If there’s a universal goal in the skin-care realm, it’s glowing skin. That’s what makes the best brightening serums so appealing: they not only fade dark spots and discoloration, but they also impart a healthy radiance to all, no matter your skin type or concern. Better yet, the latest iterations do so quickly and gently, thanks to innovative ingredients and clever formulations.
For one, bright skin benefits from an even skin tone, so you’ll find the typical agents like niacinamide, vitamin C, and the newcomer tranexamic acid; each works in a unique way to interrupt the pigment production process. Hydration is also critical for a fresh-faced look, so these face serums also contain humectants like hyaluronic acid.
Vogue’s Favorite Brightening Serums
While they’re effective, be prepared to put in the time. “Brightening serums are not a quick fix, and it’s important to have realistic expectations about how long it will take to see results,” says Dr. Elizabeth Houshmand, a board-certified dermatologist in Dallas, Texas, who estimates that it can take three to six months. That makes it all the more important to find a formula you enjoy using. With that, consider these the best brightening serums worth your time.
In This Article
Best Overall: La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Dark Spot Serum
- Why We Love It: Dullness, dark spots, and discoloration—all can impede brighter, seemingly candle-lit skin. That’s where this serum can be especially powerful, according to Dr. Houshmand. “It has a unique ingredient, Melasyl, in combination with 10% niacinamide,” she says. That combination gives it the ability to help fade persistent dark spots “while respecting the natural tone of all skin tones,” she explains. (That’s essential, as some skin-brightening agents can inadvertently inflame melanin-rich skin, leaving behind light patches.)
- Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, Melasyl™, La Roche Posay’s thermal spring water
- Best For: Dullness and discoloration
- Dosage: 3-4 drops, morning and night
- Size: 1 fl. oz.
Best for Sensitive Skin: Vichy LiftActiv 16% Pure Vitamin C Brightening Serum
- Why We Love It: Vitamin C can be irritating for some, which is why Dr. Houshmand likes this formulation. It has a relatively high concentration of 16% vitamin C but “no drying alcohols, so it’s ideal for sensitive skin types,” she says, also calling out that it’s lightweight, allergy-tested, and fragrance-free. The bottle is similarly unique: It has a carefully designed applicator that minimizes exposure to oxygen, thus keeping the serum fresh and potent. “I recommend applying this antioxidant in the morning to help with skin radiance,” she says.
- Key Ingredients: Vitamin C, carnosine
- Best For: Sensitive or sensitized skin
- Dosage: 3-5 drops in the morning
- Size: 1 fl. oz.
Best for Dry Skin: Goldfaden MD Brightening Elixir
- Why We Love It: Kristyn Smith, an esthetician who counts Bella Hadid among her A-list clientele, has loved this line for years—and this serum in particular stands out. “This serum is a very easy addition to nearly any regimen, and it is especially good for those who want something gentle but functional,” she says. It helps regulate melanin production with a lineup of vitamin C, niacinamide, and ferulic acid, but “without anything overly active or harsh,” she says. For that reason, most people can use it without worry of irritation. Moreover, it also contains vitamin E, hyaluronic acid, and glycerin—allowing it to double as a hydrating serum to boot.
- Key Ingredients: Vitamin C, niacinamide, ferulic acid
- Best For: Sun spots
- Dosage: 1-2 pumps, morning and night
- Size: 1 fl. oz.
Best for Oily Skin: PCA Skin Pigment Gel Pro
- Why We Love It: This lightweight formula houses powerful active ingredients in a gel formulation, which is one of the reasons Dr. Houshmand recommends it to her patients. On top of that, “it’s easy to apply and layer twice daily,” she says; that makes it a boon for those prone to excess oil. It targets dark spots, discoloration, and even hormone-related hyperpigmentation, such as melasma, with a clever blend of niacinamide, tranexamic acid, and licorice root extract. Also inside is lactic acid, which gently clears the way for the other actives to better penetrate skin.
- Key Ingredients: Tranexamic acid, licorice root, niacinamide, lactic acid
- Best For: Hormone-related hyperpigmentation
- Dosage: 1-2 pumps, morning and night
- Size: 1 oz.
Best for Mature Skin: SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic
- Why We Love It: It’s hard to overstate just how beloved SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic is, which has long been considered the gold standard of face serums. Recommended by editors and dermatologists alike, it goes above and beyond the typical vitamin C serum by pairing a high concentration of the ingredient with both vitamin E and ferulic acid—which not only bolster its effect, but also stabilize the finicky ingredient. And together, the trio effectively limits cellular damage in skin, leaving it more radiant and smooth.
- Key Ingredients: L-ascorbic acid 15%, alpha tocopherol 1%, ferulic acid 0.5%
- Best For: Signs of aging, like wrinkles and sun spots
- Dosage: 4-5 drops in the morning
- Size: 1 fl. oz.
Best for Dark Spots: Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum
- Why We Love It: Rather than rely on a singular hero ingredient, this sensitive skin-friendly serum “takes a multi-brightener strategy—tranexamic acid, arbutin, niacinamide, and antioxidants—all thoughtfully layered in a way that’s potent but not aggressive,” says Smith. It’s ideal for someone seeking a daily brightening product that is, as she puts it, “elegant, cosmetically sophisticated, and supportive of sensitive or compromised skin.”
- Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, reishi mushroom, tranexamic acid
- Best For: Sensitive or sensitized skin
- Dosage: 1-3 pumps, morning and night
- Size: 1 fl. oz.
Best for Melasma: Environ MelaFade System
- Why We Love It: This set consists of two complementary serums, which you need to mix before smoothing the blend onto skin; one contains lactic acid and niacinamide, while the other is infused with brightening botanicals like plum, honeybush, and cherry extracts. The extra step is well worth it, according to Smith, who’s experienced its benefits firsthand. After enduring lasting inflammation and discoloration in her early 30s, she began using this; after three months, “my skin was clearer and brighter than it had ever been,” she says. “What I appreciate is that it doesn’t just suppress pigment—it supports healthy skin function.” That’s why she recommends it for those with stubborn or hormonally driven pigment, such as melasma.
- Key Ingredients: Lactic acid, niacinamide, plum extract
- Best For: Stubborn or hormonally driven pigment
- Dosage: Mix one pump each of Serum A and Serum B and then apply, morning and night
- Size: 1 fl. oz. (per bottle)
Best for Dullness: Medik8 C-Tetra Luxe
- Why We Love It: Medik8 may be known for its lineup of retinoid products, but its brightening serum is just as noteworthy. It contains tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate—a form of vitamin C considered just as potent as the original, but gentler on sensitive skin—to help fade dark spots. The lightweight formula also sinks into skin quickly, where it can get to work reducing excess pigment production and boosting collagen formation.
- Key Ingredients: Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate 14%, red ginseng extract, squalane, vitamin F
- Best For: Dull skin
- Dosage: 6 drops in the morning
- Size: 1 fl. oz.
Best Splurge: RéVive Skincare Brightening Vitamin C Serum
- Why We Love It: Rather than offer tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate (that vitamin C that’s easier to tolerate) alone, this serum provides a strategic pairing. It combines it with niacinamide, which works via a completely different mechanism to stymie pigment production and therefore even out skin tone. Also inside are four forms of hyaluronic acid, antioxidant-rich snow mushroom extract, and the brand’s signature renewal peptide, which instructs skin cells to function more efficiently—effectively resulting in brighter, better hydrated, and more youthful skin.
- Key Ingredients: Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, peptides
- Best For: All forms of discoloration
- Dosage: 2 pumps in the morning
- Size: 1 fl. oz.
Best for Redness: Beauty of Joseon Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum Propolis and Niacinamide
- Why We Love It: While Korean beauty brand Beauty of Joseon is something of a hitmaker—offering a lineup of highly effective formulations—this serum stands out from the (exceptionally good) crowd. (Senior beauty shopping writer Kiana Murden calls it “one of the best face serums I’ve ever tried.”) Sixty percent of the formula is pure propolis extract, which delivers moisture and clarity, while the niacinamide and beta hydroxy acid help control oil, clear pores, and lightly resurface skin.
- Key Ingredients: propolis extract 60%, niacinamide 2%, BHA 0.5%
- Best For: Large pores, acne marks, and other signs of inflammation
- Dosage: 2-3 drops, morning and night
- Size: 1 fl. oz.
Everything You Need to Know
Do brightening serums really work?
Brightening serums do work, so long as you choose the right one for your skin and use it regularly. For instance, “someone with acne-prone skin and lingering dark spots would benefit from different brighteners than someone with hormonally induced melasma,” says Smith. However, she says, “used correctly, they can dramatically improve skin clarity, even tone, and restore radiance.”
Secondly, it’s essential to be both patient and diligent. “Consistent use can help restore the skin’s natural luminosity and give it a healthy, radiant appearance,” says Dr. Houshmand. “Like most skin-care products, brightening serums require consistent use to see results, which can take several weeks or even months.”
Which serum is best for brightening?
First, seek out a serum with a strategic combination of ingredients. “The best brightening serums contain a blend of exfoliating ingredients, pigment-blocking ingredients, and antioxidants,” says Dr. Houshmand.
Smith also recommends vetting the formulation for stability and tolerability; for instance, a stable and gentle form of vitamin C, such as tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, may be preferable to pure ascorbic acid if you have sensitive skin. Also, make sure the formula is “pH balanced and well-tolerated by your skin type,” she says. “And avoid overly harsh combinations if your skin barrier is compromised—brightening should be supportive, not aggressive.”
What to Look for in a Brightening Serum
Smith always recommends some form of vitamin C, which “inhibits tyrosinase, supports collagen production, and provides antioxidant protection,” she says. Niacinamide is another worthwhile option, since it limits the transfer of melanin to skin cells—thereby impeding the formation of discoloration.
Other good ingredients to seek out are tranexamic acid, “which interferes with melanin production pathways at the cellular level and is excellent for melasma,” Dr. Smith says. Licorice root extract also suppresses melanin production.
Whatever you choose, Dr. Housmand advises approaching hydroquinone with caution, since it “is a bleaching agent that, when used for a prolonged period, can cause a paradoxical darkening of the skin,” she says. (It’s a good idea to consult with your skin-care provider first.)
Who should use a brightening serum?
Most people would benefit from having a brightening serum in their routine. “Melanin is a responder—it reacts to everything from UV exposure and inflammation to hormonal changes and internal stress,” says Smith. “That’s why we see pigmentary conditions like melasma or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation show up in response to these triggers.” Even aging alone can lead to uneven pigmentation in skin, so it’s hard to avoid no matter what.
However, there are some for whom brightening serums might not be enough. While they’re effective for boosting overall luminosity and treating isolated brown spots, “patients with melasma will require a combination therapy approach,” says Dr. Houshmand. So set your expectations accordingly to ensure you get the results you deserve.
- Dr. Elizabeth Houshmand, a board-certified dermatologist in Dallas, Texas
- Kristyn Smith, esthetician and founder of Practise NYC
