Hyram has worked through more than 70 serums on his channel. He approved about seven in ten, and his mixed takes slightly outnumber his skips, landing at an approval rate of 68% for the category. He named a single outright winner from the lot, and it came with an ingredient list he got genuinely excited about.
What does Hyram recommend in serums?
Ceramides, centella asiatica, and madecassoside keep showing up in the serums he approves. He calls madecassoside one of the most powerful ingredients for cutting redness and irritation. That makes his picks a natural fit for sensitive or reactive skin. He is also a fan of lactic acid and PHA. Both are gentle exfoliants that also work as humectants, meaning they pull moisture in while clearing away dead skin cells. He finds that mix especially useful for dry or dehydrated skin. He also tends to like formulas that leave out fragrance.
Hyram's serum picks, in his words
"My top product for dry or dehydrated skin is the Cocokind Ceramide Barrier Serum. I discovered this one when I was doing my 60 second brand review videos and I saw this looked at the ingredients and I was like the ingredients in this product are so good why have I never tried it and I started using it and sure enough it is a really good formula."
"Their balanceful serum, the green one, is so freaking good, I love that one. Torriden has really amazing products, I've tried their moisturizers, cleansers, and serums and they're all great, but I definitely feel like their serums are where they shine."
"Vichy is a French brand that uses volcanic water rich in minerals they claim are great for the skin, and I personally love their serum. Their hydrating serum is one of the best hydrating serums I've ever used, it's amazing, it makes your skin look super plump."
"I have loved this experience, it feels like the perfect serum for fall and winter, giving your skin a [...] nice natural glow with a super lightweight consistency. [...] If you're someone who's worried about getting red or irritated in the fall or wintertime, [...] this is a good match for you because of the blend of ingredients to calm and soothe your skin. I feel like this is a really underrated product and I'm definitely impressed with this serum."
"The Peach and Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum does such a good job at smoothing over the skin making it truly have that glasslike appearance. As opposed to the B.E. Hydra serum from Drunk Elephant which has a good ingredient list but is really only focused on hydration, the Peach and Lily serum has great hydrating ingredients, it has mass aside which is great for reducing sensitivity, niacinamide, peptides, like it just has so many different types of good ingredients all loaded into one formula."
"I'm thinking to get you the Aveeno Calm + Restore Triple Oat Serum. The reason I love this one is that it has three forms of oats to help deeply nourish the skin but also calm any sensitivity because Accutane can be a little intense on the skin, just to help combat that dryness you're experiencing."
How many serums has Hyram reviewed?
Hyram has reviewed 75 serums, for an approval rate of 68%. 51 approved, 13 mixed, and 11 skipped.
What has Hyram skipped in serums?
Fragrance is the thing that most reliably puts him off a serum. He named it as a key reason he is not a fan of the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops. He also took issue with its reflective finish, which he said looked like he had dripped gasoline on his face. He also skipped The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% after it caused him to break out badly.
"I think the concept is creative but when I used it on my skin I was like oh my God, it looks like I dripped gasoline on my face. It's just shiny and reflective. [...] I know it has such a cult following and I find the concept really interesting because it's a cool formula, but between the experience and the fragrance in it I'm not a huge fan of that, which is a shame because I love Glow Recipe. They have some really good formulas but that is my least favorite formula from their line for sure."
"I put The Ordinary azelaic acid on my face and I broke out really badly from that product."
"This is The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% serum for $28. $28 for an Ordinary product is actually crazy because I think this product is $10, and on this sketchy website they want to sell it for $28. Hell no."
"You do not need it. It's not even that you don't just need it, you should not be using it. This type of product is only going to increase the likelihood that you're going to break out, have skin sensitivity, a rash, irritation. Your skin is not really equipped to be able to handle this powerful of a formula. [...] If you're really young, teen, please do not use this product, not only because it's $134 but also because your skin just does not need it."
What should you take from Hyram's picks?
His serum record is most useful for anyone dealing with sensitivity, dryness, or redness. The serum he named as his category winner is the Cocokind Ceramide Barrier Serum. It has the qualities he values most: purposeful ingredients and no added fragrance. If a serum fits that description, he tends to get genuinely excited about it.
Watch Hyram say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- Cocokind Ceramide Barrier SerumNamed a winnerWatch at 7:14
- Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew DropsSkipped itWatch at 4:49
- The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%Skipped itWatch at 1:06
- The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + Hyaluronic AcidSkipped itWatch at 8:54
- Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night SerumSkipped itWatch at 9:26
- Murad Quick Relief Colloidal Oatmeal TreatmentSkipped itWatch at 14:08
- La Mer Renewal OilSkipped itWatch at 10:11
- Neutrogena Bright Boost Illuminating Face SerumSkipped itWatch at 12:19
- Clarins Double Serum Complete Age-Defying ConcentrateSkipped itWatch at 14:34
- Ole Henriksen Truth SerumSkipped itWatch at 3:57
- The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5Skipped itWatch at 1:00
- The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%Skipped itWatch at 0:52
- Torriden Balanceful SEA Calming SerumRated itWatch at 9:06
- Vichy Mineral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating SerumRated itWatch at 7:02
- Tirtir Matcha Dual SerumRated itWatch at 7:10
- Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining SerumRated itWatch at 8:02
- Aveeno Calm + Restore Triple Oat SerumRated itWatch at 8:19
- Glow Recipe Avocado Ceramide Recovery SerumRated itWatch at 8:40
- Cetaphil Healthy Radiance Brightening Antioxidant-C Face SerumRated itWatch at 9:12
- TruSkin Vitamin C, E and Hyaluronic Acid Facial SerumRated itWatch at 2:54
- L'Oréal Paris Hyaluronic Acid SerumRated itWatch at 2:48
- Selfless by Hyram Peptide Q10 and Ginger Daily Defense Antioxidant SerumRated itWatch at 17:15
- Tower 28 SOS Rescue SerumRated itWatch at 5:27
- The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Hyaluronic Acid SerumRated itWatch at 12:32
About this expert
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This guide reflects what Hyram said across his videos about 75 products in serums, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The approval rate is the share of these products he approved. It is general information, not medical advice.