Enter into your glow era and try a brightening serum

Want glowy, radiant and clear skin? Then you ought to be using a brightening serum. 

Formulated with ingredients like vitamin C, niacinamide and AHAs, regular use of a brightening serum helps to nix dull skin, even out skin tone and texture, and minimise the appearance of dark spots and pigmentation. 

There's a variety of brightening serums to suit a variety of skin types too, so even if you have sensitive skin you can still reap the benefits of a brightening serum. 

Ready to find the right brightening serum for you? Ahead, you'll find BEAUTYcrew's top picks in the category and we think you'll love them too.

2024's Top 3 Best Brightening Serums

Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum Complexion Correcting, $117, Sephora
SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF, $193.60, Adore Beauty
PCA Skin Vitamin B3 Brightening Serum, $184, Adore Beauty

Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum Complexion Correcting

This cult-favourite serum has a massive fan base on TikTok thanks to Caudalie's patented Viniferine, which is 62 times more effective than vitamin C at enhancing radiance and unifying the complexion. Formulated to be suitable for all skin types it can be used to treat a range of pigmentation issues such as dark spots, acne marks, sun pigmentation and melasma. 

Key features:

Patented Viniferine 62 more times effective than vitamins at enhancing radiance and unifying skin tone
Suitable for all skin types
Treats various types of pigmentation issues 

Available at:

• $99 from Cult Beauty
• $105 from ASOS
• $117 from Sephora

SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF
from $191.18 at Active Skin

A fine match for combination and oily skin types, this brightening serum boasts a cocktail of vitamin C, phloretin and ferulic acid. When teamed up, the trio works to slow down the production of melanin to prevent hyperpigmentation, boosts collagen production and protects against free radicals.

Key features:

Suitable for combination and oily skin types
Contains vitamin C, phloretin and ferulic acid
Treats hyperpigmentation
Boosts collagen production
Protects against free radicals

Available at:

• usually $242 now $191.18 from Active Skin
• usually $242 now $193.60 at Adore Beauty
• $242 from MYER

PCA Skin Vitamin B3 Brightening Serum
from $184 at Adore Beauty

Designed to target the skin concerns of mature skin and sensitive skin, this niacinamide serum is a real multitasker. It tackles photo damage caused by the sun and helps to minimise pigmentation, but it also soothes redness. It boasts a slew of great glow-boosters: niacinamide to brighten, even out the skin tone and minimise redness, plankton extract to reduce pigmentation and fine lines, and mulberry and green tea extract to unify the complexion and protect against environmental aggressors.  

Key features:

Formulated for mature skin and sensitive skin types
Contains niacinamide, plankton extract, mulberry extract and green tea extract
Minimises pigmentation
Unifies skin tone
Minimises redness
Minimises fine lines
Protects against environmental aggressors 

Available at:

• usually $230 now $184 from Adore Beauty
• usually $230 now $184 from The Clinic
• usually $230 now $195.50 from Skin Mart

Tatcha Violet C Brightening Serum
from $143 at MECCA

This powerful serum packs a punch with 20 per cent vitamin C, Japanese beautyberry, 10 per cent mild fruit AHAs and Japanese angelica root. With regular use this pick can help to reduce premature ageing caused by free radicals, boost cell turnover, enhances hydration, removes dead skin cells, smooths skin, evens skin tone and minimises pigmentation.

Key features:

Contains 20 per cent vitamin C, Japanese beautyberry, fruit AHAs and Japanese angelica root
Boosts cell turnover
Enhances hydration
Removes dead skin cells
Smooths skin
Evens skin tone
Minimises pigmentation

Available at:

• $143 from MECCA
• $160 from Selfridges

Go-To Skincare Much Brighter Skin
from $59 at Go-To Skincare

Love the brightening properties of vitamin C but not into the way it can irritate skin if it's unstable? Us too, which is why this serum is so fabulous. It contains a highly stable, anti-microbial and non-irritating form of the ingredient (10 per cent sodium ascorbyl phosphate), and Kakadu plum, which is also rich in vitamin C. Niacinamide, glycerin and hyaluronic acid work in unison to hydrate skin, while enhancing radiance and minimising the appearance of fine lines. 

Key features:

Contains a highly stable, anti-microbial and non-irritating form of vitamin C
Enriched with kakadu plum, niacinamide, glycerin and hyaluronic acid
Unifies skin tone and texture
Enhances radiance
Minimises the appearance of fine lines
Hydrates skin

Available at:

• $59 from Go-To Skincare
• $59 from MECCA
• $81.83 from Revolve

BEAUTY OF JOSEON Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide
from $16.90 at Lila Beauty

Got sensitive skin but still want to glow? This soothing and brightening propolis and niacinamide serum should be on your radar. This gentle ingredient combination also minimises redness, evens out tone and texture, reduces blackheads and breakouts, and nourishes skin too.

Key features:

Contains propolis and niacinamide
Soothes redness
Evens tone and texture
Reduces blackheads and breakouts
Nourishes skin

Available at:

• usually $22.50 now $16.90 from Lila Beauty
• usually $26 now $17.40 from Nudie Glow
• usually $36 now $28.80 from Adore Beauty

Brighten your skin with more than just a serum. Say goodbye to dark under-eyes with these 5 brightening eye creams.

Main image credit: @rosiehw