Trust Us—These Are the 10 Brightening Serums That Beauty Editors Swear By

If there’s anything that beauty editors are forever in pursuit of, it’s healthy-looking, radiant skin. While some glowing makeup trickery can help you feign a healthy glow, the best course of action to achieve an even-toned, radiant complexion is skincare, and more specifically, a brightening serum.

First things first, let’s define what we mean by brightening. A brightening serum, in a nutshell, helps your skin look even toned and radiant. It can help fade dark spots from acne scarring, reduce pigmentation caused by sun damage (if you’re not already wearing an SPF every day, here is your sign) and imparts dull, lacklustre skin with a little more glow. Most brightening serums work by reducing melanin production, which can help to fade areas of skin discolouration.

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(Image credit: @mexicanbutjapanese)

Brightening serums can easily slot into your current skincare routine. You’ll want to incorporate this after cleansing your skin, but before moisturising. Serums are formulated to be more potent and deliver ingredients into the skin more so than moisturisers, so if you’re looking to invest in a brightening skincare product, a serum is your best bet to get the most bang for your skincare buck. And if you’re looking for brightening eye creams for dark circles – we’ve also got that covered.

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(Image credit: @amy_lawrenson)

"When looking to buy a serum to brighten and even the tone of the skin, there are loads of great ingredients,” says aesthetician and founder of West Room Aesthetics, Dija Ayodele. "Some of my favourites are kojic acid, liquorice root extract, niacinamide, resorcinol and alpha arbutin and retinoids. All these ingredients work by calming melanin production as well as targeting current hyperpigmentation to help with fading, so it is important to remember that they are long term products to prevent as well as to treat.”

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(Image credit: @rosiehw)

While we love a product that delivers instant results, it’s worth using a brightening serum for at least four weeks to start seeing results, so stick with it and don’t forget to follow up with an effective SPF each day to help protect your skin to maintain skin clarity and radiance. Whether you have oily, dry or sensitive skin (or all the above – skin can be picky!) there’s a brightening serum for your skin type and budget below.

The 10 Best Brightening Serums

1. Paula's Choice Clinical Discoloration Repair Serum

2. SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Serum

3. Caudalie Vinoperfect Complexion Correcting Radiance Serum

4. Sunday Riley Good Genes Glycolic Acid Treatment

5. Versed Stroke of Brilliance Brightening Serum

6. Medik8 Crystal Retinal 1 Serum

7. Ole Henriksen Truth Serum

8. Byoma Brightening Serum

9. The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2%

10. Tula Brightening Treatment Drops

Up next: This Is the Affordable Brand Beauty Editors Swear By for Clear, Glowy Skin

This story was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.

Beauty Editor, Who What Wear UK

Eleanor Vousden is the beauty editor of Who What Wear UK. She was previously deputy editor at Hairdressers Journal, health writer at Woman & Home and junior beauty editor at beauty website Powder. She has also contributed to Wallpaper and Elle Collections with written and styling work.

Working as a beauty journalist since 2015 after graduating in fashion journalism at the London College of Fashion, she has been highly commended at the BSME Talent Awards and also contributed to Powder, winning Website of the Year at the PPA Awards for her work in beauty journalism.

Eleanor’s journalistic focus is to provide readers with honest and helpful beauty content. Through words, video and live broadcast, she has interviewed several celebrity makeup artists, hairstylists and top dermatologists throughout her career. She has a particular interest in finding solutions for acne and eczema, which she has experienced firsthand. She has also amassed a large collection of fragrances and can never say no to a new candle.

When she’s not writing or testing the latest beauty product or treatments, she’s on the seafront in her hometown of Brighton and Hove, where she lives with her partner.