9 Best Peptide Serums to Improve Wrinkles, Dark Spots, and More

These days, you can’t scroll, shop, or even walk down the street without hearing about peptides. And while they’re in everything from supplements to IVs, the best peptide serums stand apart for their ability to boost hydration, increase collagen and elastin, and deliver smoother, more youthful skin—with the evidence to back up many of their claims.

Vogue’s Favorite Peptide Serums:

• Best Overall: SkinMedica TNS Advanced+ Serum, $295
• Best for Dry Skin: Medik8 Liquid Peptides, $64
• Best Affordable: The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum, $32
• Best for Deep Wrinkles: Dr. Dennis Gross DermInfusions Fill + Repair Serum, $78
• Best for Mature Skin: SkinCeuticals P-TIOX, $150
• Best Multitasking: COSRX 6X Peptide Collagen Skin Booster, $25
• Best for Sensitive Skin: Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Serum, $199

But even in skincare, these ingredients are enjoying newfound attention. “Peptides have graduated from the fine print to the front of the bottle,” says Mona Gohara, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Hamden, Connecticut. They’re quickly approaching hyaluronic acid-territory—which itself has become a household name—in part due to their versatility. “Many peptide formulas offer improvements in the appearance of fine lines and firmness while being relatively easy to tolerate and incorporate into a routine,” she says. “They also pair beautifully with ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and antioxidants.”

For the uninitiated, peptides are short chains of amino acids. “Certain ones can act as messengers, helping signal processes involved in maintaining skin’s structure, including collagen,” Dr. Gohara explains. The various types of peptides can work differently: Some kickstart collagen production, others inhibit enzymes that break down collagen and elastin (preserving what your skin already has), and certain peptides can improve the penetration and function of other ingredients, such as that all-important hyaluronic acid. (“Hyaluronic acid helps give skin that immediate cushion; certain peptides aim to support the framework over time,” says Dr. Gohara.) Being a team player is part of the reason peptides have found popularity—and why that’s unlikely to wane anytime soon.

Moreover, depending on how they work in skin, peptide serums can offer a variety of benefits, such as lasting moisture, increased collagen production, and a reduction in pigment production. With that, scroll ahead for the best peptide serum for every skin concern and goal.

Best Overall: SkinMedica TNS Advanced+ Serum

• Why We Love It: “This was one of the first peptide serums to be actually effective,” says Carmen Castilla, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York, NY, who also likes that it works for all skin types. “It combines growth factors and peptides to help boost collagen, which can smooth out fine lines over time.” It uses two chambers—one housing the growth factors and collagen-stimulating peptides, and another brimming with botanical extracts that support skin renewal—to effectively help skin act more youthfully. That combination “makes this a sophisticated, comprehensive option for the appearance of fine lines, uneven texture, and loss of firmness,” says Dr. Gohara, who considers it an investment for anyone who wants several concerns addressed in one serum. All told, the formula yields results in as soon as two weeks, all while being gentle enough for twice-daily use.
• Editor’s Experience: It’s not only convenient that this one, compact bottle contains two powerhouse serums—it’s also fun. I get to feel like a chemist when I pump both serums onto the back of my hand and mix them up, morning and night. While testing this derm-loved salve for the past couple of days, I’ve noticed just how hydrating and creamy it feels on application, and that it leaves my skin with a subtle glow. I’m curious to see how its growth-factor technology will kick in over time. —Jenny Berg, contributor

Best for Dry Skin: Medik8 Liquid Peptides

• Why We Love It: When it comes to peptides, more is often more—as is the case with this peptide serum, which offers 10 different peptides to firm, plump, and smooth skin. They’re housed in a copper peptide that delivers them exactly where they’re most needed in the skin to provide results effectively and quickly (think weeks, not months). To immediately improve the appearance of fine lines; not to mention, the formula also features several weights of hyaluronic acid to amplify skin’s hydration.
• Editor’s Experience: I keep this peptide serum on hand at all times, and reach for it most when I’m on a no-fuss routine kind of night. You know those moments when you don’t want to think so much into what you’re applying without sacrificing efficacy. It’s gentle, nourishing, and layers well with other products and ingredients. A skin-care staple! —Kiana Murden, beauty shopping editor

Best for Mature Skin: SkinCeuticals P-TIOX

• Why We Love It: While many products claim to be “Botox in a bottle,” SkinCeuticals P-Tiox is one of the few that has the science to back it up: It uses neuropeptides—a type of peptide that inhibits neurotransmitters in the skin, thus reducing muscle movement—to soften the look of expression lines like forehead wrinkles, crow’s feet, and frown lines, also known as the 11s. (However, it’s worth noting that the effect is far more subtle than that of actual injectables.) Alongside those peptides are polyhydroxy acid for gentle exfoliation—giving it the immediate effect of brightening and smoothing the surface of skin—as well as niacinamide to help even out skin tone, giving this serum multiple benefits in a bottle.
• Editor’s Experience: “I’ve gone through several bottles of this serum, and while it doesn’t entirely replace my need for injections twice a year, it does make my forehead lines (which are my most obvious expression lines) look softer and less noticeable once the neuromodulators wear off. Plus, I love that it brightens my skin at the same time—the best of both worlds.” —Deanna Pai, contributor

Best Affordable: The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum

• Why We Love It: This peptide serum is proof that results don’t always have to come at a cost. It contains five peptides, including a copper peptide found to stimulate production of collagen and elastin, as well as hyaluronic acid to draw in water for immediate plumping. The copper peptide does more than that, however: It can also double as an anti-inflammatory agent and support skin’s immune function.

Best for Deep Wrinkles: Dr. Dennis Gross DermInfusions Fill + Repair Serum

• Why We Love It: While topical products can make quick work of fine lines and more shallow wrinkles, they often aren’t powerful enough to lift lax skin—which, in many cases, calls for injectables. This formula sets out to change that, with four peptides—including palmitoyl tripeptide-1, palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7, and oligopeptide-2—that trigger collagen and elastin production, as well as four molecular weights of hyaluronic acid to sink into various layers of skin and draw in moisture. Together, they work immediately and over time to restore volume and lift. The formula also has a unique delivery system that shrinks the size of water molecules, allowing the solution to sink deeper into skin.

Best Multitasking: CosRx 6X Peptide Collagen Skin Booster

• Why We Love It: Peptides are only part of the story in this toner serum, which is so watery-light that it layers nicely with other products and absorbs into skin almost instantly. For immediate hydration, glycerin and hyaluronic acid pull in moisture, while natural moisturizing factors replenish the skin barrier. The peptides, meanwhile, round out the formula to give it added versatility: “For example, palmitoyl tripeptide-8 helps balance, oligopeptide-68 helps brighten, and SH-polypeptide-121 helps boost collagen,” Hadley King, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, previously shared with Vogue.

Best for Sensitive Skin: Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Face Serum

• Why We Love It: Copper peptides are known for their ability to usher other actives deep into skin, where they can better work their magic. But the copper tripeptide in this serum also works to help soothe skin and support repair, keeping it calm and comfortable. That benefit is amplified by the addition of 2% ectoin, a protective ingredient that defends skin against external irritants (like pollutants) and internal stressors (like hormonal changes) alike. Its easygoing nature—as well as its fragrance-free formulation—make it especially helpful for those prone to eczema, in addition to anyone putting together an anti-aging routine.

Best for Volume Loss: Vichy LiftActiv Collagen Specialist 16 Serum

• Why We Love It: A mere wrinkle serum? It’s old news compared to this potent formula, which goes above and beyond to address 16 signs of aging (hence its name), including sagging, fine lines, dryness, and uneven texture. Vichy’s peptide serum uses a blend of peptides, rhamnose (a type of sugar), and mushroom-derived maitake extract to address skin changes on multiple levels, according to Dr. Gohara, and can even restore the density and volume that skin loses over time (though it’s not comparable to an injectable filler). “It’s French pharmacy sophistication at an approachable price, with collagen-focused science behind the elegance,” she says.

Best for Early Signs of Aging: Alastin Restorative Skin Complex

• Why We Love It: If you’re just starting to see signs of aging, among them fine lines or changes in your facial volume, reach for this serum. “Its peptide-based TriHex technology is designed to support the skin’s natural production of healthy collagen and elastin,” says Melanie Palm, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in San Diego, CA, who also appreciates that the brand has published clinical research around the ingredient technology. The TriHex complex she mentions is powered by Octapeptide-45, a peptide that helps support the skin’s production of new collagen, elastin, and even hyaluronic acid. It also contains magnolol, which helps boost skin’s fat over time, helping it look smoother and plumper.