Beyond50Skin has worked through at least 60 serums and come out with a clear point of view. She approved most of them, gave a few a mixed take, and skipped only a handful. That works out to an approval rate of 77%, which means she is genuinely easy to please in this category, but not uncritical. She knows exactly what makes a serum stop working for her, and she is happy to say so.
What does Beyond50Skin recommend in serums?
When she approves a serum, texture and wearability tend to be at the centre of it. She praised the Medik8 Liquid Peptides Advanced MP+ Serum for how it smooths skin, and called it her top pick for growth factor serums in 2025, while being honest that it is not reversing deep wrinkles. The Dr. Idriss Deep Puffer Roll-On Serum won her over because it calms redness in about five minutes, and she suggested keeping it in the fridge for an extra cooling effect. For the Queen of Thrones Organic Golden Castor Oil 100% Pure Extra Virgin, she noted she had been using it for about a year and that it actually soaks into very dry skin rather than sitting on top, which she said most body oils fail to do. She also flagged that layering it over a retinoid and moisturiser will occlude them, meaning the actives underneath may penetrate a little deeper.
Beyond 50 Skin's serum picks, in her words
"The vitamin C by Skinceuticals is a little bit of a boost in price because it has the additional DNA repair enzymes. It's fantastic. It contains L-ascorbic acid, which is the gold standard for vitamin C formulas, and it also contains CE Ferulic, and it doesn't have that funky smell or that greasy feel that you get with some vitamin C's. This is definitely going to be on my repurchase list."
"For the neck and decollete during your morning routine, the SkinCeuticals Advanced Neck Cream, love this formula, it's just something extra and a little special. It moisturizes the thin skin and gives it a luminosity I haven't found in other neck creams."
"It's their plumping oil. Love this for night time. You can use it during the day, but I find it works better overnight. It just sinks into the lip area. Is absolutely gorgeous. They have two new launches in this line, the pink champagne and sangria, which I'm just getting ready to open and try. I try to use my lip oils at night. And I also find that an oil at night is more penetrating and hydrating, whereas a lip gloss, a lip plumping gloss is a little bit better solution for the daytime."
"The depuffer by Dr. Idriss is my top pick. It has a roller. You can keep it in the fridge for a cooling effect, but if you have redness, hot flashes, this is amazing for reducing redness quickly. It usually takes my skin about 5 minutes to kind of calm down."
"If you're looking for a growth factor serum, Medik8 Liquid Peptides Advanced MP+ Serum is my top pick. You get both the benefits of peptides and growth factors. I love the way this smooths my skin, absolutely gorgeous. Now, is it reversing deep wrinkles? Absolutely not. But for a growth factor serum, top pick for 2025."
"Queen of Thrones makes the one and only castor oil that I use and love for nails, feet, body."
How many serums has Beyond50Skin reviewed?
Beyond50Skin has reviewed 60 serums, for an approval rate of 77%. 46 approved, 7 mixed, and 7 skipped.
What has Beyond50Skin skipped in serums?
She skipped only a handful of serums, and the reasons she gave were practical rather than harsh. The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Hyaluronic Acid Serum made her scalp feel too greasy, and using less product did not fix it; she had only worked through about a quarter of the bottle and did not expect to finish it. She also skipped the Mad About Skin Perfecting Peptide Serum, calling the ingredient deck beautiful but finding it sat too heavily on her skin in warm weather and took too long to dry down. Her read was that it would suit dry skin better, and cooler months. Her skips came down to feel, finish, or fit for her skin type rather than any doubt about the formulas themselves.
"I've decided that solid skincare just doesn't work for me. The solid stick by Tatcha, this is their Serum Stick. It's hard to get out. And it's just not pretty at all. It's not pretty on my lips. It's not pretty on my cheeks. Super disappointing."
"I did have that for a time I didn't notice a ton of difference and I had stopped using my other lash serum when I was trying it and I did see some diminishment in my lash growth so I was like oh I don't really want to do this."
"That is one product that just doesn't work for me. [...] I personally just didn't see that much of a difference in my skin when I used it. And also, it just wasn't quite hydrating enough for me."
"My least favorite actually was the Jane Iredale. This just didn't give me enough moisture and enough coverage throughout the day. I think if you had oily skin you would love this skin tint."
What should you take from Beyond50Skin's picks?
Beyond50Skin's record on serums is one of the more optimistic ones you will find. Her approval rate of 77% across at least 60 products tells you she tends to find something to like, but her skips are precise and useful: texture, greasiness, and how a serum sits in warmer weather are the things that push her over the line. If her skin type sounds like yours, her named winners, the Remedy Daily Defense Vitamin C Serum, the Dr. Idriss Deep Puffer Roll-On Serum, and the Queen of Thrones Organic Golden Castor Oil 100% Pure Extra Virgin, are worth starting with.
Watch Beyond50Skin say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- Remedy Daily Defense Vitamin C SerumNamed a winnerWatch at 7:26
- Dr. Idriss Deep Puffer Roll-On SerumNamed a winnerWatch at 4:56
- Queen of Thrones Organic Golden Castor Oil 100% Pure Extra VirginNamed a winnerWatch at 13:54
- Tatcha Serum StickSkipped itWatch at 27:13
- The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Hyaluronic Acid SerumSkipped itWatch at 6:09
- DRMTLGY Needleless Growth Factor SerumSkipped itWatch at 11:45
- Jane Iredale Hydro Pro Tinted Serum with Hyaluronic Acid and CoQ10Skipped itWatch at 14:21
- Mad About Skin Perfecting Peptide SerumSkipped itWatch at 5:56
- Olaplex No. 7 Bonding OilSkipped itWatch at 6:12
- Geek & Gorgeous Stress Less Serum with 0.5% Beta-Glucan and Metacast-AideSkipped itWatch at 8:28
- SkinCeuticals C E FerulicRated itWatch at 6:48
- SkinCeuticals Tripeptide R Neck Repair CreamRated itWatch at 9:59
- City Lips Effortless Lips Night OilRated itWatch at 14:47
- Medik8 Liquid Peptides Advanced MP+ SerumRated itWatch at 5:23
- Remedy Dark Spots Nightly All-in-One TreatmentRated itWatch at 11:05
- Remedy Healthy Aging SerumRated itWatch at 3:18
- Timeless Coenzyme Q10 SerumRated itWatch at 12:17
- OGX Damage Remedy + Coconut Miracle Oil Penetrating OilRated itWatch at 24:03
- The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%Rated itWatch at 0:48
- The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5Rated itWatch at 3:19
- The Ordinary Soothing & Barrier Support SerumRated itWatch at 9:41
- Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel with Hyaluronic AcidRated itWatch at 10:59
- The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + Hyaluronic AcidRated itWatch at 7:58
- Geek & Gorgeous C-Glow 15% Vitamin C SerumRated itWatch at 2:33
About this expert
See everything Beyond50Skin has reviewed
Expert rankings
Related guides
This guide reflects what Beyond50Skin said across her videos about 60 products in serums, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The approval rate is the share of these products she approved. It is general information, not medical advice.