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If we could, we would grow an extra limb just to find ourselves a new area of focus with some self-indulgent skincare. We’d much rather exfoliate an imaginary limb than take time for body care with body serums.
Most of us stay indoors these days and we’ve practically mastered skincare. On average, we use 15 different products on our faces daily.
And if you don’t count the shower gel, the attention your body gets in the form of body care is Doritos salt and a few drops of face serum spilled on the neck by accident.
Sadly, your body ages as well. It needs attention just as much as your face. And the best body serums give you a favorable head start to help your body catch up with your face.
If you’re like me, a 30-something with a face that’s TikTok years old and a tushy that’s ICQ and a half, you’re going to love what these serums can do for your body.
What is a Body Serum?
A body serum is a lightweight concentrated body product made to address specific skin issues on the body. Just like a face serum, the idea behind a body serum is to better target skin issues without heavy occlusives getting in the way.
But unlike face serums, body serums can be a tiny bit heavier. Most of them will usually contain fast-absorbing, non-comedogenic oils as well.
What Does a Body Serum Do For Your Skin?
Body serums help you treat prominent skin issues in a more efficient way. There are brightening body serums you can use to reduce hyperpigmentation. There are exfoliating body serums that get rid of flakiness and dullness on the skin.
And there are hydrating body serums to replenish the skin and enhance the effects of your upcoming moisturizer. Also, there are firming body serums that help tighten the skin as well.
Can You Use a Body Serum Instead of a Body Lotion?
You can’t use a body serum instead of a body lotion or cream. A body serum is not a replacement for a body moisturizer. Because body serums are usually formulated with humectants, which are compounds that are water-based.
Even though serums will hydrate, you still need an emollient cream or lotion to lock that hydration in and let your treatment serum work.
How to Use a Body Serum
Use your body serum on your clean skin after the shower. Massage the serum into the skin to increase circulation and absorption.
You can choose to use your serum all over the body or simply on the areas that need more attention like arms or thighs. Let your skin absorb it and follow with a body moisturizer.
The Best Body Serums
From hydrating to brightening, below are the best body serums.
1. Necessaire The Body Serum
You must’ve indulged in a hyaluronic acid serum and seen how it gives you smooth, fresh, and plump skin immediately. This is just like that but for your body. It’s packed with amazing humectants. It has hyaluronic acid to attract and bind water to the skin.
And it has ceramides and niacinamide to increase the lipid content on the skin. That way, your skin is stronger against epidermal water loss and stays smooth and soft. The fragrance-free body serum is super replenishing for dry, aging skin. And it’s suitable for all skin types, even sensitive!
2. iS Clinical Youth Body Serum
Similarly, this anti-aging body serum also has hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5 for ultimate hydration. On top of that, it has antioxidant-rich watermelon extract, soothing aloe, as well as anti-inflammatory licorice extract.
The formula enhances moisture with botanical extracts and promotes a smoother and softer skin texture. The mess-free mist gets rid of flakiness and revives parched skin.
3. One Love Organics Gardenia + Tea Antioxidant Body Serum
This serum-oil hybrid is just as good as a body moisturizer. It’s made with excellent nourishing and restoring botanicals to bring back hydration and give your body a proper defense against oxidative stress. It has sunflower seed oil and seabuckthorn oil.
They’re both rich in omega fatty acids that moisturize the skin and repair its protective barrier against free radicals and dehydrating weather conditions. It also has pumpkin seed oil, which is a natural exfoliant that gently smooths out the skin texture.
4. REN Clean Skincare AHA Smart Renewal Body Serum
This exfoliating body serum contains 10% lactic acid for its skin-smoothing benefits. Lactic acid removes dead skin cells and brightens the skin. But it also hydrates the skin. Instead of leaving your body parched, lactic acid leaves it plump.
The serum also contains probiotics to support the skin barrier. It’s a great treatment to increase radiance, and microcirculation on the skin to achieve tighter skin.
5. Farmacy Honeymoon Glow Body 12% AHA/BHA Resurfacing Body Serum
Similarly, this is another exfoliating body serum made with lactic acid with a concentration of 10%. But in addition, this one has 2% salicylic acid, which better targets blemishes and blackheads on the body.
To replenish the skin, it packs humectants like glycerin and honey, as well as moisturizing shea butter. But don’t be intimidated by that because the texture is incredibly light and doesn’t leave any annoying residue on the body.
6. Boscia Peptide Youth-Restore Firming Body Serum
This hydrating and firming body serum utilizes signal peptides to stimulate collagen production. It offers a boost of hydration with hyaluronic acid and squalane. And it has niacinamide to target discolorations on the body.
In addition, it has a rich blend of botanicals like chamomile, calendula, and ginger for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits. The anti-aging body serum feels super refreshing and leaves the skin smoother, brighter, and softer.
7. ReVive Superieur Body Nightly Renewing Serum
Your body can benefit from potent night serums just as much as your face. Because nighttime is the perfect time to support your skin’s natural healing process. This one is an amazing anti-aging body serum to rescue dry, aging skin.
It’s formulated with glycolic and lactic acids to exfoliate and renew the look of dull skin. And it boasts 4 forms of hyaluronic acid to amplify hydration and completely banish dryness on your body. Plus it has aloe to soothe and niacinamide to brighten. The potent serum leaves the skin deeply nourished.
8. Moroccanoil Night Body Serum
Another night serum to help your body recover from the effects of daily damage is this super nourishing formula. The texture is a little bit heavier than a typical serum but definitely not as heavy as a body oil. It’s formulated around argan oil, which is super rich in restorative fatty acids as well as antioxidant vitamin E.
And to boost the effects, the night serum has camellia oil, which is equally moisturizing for the body. Last but not least, it contains vitamin C to improve the skin tone of your body and help reverse free radical damage.
9. Renee Rouleau Smoothing Body Serum
If you’re dealing with keratosis pilaris, you must have heard dermatologists recommend glycolic acid or lactic acid body lotions. Because these exfoliants remove stubborn, patchy dead skin cells from the skin and smooth out the skin texture.
So a more enhanced and effective version of that is this glycolic acid body serum. Because it absorbs better. It’s made with three alpha-hydroxy acids, glycolic, lactic, and mandelic acid. It’s the ultimate multi-acid formula to smooth out body skin, and get rid of flakiness, and bumpy skin.
10. Kayo Remodeling Serum
Formulated with a blend of hydrators and oils, the body serum is a whole body care routine itself. Besides hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5 to hydrate, it’s brimming with moisturizing oils like avocado oil and macadamia nut oil.
In addition, it has green tea and vitamin E for their antioxidant benefits to ward off wrinkles and free radicals. The superlight, fast-absorbing, and silky-feel formula is one of the best body serums to slather on dry skin.
Read Next: The Best Salicylic Acid Body Washes
