The Absolute Best Anti-Aging Serums According to the Pros

Before we can dive into the best anti-aging serums, we need to discuss a few things first: (1) Aging is very normal. If you’re not aging, you’re not living, so aging is very much a good thing. (2) Changes to our skin, like the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots, that happen as we age are also very normal and are largely the result of years of UV exposure and a decline in collagen and elastin levels in the skin. So if you're seeing signs of aging on your face, neck, and chest, don't freak—this is a part of life, and there are plenty of excellent anti-aging moisturizers and serums on the market to help amp up your skin's elasticity.

A serum can be particularly useful because of how quickly it absorbs into the skin—but they're not all created equal. So to help you narrow down all the options, I reached out to dermatologist Elyse Love, MD, licensed esthetician Brittany Blancato, New York-based dermatologist Hadley King, MD, and Boston-based dermatologist Joyce Imahiyerobo-Ip, MD, for their top picks and pulled together the most important things to know when shopping for a new anti-aging serum. But first, a sneak peek:

Our picks for the best anti-aging serums of 2022:

Ahead, the entire list of the 15 best anti-aging serums. Packed with tried-and-true smoothing and brightening ingredients—like retinol, peptides, acids, and antioxidants—these serums are guaranteed to give your skin a dewy, smooth glow.