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Whether you’re establishing an anti-acne skincare routine for your early 20s or an anti-aging one for your late 20s, you’ll see that the best night serums for your 20s make it incredibly easier to achieve your skin goals.
The reason is pretty obvious. The active ingredients stay longer on the skin. What’s not so obvious is the fact that there are no external factors like pollution, heat fluctuations, or heavy makeup to interfere with the effects of your serums.
Adding a night serum to your evening routine is a great way to manage prominent skin concerns. Whether it’s acne or fine lines, they have a whole night to treat those issues.
Additionally, night serums can also be used for maintaining healthy skin as opposed to treating problem skin. Antioxidant serums not only help keep the skin healthy and fresh but also prevent untimely skin damage.
So make the most of night serums in your 20s by picking one for your primary concern. And for that, we’ve got a nice round-up ahead to help you out.
The Best Night Serums For Your 20s
Below are the best night serums for women in their 20s for all skin issues.
1. Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Resurfacing Night Serum
Exfoliation is the name of the game when youthful skin is concerned. And this night serum packs exactly what you need in your 20s to reduce acne, balance excess oil, and stimulate skin renewal. In fact, I’m in my 30s and I still use it because it’s gentle enough and doesn’t really allow over-exfoliation.
It has a combination of alpha-hydroxy acids, including glycolic and lactic, and a BHA, salicylic acid. While AHAs target the top layer of the skin to smooth out the texture, salicylic acid decongests the skin, prevents blemishes, and reduces pores. With antioxidant-rich grape juice, soothing aloe, and hydrating hyaluronic acid, this is absolutely one of the best night serums for your 20s.
Key Ingredients: Glycolic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid
Key Benefits: Exfoliates, minimizes blemishes, clears up pores
Skin Type: Normal, dry, combination, oily
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
Good To Know: Fragrance-free, vegan, cruelty-free
2. Ole Henriksen Dewtopia 20% Acid Night Treatment
This exfoliating night serum is a multi-purpose one suitable to use in your early, mid, and late 20s. It’s made with a blend of alpha-hydroxy acids in 10% as well as gluconolactone, a polyhydroxy acid.
Glycolic acid resurfaces the skin and reveals glowing skin while lactic acid works gently to exfoliate and hydrate at the same time. Similar to lactic acid, gluconolactone is also a non-sensitizing exfoliant that boosts hydration in the skin. The lightweight serum helps with acne, textured skin, hyperpigmentation, and lack of radiance.
Key Ingredients: Glycolic acid, lactic acid, gluconolactone
Key Benefits: Smoothes skin texture, brightens
Skin Type: Normal, dry, combination, oily
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
Good To Know: Vegan, cruelty-free
3. The Inkey List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum
Whether you’re being preventative in your early and mid-20s or actively following an anti-aging routine in your late 20s, retinol is the best when it comes to targeting signs of aging. It’s also one of the most effective ingredients for acne and scarring. However, it can be irritating for the skin at first. So, it’s important to start out very gently.
This serum is made with encapsulated retinol in 1% as well as Granactive Retinoid in 0.5%. The former ensures your skin absorbs the active ingredient slowly, making it all the more gentle. And the latter is a new generation retinoid that’s inherently gentler on the skin. The lotion-like texture also has squalane to keep dryness at bay. The serum is gentle and affordable.
Key Ingredients: Retinol, granactive retinoid
Key Benefits: Encourages skin turnover without irritation
Skin Type: Normal, dry, combination, oily
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
Good To Know: Cruelty-free
4. Sunday Riley A+ High Dose Retinol Serum
Similar to the one above, this one also uses encapsulated retinol as well as Granactive retinoid. The night serum balances the skin tone and improves the texture without causing redness or dryness. It’s rich in antioxidants too for amplified skin benefits.
With the potent antioxidant coenzyme Q10, the night serum neutralizes free radical damage on the skin. Plus, it keeps the skin hydrated with hyaluronic acid and honey. Your skin looks plump and fresh in the morning all thanks to the replenishing base.
Key Ingredients: Retinol, granactive retinoid, coenzyme Q10
Key Benefits: Prevents premature signs of aging, refines skin texture
Skin Type: Normal, dry, combination, oily
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
Good To Know: Vegan, cruelty-free
5. First Aid Beauty FAB Skin Lab Retinol Serum 0.25% Pure Concentrate
And speaking of retinol, this sensitive skin-friendly night serum packs 0.25% retinol. The formula is gentle enough for beginner retinol users. As retinol increases the cell renewal rate, the serum reveals a healthier skin layer with an even skin tone and a youthful complexion.
Anti-aging signal peptides reduce the visibility of wrinkles while hyaluronic acid keeps the skin hydrated and plump. This is the formula I can confidently swear by for anyone who’s just starting out with retinol, who has sensitive skin, or who needs the absolute gentlest option. Because it contains anti-inflammatory botanical extracts like oatmeal, aloe, and allantoin to mitigate irritation, redness, and dryness.
Key Ingredients: Retinol, peptides, ceramides
Key Benefits: Softens fine lines, plumps skin
Skin Type: All skin types, including sensitive
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
Good To Know: Vegan, cruelty-free
6. Tatcha Violet-C Brightening Serum 20% Vitamin C + 10% AHA
This one is a brightening night serum perfect for gently exfoliating the skin and nourishing it with antioxidants. It fits right into any skincare routine. It has 20% vitamin C made with different types of derivatives to ensure maximum stability. Vitamin C is the real deal when it comes to achieving glowing skin.
And it’s also effective in neutralizing sun damage. But that’s not all, the night serum also has a blend of fruit-derived gentle acids like malic and citric for exfoliation, minus the peeling and flakiness. The serum is gentle and hydrating, and the best one to get glowing skin in your 20s.
Key Ingredients: Vitamin C, malic acid, lactic acid, licorice extract
Key Benefits: Evens out skin tone, reduces hyperpigmentation
Skin Type: All skin types
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
Good To Know: Vegan, cruelty-free
7. Biossance Squalane + 10% Lactic Acid Resurfacing Night Serum
For 20-somethings with sensitive skin, lactic acid is the best exfoliant to go for. Because it’s less irritating than glycolic acid and has added benefit of increasing the skin’s hydration. With 10% lactic acid to exfoliate the skin, the serum reduces the look of lines and prevents dehydration.
It also has softening effects on the skin. It contains glycerin and squalane to increase moisture and clover extract to make you wake up to fresh and renewed skin in the morning.
Key Ingredients: Lactic acid, squalane
Key Benefits: Gently exfoliates, plumps skin, fades dark spots
Skin Type: Normal, dry, combination, oily
Size: 1.01 oz/30 ml
Good To Know: Vegan, cruelty-free
8. La Roche Posay Glycolic B5 10% Pure Glycolic Acid Serum
It’s easier to prevent dark spots than to treat them. And the most effective way to prevent them is by using sunscreen daily. However, most of us don’t even bother until dark spots start to appear. If you’re in your 20s and dealing with sun spots, this drugstore night serum is going to be your new favorite.
Besides 10% glycolic acid to remove the dead skin layer, it has lipo-hydroxy acid, which is a derivative of salicylic acid. And it’s known for its brightening effects. In addition, it has kojic acid and tranexamic acid, which are both effective ingredients to fade dark spots. The night serum is a targeted one to lift dark spots and even out the skin tone.
Key Ingredients: Glycolic acid, kojic acid, tranexamic acid
Key Benefits: Exfoliates, brightens skin, fades dark spots
Skin Type: All skin types
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
Good To Know: Oil-free, fragrance-free
9. Bliss Renew & Smooth Night Serum
A more affordable exfoliating night serum for your 20s is this one by Bliss. It has glycolic acid besides a naturally-derived version as well as other fruit acids like malic and citric acids.
Moreover, it has a polyhydroxy acid, gluconolactone, which is a super gentle exfoliant with hydrating abilities. With soothing botanicals and moisturizing squalane, the night serum clears the skin, evens out the skin tone, and refines the complexion.
Key Ingredients: Glycolic acid, gluconolactone, squalane
Key Benefits: Exfoliates, boosts radiance
Skin Type: All skin types
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
Good To Know: Cruelty-fee, vegan
10. SkinCeuticals Resveratrol B E
It doesn’t always have to be about exfoliating the skin or stimulating rapid cell turnover. Antioxidants repair the skin in numerous ways. In fact, they are incredibly preventative in the way they prevent free radical damage. They limit the formation of photodamage by protecting the skin. That’s why you need to get an antioxidant serum in your 20s as early as possible.
And nobody does antioxidants better than SkinCeuticals, the science geeks of skincare. This night serum has resveratrol, a potent antioxidant Caudalie also loves to make use of. Plus, it has another plant-derived antioxidant (baicalin) as well as vitamin E to supercharge the formula. With skin-restoring niacinamide and energizing caffeine, this one is the best antioxidant night serum for your 20s.
Key Ingredients: Resveratrol, vitamin E, niacinamide
Key Benefits: Protects skin against free radicals
Skin Type: All skin types
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
Good To Know: Fragrance-free
So these are some of the best night serums you can comfortably use in your 20s. As you can see, night serums tend to be more intense than day serums.
They exfoliate, resurface, and renew with pretty hardcore ingredients. But know that night serums are about enhancing your skincare routine.
And given the fact that night serums are usually way more expensive, you really don’t have to go out of your way to get these. A nice daily antioxidant serum is suitable to use at night as well.
Read Next: The Best Face Masks For Your 20s
