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November 26, 2021 — 12:12 PM
Antioxidants—we know them, we love them, we eat and drink ’em up, and slather them on our complexions. And if you’re not doing that last one, you really should.
Antioxidants are some of the best little bioactive compounds you can feed your skin, as they neutralize free radicals on the skin. In doing so, antioxidants can help calm the skin, improve tone and texture, strengthen the barrier, brighten up dullness, and buffer against premature aging. (We love to see it.) What’s more, all antioxidants have unique functions unto themselves, meaning you can expect to see more targeted results based on which concoction you select.
Now, antioxidants are formulated into many kinds of products—from body products and hand creams to face washes and masks. But if you’re looking for the most effective way to deliver them to your facial skin, a serum is your best bet. Serums are highly concentrated formulas that are meant to be applied directly onto clean skin to supply your cells with actives. (Consider these your daily treatment step.) And you’ll want to select one that has an antioxidant, or combination of antioxidants, that addresses your goals.
Don’t worry: We’ve done the hard work for you. Here are our favorite antioxidant serums and everything about their wonderful benefits.
True Botanicals Chebula Active Immunity Face Serum
This pillowy serum came recommended from not one, not two, but three highly trusted sources—so of course I had to get my hands on it. Well, it certainly did not disappoint—it quickly skyrocketed to one of my favorite serums of all time. The hero is the namesake’s chebula, a superfruit extract that has impressive antioxidant abilities that improve signs of aging, calms redness, and smooths fine lines.
Best for: Mature & sensitive skin | Use: Day & night
In terms of ingredient combinations, vitamins C and E and ferulic acid is about as famous as they come for collagen production. Vitamin C is a necessary part of the collagen synthesis and cross-linking process. Vitamin E crucially stabilizes the notoriously volatile molecule. Ferulic acid is not only an antioxidant but can help power up other antioxidants—meaning the entire formula becomes more effective. A hat trick, if you will.
A dynamic combination of hyaluronic acid and bakuchiol is ideal for those who want to improve cell turnover but are prone to dryness. The former is a humectant that attracts and holds up to 1,000 times its weight in moisture. The latter is a natural alternative to retinol, but it doesn’t make your skin photosensitive and it’s considered to be far gentler.
We simply adore a multiuse product here. This niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and watermelon extract tincture can be used as your standard serum or as a last-step finishing highlighter. The niacinamide is an excellent antioxidant that soothes reactive skin, hyaluronic acid can help with hydration, and watermelon extract feeds your skin amino acids (and some more antioxidants to boot).
Barrier strength and function are of the utmost importance for healthy skin. Unfortunately, too, so many people struggle with fortifying their shields. (If you have sensitive skin, those are pretty clear indications that you might struggle with this.) The hero of this formula is a lipid complex that restores ceramides and fatty acid levels in the skin. The peony and seaweed extract additionally help with fine lines and visible signs of stressed skin thanks to their antioxidant potential.
For the oily and blemish-prone among us, salicylic acid is an amazing derm-approved ingredient that helps break down oil, clears out pores, and exfoliates dead skin cells. For an all-natural version, look for willow bark, found in this serum. It also contains calming niacinamide (supporting a normal inflammatory response is a vital part of any skin care routine) and a smart polyphenol blend for antioxidant protection.
Best for: Oily & blemish-prone skin | Use: Nightly
Coenzyme Q10 is a trendy antioxidant at the moment, but it’s actually one the body makes on its own, although levels decrease with age. It has several functions in the body, but the one we see for skin is energizing cells and reducing lipid peroxidation (or oxidative stress in lipid structures of the cell membrane). This also contains the oil squalane and a peptide complex.
Containing 3% resveratrol derived from a Japanese knotweed, this serum actually plays double-duty with antioxidant protection: It neutralizes the existing ones, as well as prevents the formation of new ones in the skin (taking on a sort of proactive antioxidant role). Additionally, it contains ferulic acid, which contains anti-inflammatory properties that improve the formula’s free-radical-fighting power.
While the name indicates that it’s chock-full of the hydrating humectant HA, we also adore it for the antioxidant-rich ingredient list. It contains vitamin C, green tea extract, vitamin E, jojoba oil, and aloe vera—all of which come with impressive abilities to brighten, tone, condition, and yes, deal with free radicals.
If you’re looking for gentle exfoliation while infusing your skin with antioxidants—this alpha-hydroxy acid number just might do the trick. AHAs tend to be gentler acids: This one contains glycolic acid, which is generally well tolerated by those with healthy skin. After sloughing off the excess debris, this nourishes skin with apple stem cells (which are known for their rejuvenating and antioxidant abilities) among several other botanicals.
Best for: Oily & blemish-prone skin | Use: Nightly
This uses the power of an antioxidant complex (of ferulic acid phloretin, and stabilized vitamin C) as well as microalgae to visibly firm and restore mature complexions. If you have several areas of concern as you age—be it dark spots, fine lines, or sagging skin—this option may be beneficial for you.
Sometimes we turn to serums to wake up dull, tired skin. This one does just that with loads of antioxidants and a coffee extract (made with upcycled coffee!). The sea buckthorn and rosehip oils contain high amounts of vitamin C—and coffee itself contains high amounts of the free radical fighters. Your skin will feel perked up almost instantly.
A serum with three powerful ingredients that work synergistically to rejuvenate skin from all angles. Retinol, a vitamin A derivative, increases the rate of skin cell turnover and improves collagen production. Vitamin C is an antioxidant superstar. And niacinamide helps calm the skin—since the two former ingredients aren’t always the easiest to tolerate.
At mbg, high standards are earned—and there are no shortcuts. Our beauty editors stay up to date on the latest ingredient research and innovation. It’s a dynamic, continuously evolving space, and it’s important we look into the science so we can make informed choices about which formulas earn our stamp of approval (figuratively speaking).
Our high standards also come from testing products—many, many products. Our editors and writers rigorously test and research the products featured in our roundups to offer you the best, most informed recommendations. When we write reviews, you can trust we spend quality time with the formulas: We don’t simply rave about products we’ve slathered on the back of our hand. We endorse products we’ve tried and loved.
Learn more about our testing process and clean beauty standards here.
