From acne to dry skin: 9 skin concerns and the best serums to tackle them

Consider serums to be the game-changing blends that nip your skincare concerns in the bud. They’re targeted, potent and made to sink into your skin, working on the deeper layers and brightening, nourishing and caring for it. When introducing a serum into your skincare routine, it’s best to pick one that’s made to help tackle your primary skin concerns. Their concentrated nature helps care for the most prevalent skin issues you may be dealing with, healing your skin with regular use. Here’s our edit of the best serums to try, depending on your most pressing skin concern.

For pigmentation: Dr Sheth’s Ashwagandha & Alpha Arbutin Serum

This is a combination of powerful brightening and soothing ingredients to address one of the most common skin concerns faced by Indian skin—hyperpigmentation. Alpha arbutin, liquorice and kojic acid come together to effectively treat dark spots, reduce acne scars, and balance an uneven skin tone. On the other hand, l-arginine prevents oxidation and the adaptogen ashwagandha improves your skin’s elasticity, increases collagen production and soothes it, allowing it to rejuvenate and heal. The perfect anti-pigmentation cocktail, we’d say.

For dryness: FCL HA4 Plus Serum

Excessively dry skin lacks lustre, hydration and is even prone to wrinkling and fine lines. This intensive serum contains four different types of hyaluronic acid to plump and hydrate your skin, moisturising it from within. It’s also loaded with madecassoside to prevent flaking and redness, osmogeline, an anti-pollution red algae extract to soothe and witch hazel extract to reduce inflammation. It’s a tall glass of nourishment for your skin.

For skin sensitivity: Hylamide Booster Sensitive Fix

Sensitive skin is prone to redness and irritation and this skin-soothing blend promises to nurture your skin without getting it angry. It contains the marvel of Peru, a floral extract that looks after sensitivity and reduces redness along with golden-eye grass complex, a skin-balancing ingredient to settle your skin’s pH levels. 

For acne: Organic Riot Zap Anti Acne Serum

Treat this serum as a two-in-one skin solution—if you’re dealing with acne all over your face, apply it as a serum, or if you have a few random pimples, use it as a spot treatment. Neem extract helps purify your skin, reducing acne in the process, manuka flower extract from New Zealand heals it and tamanu extract controls inflammation and aids healing; all necessary benefits to truly work on defeating acne. 

For oiliness: Minimalist Niacinamide 10% + Zinc

Excess sebum production and persistently oily skin needs targeted care to balance the skin and keep it fresh, youthful and acne-free. An aloe-based serum, this combination of niacinamide and zinc helps reduce sebum production and inflammation while also minimising pores and improving skin tone and texture. 

For anti-ageing benefits: 111Skin Celestial Black Diamond Serum

When you’re hoping to tackle pigmentation, lines, wrinkles and dullness all at once, it really doesn’t get better than this luxe serum. It brings together liquorice root to brighten skin and reduce hyperpigmentation, hyaluronic acid to hydrate and plump and quebracho wood, a botanical extract with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, all of which also boost collagen production. A super lightweight formula, the black diamond particles in the serum help deliver actives into the deeper layers of the skin; you’ll see results almost instantly and watch them improve with every use. 

For uneven skin texture: Pixi Glow Tonic Serum

If you’re looking to improve your skin texture and heal rough patches, trust this glycolic acid-based serum. The AHA exfoliates your skin, refining its texture, aloe vera soothes it and ginseng rejuvenates it to make unevenness a thing of the past. Only smoother skin days ahead.

For redness: iS Clinical Hydra-Cool Serum

Calming skincare is the way to go when your skin is prone to redness and starts to flare up with even a slight hint of irritation or stimulation. This refreshing serum cools, soothes, calms and nourishes your skin with Vitamin B5, brightening mushroom extract, hydrating hyaluronic acid and antioxidant-rich centella asiatica.

For a little bit of everything: D’you Hustle

This Instagram-famous skin serum is a dream for those of you who want to brighten, hydrate, soothe and repair your skin to essentially wake up to a good skin day, every day. This one product does the job of an essence, toner and serum, reducing the number of skincare steps you would otherwise need to follow for the same results. It contains over 11 active ingredients, well-balanced out to work as an all-in-one solution to give you glowing, hydrated skin. Expect micro ferment extracts to prevent bacterial growth, Vitamins C, B3 and E to brighten and nourish, anti-ageing peptides and adenosine, hydrating polyglutamic acid and soothing panthenol amongst other actives to give your skin the best of everything. 

Also read:

10 budget-friendly hydrating serums are the perfect antidote to dry winter skin

The 5 key skincare ingredients you'll be using for glowing skin in 2021

Why serums are the ultimate acne-fighting, anti-ageing skincare product