While we’re used to treating our skin with serums and moisturisers, our body rarely gets the same attention in our skincare routine. Apart from body wash, body lotion, and possibly a body cream, there have been fewer options for the skin below our neck for a long time. And when you think about it, it does seem strange that we give our face all the love and attention without addressing the other 90% of our skin in our body care routine.
However, in more recent years, more skincare brands have allowed us to care for the skin on our body just as much as we do on our face, with new innovations in body care. Body serums have been launching left, right and centre of late, and much like a serum you would use on your face, allow you to enjoy the same benefits on the rest of your body.
Whether you want to enjoy the benefits of vitamin C all over or want a body serum to fade hyperpigmentation, or just another layer of hydration to sandwich in between your body cream, there’s a formula for every concern. And thanks to their lightweight texture, they slot into your shower routine seamlessly. They work great as a lightweight hydrator in the summer, and when the temperatures dip, they can be layered underneath a body cream or body lotion for extra nourishment when you need it.
Ahead, I’ve rounded up some of the best body serums around that promise to hydrate, brighten, exfoliate and more. Your silkiest, softest skin awaits.
Best Body Serums, Tried & Tested
1. Vaseline Gluta-Hya Flawless Tone Serum Burst Lotion Moisturiser
Vaseline
Gluta-Hya Flawless Tone Serum Burst Lotion Moisturiser
This unassuming body serum has become a firm favourite amongst our beauty team (it even won a Who What Wear Next in Beauty Best in Class Award—it’s that good). It has a light, cooling gel-serum texture that sinks in within a matter of moments and leaves skin with a velvety soft finish. I find it hydrating enough that I don’t need to use a body moisturiser on top; you can just apply and go. It comes in three different varieties, including Dewy Radiance, Flawless Tone and Overnight Radiance, but my favourite is Flawless Tone, which helps to fade hyperpigmentation and leaves your skin with a glow. It’s great for treating lingering scars from ingrown hairs or sun-induced pigmentation while leaving your skin feeling really hydrated. Honestly, I can’t believe it’s only £13.
Pros
- Affordable
- Comes in three varities to add radiance, brighten and hydrate overnight
- Sinks in quickly
Cons
- If you’re after something more luxe, another serum may be better
2. Naturium Urea 5% Body Serum
Naturium
Urea 5% Body Serum
This new Naturium body serum now has a permanent spot in my bathroom. It’s ultra-lightweight, yet incredibly hydrating thanks to the addition of urea in the formula, and the milky serum texture absorbs into a cooling, silky finish on the skin (no waiting around for this one to sink in). The handy pump dispenser makes it so handy to apply, too. It’s one of the more hydrating body serums I’ve tried, and it works well when worn alone in the summer or layered underneath a body lotion or body cream in the colder months to really lock in the hydration.
Pros
- Great for hydrating dry or rough skin
- Huge bottle lasts forever
Cons
- Not for you if you want something to exfoliate or brighten the skin
3. U Beauty Resurfacing Body Compound
U Beauty
Resurfacing Body Compound
While expensive, trust me when I say that this body serum is worth every penny. It works as a body exfoliator and serum in one, helping to slough away dull, dry skin while hydrating to leave your limbs satin-soft. Whenever I use it, I’m always amazed at how glowy and smooth my skin looks. Because it’s an exfoliating body serum, you only need to use it a couple of times a week, but the results are nothing short of transformative. It’s also brilliant to use as exfoliating prep before using a self-tanner, helping your tan go on more evenly and last for longer, too.
Pros
- Exfoliates and hydrates in one
- Formula has a silky texture that leaves skin soft and smooth
Cons
- Luxury formula has the price tag to match
4. Nécessaire The Body Serum Fragrance Free
Nécessaire
The Body Serum
What I love about Nécessaire is that many of its products come in unfragranced form. And if you’re someone with sensitive skin like me, you know it can be hard to find products suited to eczema or psoriasis-prone skin that don’t feel clinical and ugly in your bathroom. This, however, is an elevated body serum that looks chic in your bathroom while suiting sensitive skin’s needs. It contains five different weights of hyaluronic acid, making it very hydrating and easily layered underneath other body care products or worn alone for lightweight comfort to dry, irritated skin. The gel-like texture sinks in quickly, so there’s no waiting around to get dressed afterward.
Pros
- Fragrance-free formula is ideal for sensitive skin
- Chic packaging
- Hydrating
Cons
- Not for those who prefer a fragranced body serum
5. Oskia Renaissance Body Treatment Milk
Oskia
Renaissance Body Treatment Milk
With its beautifully rosy scent and milky texture, this is one of the most luxurious body serums I’ve come across and is brimming with skincare actives. It includes retinol to rejuvenate the skin, and omegas and minerals to nourish the skin deeply. If that wasn’t enough, it also contains fruit-based AHAs to gently unlock a healthy glow and pomegranate and rosehip oils to leave your skin looking and feeling softened as it gets to work on the skin. It’s a little more lotion-like in texture compared to others on this list, so it works well on its own to provide enough hydration from top to toe.
Pros
- Brimming with ingredients to smooth, brighten and hydrate
- Rosy scent
Cons
- A little more expensive than others
6. Byoma Smoothing Body Serum
Byoma
Smoothing Body Serum
Coming in at under £15, Byoma’s Smoothing Body Serum is a great results-driven option that won’t make your bank account cry. Succinic acid and blue tansy work in tandem to exfoliate without irritation, while the lipids help to nourish and restore the skin. Much like a serum, it has a watery gel-like consistency that sinks in quickly and leaves your skin with a subtle glow with a more even-toned complexion over a couple of weeks of use. It’s a great choice if you want your body serum to do more than just hydrate your skin, and at £14, you really won’t mind using it regularly.
Pros
- Affordable
- Helps to exfoliate, brighten and smooth the skin
Cons
- Has a scent, so not for those who want an unfragranced body serum
7. Chanel N°1 De Chanel Body Serum in Mist
CHANEL
N°1 De Chanel Body Serum in Mist
Every detail of this body serum is luxurious. And of course it is—it’s Chanel. Firstly, I love the mist application, which makes it effortless to apply post-shower without the need to rub it into the skin. Secondly, it contains red camellia extract and oil (an iconic flower of the fashion house) that works to hydrate and leave skin looking and feeling silky soft. The milky texture of the mist sinks in quickly and can be misted over the skin directly or applied to the palms and massaged into the skin. Of course, it’s going to look beautiful perched on your bathroom shelf, too.
Pros
- Luxury formula
- Mist applicator makes it quick and easy to apply
- Chic packaging
Cons
- It’s an investment purchase
8. Paula’s Choice 5% Niacinamide Body Serum
Paula’s Choice
5% Niacinamide Body Serum
For limbs with rough, flaky texture or uneven skin tone, there isn’t another body serum more perfect for the job than this one. Paula’s Choice is a brand praised for its no-nonsense formulas that get the job done, and this niacinamide-based serum is great for treating body acne and scarring, as well as addressing dry skin texture and fading sun-induced pigmentation on the body. It basically does it all.
Pros
- Results-driven formula
- Brightens, hydrates and smooths the skin
Cons
- Not as luxurious to use as other body serums on this list
9. Nécessaire The Body Vitamin C
Nécessaire
The Body Vitamin C
If you want a targeted vitamin C serum for your body, then Necessaire’s is a brilliant option to benefit from the antioxidant effects. It works to brighten and fade hyperpigmentation and lend your skin an incredible glow all over. Lightweight in texture, it sinks in quickly and is easy to layer underneath other body care products. It’s not the most nourishing, so dry skin types may want to layer it underneath a body lotion or body cream, but it’s a great lightweight hydrator.
Pros
- Vitamin C formula helps to brighten the skin and shield from environmental damage
Cons
- Not as hydrating as others