Dr. Sam Ellis has reviewed more than 50 serums and approved the vast majority, with only a few mixed takes and very few skips. Her approval rate here is 85%. That is a high approval rate for a dermatologist. It says something about how she picks what to review. She tends to reach for products built around ingredients she trusts, and she is upfront when the science does not quite match the price tag.
What does Dr. Sam Ellis recommend in serums?
The common thread in what Dr. Sam Ellis approves is ingredient quality at the right levels. She praised the Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum because it uses 2% alpha arbutin, which she called a really strong pigment inhibitor. She also noted that Allies of Skin is careful about pH and efficacy levels rather than just piling ingredients in. That matters because a well-balanced formula is less likely to irritate and more likely to actually work. Her category winners include CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum, SkinMedica TNS Advanced+ Serum, Timeless Coenzyme Q10 Serum, Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum, SkinBetter Science Trio Rebalancing Moisture Treatment, and Nzen Vitamin Concentrate Serum. On peptides, she singled out The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Hyaluronic Acid Serum as one she absolutely loves, calling it very reasonably priced. She also highlighted the Timeless Coenzyme Q10 Serum for pairing coenzyme Q10 with Matrixyl 3000 in what she described as a really luxurious, non-irritating and super affordable formula.
Dr. Sam Ellis's serum picks, in her words
"I'm also really obsessed with the Summer Fridays Dream Oasis Dehydration Serum. [...] It is so special. It is this really lightweight milky serum. It is so hydrating, it layers beautifully under sunscreen, it is probably one of my favorite summer skincare products ever."
"I actually think that this particular moisturizer is good for all skin types but because of that water gel formulation it feels really good on oily skin. You're putting on something that is actually intensely hydrating and intensely moisturizing but it doesn't have a sticky or heavy feel. I first tried this moisturizer after getting it as a sample at a dermatology conference many years ago."
"The Allies of Skin Mandelic Pigment Corrector Night Serum is amazing. I am a huge fan of well formulated products that combine multiple active ingredients. [...] This has lactic acid and mandelic acid which are both alpha hydroxy acids but they are larger molecules than glycolic acid and so they don't penetrate as deeply into the skin which makes them a lot more gentle."
"A couple of peptide serums that I absolutely love are the one from The Ordinary, the multi-peptide serum, which you can get at Sephora and is very reasonably priced."
"This is a very very good hyperpigmentation serum. And yes, it is on the pricier side, but when I recommend products that tend to be more expensive, [...] it's because they tend to have multiple efficacious ingredients at efficacious levels. [...] I feel like Allies of Skin just does a really good job at balancing their products, they're not putting too much in, and they're really being mindful of the pH of the products and the appropriate efficacy levels."
"This is my favorite splurge moisturizer of all time. This is the Tatcha Indigo Overnight Repair Serum, and it is divine. If you have redness-prone skin, easily irritated skin, you want something that truly feels luxurious, this is it."
How many serums has Dr. Sam Ellis reviewed?
Dr. Sam Ellis has reviewed 52 serums, for an approval rate of 85%. 44 approved, 6 mixed, and 2 skipped.
What has Dr. Sam Ellis skipped in serums?
The serums Dr. Sam Ellis skipped came down to a gap between the claim and the evidence. She skipped Bio-Oil, saying it preys on insecurity about stretch marks but has never been shown to actually prevent them. She also skipped The Ordinary Growth Factor 15% Solution. Her reason: plant-derived growth factors are not the same as human-derived ones, and the data is not there yet to show they work on human skin the way human-derived growth factors would. She did allow that plant-derived growth factors might make skin feel smoother, but felt you could get that from other skincare without the cost.
"Things like Bio-Oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, these really prey on a person's insecurity about developing stretch marks, but they have never been shown to actually be effective in preventing them."
"The Ordinary offers plant-derived growth factors [...] that cost under $100, but for me the data just isn't there yet because they're plant derived. We don't expect those growth factors to work on human skin the way human-derived growth factors would. I'm sure they could lead to certain benefits in your skin and they might make it feel more supple or smoother, but I feel like you can get that from other skincare as well, so that's not a place I would personally invest."
What should you take from Dr. Sam Ellis's picks?
Dr. Sam Ellis's serum record points to a clear approach. She backs products where the active ingredients are at levels that actually do something, and she steps back when the science behind an ingredient does not yet support the price or the claim. Anyone spending more on a serum will find her reasoning on both sides genuinely useful.
Watch Dr. Sam Ellis say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C SerumNamed a winnerWatch at 3:05
- Timeless Coenzyme Q10 SerumNamed a winnerWatch at 7:49
- Tatcha Indigo Overnight Repair Serum in CreamNamed a winnerWatch at 15:34
- Allies of Skin Tranexamic Acid & Arbutin Advanced Brightening SerumNamed a winnerWatch at 11:31
- Neocutis Bio Serum Firm Hydrating and Anti-Aging SerumNamed a winnerWatch at 5:31
- SkinBetter Science Trio Rebalancing Moisture TreatmentNamed a winnerWatch at 13:17
- Summer Fridays Dream Oasis Deep Hydration SerumNamed a winnerWatch at 14:32
- Nzen Vitamin Concentrate SerumNamed a winnerWatch at 7:23
- Bio-OilSkipped itWatch at 12:35
- The Ordinary Growth Factor 15% SolutionSkipped itWatch at 6:20
- Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel with Hyaluronic AcidRated itWatch at 4:08
- Allies of Skin Mandelic Pigmentation Corrector Night SerumRated itWatch at 11:12
- The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Hyaluronic Acid SerumRated itWatch at 7:58
- OGX Damage Remedy + Coconut Miracle Oil Penetrating OilRated itWatch at 5:45
- Alastin Restorative Eye TreatmentRated itWatch at 10:54
- The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% SerumRated itWatch at 3:34
- Vanicream Vitamin C SerumRated itWatch at 8:42
- NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Serum 3:1Rated itWatch at 3:16
- Aveeno Calm + Restore Triple Oat SerumRated itWatch at 16:55
- Maelove Peptide Squad Collagen Renewal SerumRated itWatch at 18:48
- Experiment Super Saturated 30% Glycerin Hydrating Barrier SerumRated itWatch at 17:22
- Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair SerumRated itWatch at 5:47
- Allies of Skin Beta Glucan and Resveratrol Advanced Hydrating SerumRated itWatch at 9:20
- Allies of Skin Azelaic & Kojic Advanced Clarifying SerumRated itWatch at 11:06
About this expert
See everything Dr. Sam Ellis has reviewed
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This guide reflects what Dr. Sam Ellis said across her videos about 52 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.