and nourishing omega oils to keep dryness at bay. Used sparingly (a pea-sized amount is plenty) these concentrates are designed to smooth fine lines, soften texture and help skin look firmer and more even over time.
Prices range from purse-friendly to premium, but high cost doesn’t always mean more noticeable results. Below, I’ve tested a bunch of anti-ageing serums to pin down the ones that are actually worth your time and money.
Read more: Best moisturisers for mature skin, tested by a beauty writer in her 50s
The best anti-ageing serums for 2026 are:
- Best overall – Q&A collagen booster serum: £12, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for dark spots – Cetaphil healthy radiance brightening serum: £30, Boots.com
- Best for 50+ skin – Skinceuticals P-Tiox wrinkle-modulating peptide serum: £135, Cultbeauty.co.uk
- Best makeup artist favourite – Estee Lauder advanced night repair multi recovery serum: £89, Boots.com
How I tested
I tested each of the reviewed products for at least three weeks. I used some daily in the morning and evening, others twice weekly – both of which are recommended by the beauty glitterati. Some formulas are historical favourites of mine and others are brand new. As they have high-potency ingredients, build up to using twice daily over a few weeks (especially if you have sensitive skin) and target specific areas – lines, crow’s feet, wrinkles and dry spots or melasma – to see a positive difference. You can read more about my testing process and criteria at the end of this article.
Read more: I’m a 57-year-old beauty editor and these are the best eye creams for mature skin
Q&A collagen booster serum
Best: Anti-ageing serum overall
Size: 15ml
Key ingredients: Collagen derived from seaweed, honey locust seed and algae extracts
Cruelty-free and vegan-friendly: Yes
Why we love it
- Great price
- Works to smooth skin and support hydration
Take note
- Very light in texture
- More mature skin may need something more intensely moisturising
This comes at an entry-level price and will make a really brilliant addition to a skincare routine, whatever your age. You can use this concentrated serum daily, mixed in with your moisturiser, or on its own twice weekly for a highly effective result.
The formula combines the benefits of plant-derived collagen with honey locust seed extract and algae extracts, to smooth the skin and the collagen helps to support hydration. But it is worth noting that the formula is very lightweight, so if you have more mature skin, you may need something more moisturising. That said, it works wonders and it’s a real steal.
Buy now £10.8, Amazon.co.uk
Cetaphil healthy radiance brightening serum
Best: Anti-ageing serum for dark spots
Size: 30ml
Key ingredients: Niacinamid, sea daffodil, antioxidant C
Cruelty-free and vegan-friendly: Disputed
Why we love it
- Light texture is a treat to apply
- Remarkably reasonable price
Take note
- The bottle is small so a repeat purchase will be necessary after a few weeks.
At a modest price point, this active-ingredient-infused serum is great for sensitive skin that displays dryness, tightness or irritation, it’s also fragrance-free and doesn’t clog pores. Its purpose is to diminish those pesky dark spots that amass with age – I always come back from holiday with freckly patches, especially on my forehead, and this really helps to quickly fade them.
I’ve also found it leaves me with a brighter, more glowy complexion almost immediately, which is a winner in my book. Light in texture, it includes the power punch of niacinamide (vitamin B3) – which is known for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and skin barrier-strengthening properties – sea daffodil (which works to even skin tone) and antioxidant C to instantly diminish signs of dullness and fatigue.
I applied a 1p coin-size amount evenly all over my cleansed face, morning and night, and I looked markedly more rested, hydrated and glowing after use.
Buy now £30, Boots.com
Skinceuticals P-Tiox wrinkle-modulating peptide serum
Best: Anti-ageing serum for 50+ skin
Size: 30ml
Key ingredients: Niacinamide, advanced peptide complex, 5% PHA
Cruelty-free and vegan-friendly: No
Why we love it
- Potent
- Quickly evens out skin tone
- Small bottle actually lasts up to six weeks
Take note
- Expensive
Known as “Botox in a bottle”, this serum is an advanced peptide-filled anti-wrinkle formula proven to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and crow’s feet. The clear fluid comes in a pipette and I used it to target lines around my mouth, nose and eyes, known as ‘contraction’ lines, as these are the most common expression lines we all get as we age. I saw an immediate plumping effect in my general appearance and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this product, particularly for 50+ skin, thanks to its ultra-hydrating, softening properties.
Buy now £135, Cultbeauty.co.uk
Skin Rocks retinoid 1 vitamin A face serum
Best: Anti-ageing serum for beginners
Size: 30ml
Key ingredients: HPR retinoid, bakuchiol and soybean extracts, squalane and vitamin E
Cruelty-free and vegan-friendly: Yes
Why we love it
- Great for beginners as it prepares the skin for retinols
- Helps minimise the look of fine lines and wrinkles
- Suitable for sensitive skin
Take note
- On the pricey side
For a gentle introduction to retinoids, I’d recommend this face serum from Skin Rocks by skincare expert Caroline Hirons. It’s been formulated with a gentle strength and it works to minimise the look of fine lines and wrinkles, and it helps to leave the skin with a more even-looking tone. Designed for use in the evenings, I’d recommend allowing it to absorb fully before following with your usual moisturiser. Gentle, effective and suitable for sensitive skin, this is an excellent entry-level serum for superior moisturisation.
Buy now £65, Spacenk.com
Origins plantscription multi-powered youth serum
Best: Anti-ageing serum for your neck
Size: 50ml
Key ingredients: Peptides, niacinamide
Cruelty-free and vegan-friendly: Yes
Why we love it
- A little goes a long way
- Smells heavenly
- Silky and lightweight, so a great introduction to layering serums
Take note
- Quite a steep price for a small bottle
This vegan-friendly serum smells of oranges and has an airy texture. The potent formula contains peptides and niacinamide, and promises an anti-ageing, rejuvenating effect, so you see fewer visible lines and pores. This formula helps skin boost its naturally occurring collagen and relax the appearance of expression lines, while the addition of anogeissus helps support the skin’s youthful bounce.
When testing, I applied this liberally over my face, neck, and décolleté, and it really helps the appearance of lines and wrinkles on that notoriously hard-to-treat area.
Buy now £69, Boots.com
Sarah Chapman overnight facial
Best: Anti-ageing serum for overnight radiance
Size: 15ml
Key ingredients: Vitamins, peptides and omega oils
Cruelty-free and vegan-friendly: Yes
Why we love it
- Start to see a real difference in fine lines in just a few days
Take note
- Doesn't sit well under makeup
Sarah Chapman is renowned for her uplifting, firming facials, and this formula’s smooth cocktail of vitamins, peptides and omega oils is (almost) as good, leaving you radiant and relaxed.
It is designed to improve skin texture as you sleep and it reduced my freckly forehead visibly, so it’s a big yes from me. It has an oil consistency, which is lovely overnight, but not so useful under makeup, so I’d not recommend using it in the morning.
Buy now £68, Cultbeauty.co.uk
Medik8 liquid peptides advanced MP
Best: Daily anti-ageing serum
Size: 30ml
Key ingredients: Peptides, hyaluronic acid
Cruelty-free and vegan-friendly: Yes
Why we love it
- Deeply hydrating
- Ideal for post holiday dry skin
Take note
- Small bottle
This powerful formula calls on the hydrating hero that is hyaluronic acid, which draws in and retains up to 1,000 times its weight in water. I found the daily serum to visibly smooth, plump and hydrate my complexion and it also worked to reduce the appearance of fine lines and deep-set wrinkles.
Buy now £79, Cultbeauty.co.uk
Tatcha dewy serum
Best: Anti-ageing serum for exfoliation
Size: 30g
Key ingredients: Hadasei-3, hyaluronic acid, squalane
Cruelty-free and vegan-friendly: No
Why we love it
- Effective at exfoliating
- Quickly makes your complexion look smoother
- Light texture goes a long way
This three-in-one skincare treatment is jam packed with skin-loving ingredients that help moisturise, plump and resurface the complexion. At the heart of the formula is a blend of twice-fermented akita rice, okinawa algae and uji green tea, which all merge to deliver high levels of gentle AHAs and lactic acid, to help remove the dead skin cells that can dull our complexion. The addition of hyaluronic acid helps to make the skin appear fuller and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, while squalane locks in moisture. Add this creamy gel into a skincare routine to help restore a supple, radiant complexion.
Buy now £86, Spacenk.com
Emma Lewisham supernatural vitale face elixir
Best: Anti-ageing serum for glow and reducing wrinkles
Size: 30ml
Key ingredients: Neuropeptides, hyaluronic acid
Cruelty-free and vegan-friendly: Yes
Why we love it
- Could be used solo rather than underneath your usual skincare
Take note
- More of a moisturiser than a serum
- Prohibitive price but it can also act as your moisturiser
It’s fair to say this is an outlier in this roundup, as the formula is more like a traditional cream and comes in an environmentally friendly refillable pouch. The unique dual-action release and fill system works to provide immediate and long-term wrinkle reduction. Neuropeptides help relax expression lines, while hyaluronic acid works to hydrate from within. Over time, collagen is stimulated, as is elastin production, leaving the skin feeling firmer and smoother. This is now a non-negotiable part of my twice-weekly routine.
Buy now £85, Emmalewisham.co.uk
Estee Lauder advanced night repair multi recovery serum
Best: Makeup artist favourite anti-ageing serum
Size: 50ml
Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid
Cruelty-free and vegan-friendly: No
Why we love it
- Sure fire hard-working skin transformer
Take note
- Expensive
Estée Lauder’s place in the serum pyramid is unique because of its beneficial effects on ageing skin, as tried and tested by everyone in the know. And this award-winning serum is a must-have in everyone’s arsenal for good reason. It gets to work while you sleep, so you wake with a radiant, even complexion.
The serum helps to visibly soften, smooth and plump the skin with its hyaluronic acid formula that helps to lock in moisture, so you wake up looking as refreshed as you would if you’re returning from a two-week vacation. A sure-fire winner.
Buy now £89, Boots.com
Your questions about anti-ageing serums answered
What is the best anti-ageing serum?
In terms of efficacy, Estee Lauder and Skinceuticals’s offerings win hands down, but not everyone will want to splurge that much on skincare, which is why Q&A has come out on top as my pick of the best anti-ageing serums overall. If you are new to retinols, Skin Rocks is a great place to start, and Cetaphil impressed with its reasonable price point for this type of formulation.
How I tested anti-ageing serums
As someone who’s been reviewing beauty products for decades, I know exactly what I’m looking for in a high-performing serum. Specifically, when testing the best anti-ageing serums, I considered the following criteria.
What to look for in an anti-ageing serum
Retinol is widely considered by dermatologists as the best anti-ageing ingredient, and can often be found in serums, as it tackles fine lines and wrinkles. As it can cause irritation if used incorrectly, it’s important to introduce it gradually into your skincare routine, applying only in the evening two to three times a week.
Additionally, hyaluronic acid is a popular ingredient, thanks to its plumping effect. One molecule can hold 1,000 times its weight in water and it helps to attract and retain moisture for the skin.
Antioxidants also have multiple benefits, from protecting against free radicals to preventing environmental damage. Vitamin C is one of the most common, but niacinamide, vitamin E, ferulic acid and green tea are also hardworking ingredients that can improve the appearance of skin.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Jane Druker is an experienced beauty editor who has written for the likes of Vogue, The Telegraph and, of course, The Independent. Well placed to discuss anti-ageing skincare, she’s covered everything from tinted moisturisers for mature skin to anti-ageing night creams. She knows the brands that do and don’t work when it comes to minimising, fine lines, wrinkles and hyperpigmentation, and will only recommend products she believes are worth your money.
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