By Adriana Ermter
You’ve swapped your parka for a denim jacket, traded in hot lattes for iced matcha and now, it’s time to re-evaluate your skincare. But before you Marie Kondo your entire skincare shelf, there’s one product you still need front and center: your facial serum.
Serums are the overachievers of your skincare routine. They pack a serious punch, delivering high doses of ingredients that actually do something—whether that’s fading leftover breakouts, smoothing out texture or giving your skin that lit-from-within glow. Their super-light textures and smaller molecules actually sink right into your skin, delivering all the benefits from their concentrated ingredients. Still, you need to switch things up.
Warmer temperatures and more humidity means your skin craves spring serums’ lighter, brighter, more balanced formulas. There’s vitamin C to even out skin tone, hyaluronic acid for bounce and hydration, niacinamide to calm and smooth, peptides to keep things firm and rose-to bronze-tinted hues for that smooth dewy finish. After all, making the switch to a spring-friendly serum is like giving your face a seasonal refresh, one that matches your mood, climate and calendar. It’s not about adding more steps to your routine, rather just using smarter ones to induce every benefit your complexion desires, from dewy, flushed and glowing to calm, soothed, brightened, repaired and more. Here are 14 of our favourite spring serums to start using now.
For a dewy flush
Glow Recipe, Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dewy Flush
$34 for 12 ml, available at Sephora
If your dream blush doubles as skincare, Glow Recipe’s Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dewy Flush is your new go-to. Not your average cheek tint, this serum-meets-blush hybrid is designed to give you a fresh, dewy flush while treating your epidermis with active ingredients. Niacinamide, also known as vitamin B3, brightens dullness, refining texture and helping to even out tone. Pigments coated in jojoba oil create a formula that glides on like a dream, leaving behind a sheer wash of colour that elevates your natural glow. The glow-factor is buildable too, which means you’re in control of how colour you want. And it works on every skin type, whether you’re dry, oily, sensitive or somewhere in between, this serum nourishes without clogging pores or causing irritation.
Quo Beauty, Golden Glow Drops
$14 for 30 ml, available at Shoppers Drug Mart
All the glow with zero sun damage is a win-win for skin, courtesy of Quo Beauty’s Golden Glow Drops. The lightweight bronzing fluid melts onto your face easily, leaving a radiant sun-kissed finish behind. With its peptide-infused formula to support collagen production, your skin looks smooth and firm. Moisturizing agents like glycerin, draw water in to keep your face plump and hydrated, while emollients help soften your skin and minimize fine lines. Vegan, cruelty-free and suitable for all skin types, you can use as little (just a few drops across your cheekbones) or as much as you like.
To repair and protect
Skinfix, Barrier+ Exo + Ectoin Intensive Repair Baume
$93 for 30 ml, available at www.skinfix.com
Had enough of dry, red, irritated or just plain tired-looking skin? This balm-y serum is the skincare equivalent of a cozy hug. Rich, buttery and designed to rescue stressed-out skin, it has your epidermis bouncing back stronger, smoother and more radiant than ever—and all without a drop of retinol. That’s because Skinfix is all about the restoration without the irritation. The serum’s ultra-gentle formula is ideal for sensitive skin and replete with a blend of plant-based peptides. It also has also a smart delivery-system that mimics what your skin already knows how to do: heal. Then, there’s Ectoin, a soothing molecule found in extremophiles, arnica, a plant member of the sunflower family and allantoin, a healing chemical compound that all work to calm redness and support skin recovery. The perfect fix for dryness, sensitivity or post-procedure flakiness. And it quietly does its thing day after day, slowly improving elasticity, while reducing the look of fine lines and discolouration.
Shiseido, Ultimune Power Infusing Serum
$150 for 50 ml, available at www.shiseido.ca
This serum is like a reset button for your complexion. Not only does it add surface-level hydration, but it’s fuelled with ingredients to strengthen your skin’s natural defenses and give it a boost of resilience. There’s reishi mushroom, known for its antioxidant properties, to help protect the skin from environmental stressors. Iris root extract, great for its vitality, provides deep moisture. Fermented roselle extract enhances the epidermis’ ability to retain water, promoting a plump, smooth appearance, while heartleaf extract soothes and strengthens the skin’s protective barrier, optimizing oxygenation for improved resilience. Its lightweight, water-like texture absorbs quickly too, making it a seamless addition to your skincare routine.
To calm and soothe
Graydon, Jade Moon Superfood Serum
$89 for 30 ml, available at www.graydonskincare.ca
When your face feels like it’s been through the wringer, anything with the word “super” in it sounds, well, super. Jade Moon Superfood Serum does not disappoint. The luxurious oil-based elixir fortifies your skin’s natural barrier, leaving it feeling soft, supple and resilient. Prickly pear seed oil, known for its high content of oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids (unsaturated fatty acids), deeply nourishes the skin. Goji berry seed oil’s antioxidants and vitamins A and C help brighten and protect from environmental stressors. Chia seed oil’s vitamin B3 enhances skin tone and texture, especially beneficial for redness and sensitivities. Oat oil soothes irritated skin, sacha inchi seed oil, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, promotes softness and prevents moisture loss and turmeric balances sebum production and calms inflammation to reduce irritations. It’s great during monthly “moon time,” when hormones kick in and your face needs a little extra balance.
Milk Makeup, Cooling Water Jelly Ice Soothing Serum Stick with Niacinamide
$40 for 13.6 ml, available at Sephora
This cooling, soothing serum in a stick is the refreshing pick-me-up we craved all winter long. Sleek, portable and carry-on bag friendly, it delivers a burst of hydration and a cool sensation all in one fell swoop, making it perfect for on-the-go application or a quick morning refresh post gym. Niacinamide, in the form of Vitamin B3, works to brighten the skin and even out your skin tone. Caffeine helps to reduce puffiness, especially around the eyes for a more awake appearance. Aloe vera soothes and calms, while sodium hyaluronate, a derivative of hyaluronic acid, provides deep hydration. And unlike traditional serums, this solid version is mess free: just pop the lid, swipe a little on and wave goodbye to tired-looking skin.
For plump radiance
Goldie Lux, 24K Gold Face Serum
$140 for 30 ml, available at www.goldieluxskin.ca
Goldie Lux Skin’s 24K Gold Face Serum is that girl of skincare—gorgeous, golden and secretly doing the most behind the scenes. She’s Canadian too, just like the brand and its founder. As for the real 24K gold flakes—they’re totally TikTok-worthy. Then there are the results. The vegan formula is light and silky (zero greasiness, we promise), but still super hydrating, so your skin feels soft, bouncy and fresh without the weight of a heavy cream. It’s packed with skin-loving ingredients too, like rosehip oil to help fade dark spots and boost brightness and jojoba oil to keep things balanced and dewy without clogging your pores. Vitamin E soothes and protects, especially if your skin’s feeling tired, stressed or a little meh. It’s great for all skin types too, sinking in fast, wearing beautifully under makeup and giving your face a flawless, lit-from-within glow. The gold infusion isn’t for bougie purposes either, it actually helps calm irritation and boosts your epidermis’ natural radiance so that you’re glowing for real, not just on the surface. Get it. Get it now.
Vivier, Crème 47 Luxe Concentrate
$395 for 50 ml, available at www.vivierskin.ca
This is the kind of serum that feels like it belongs in a high-end facial, but somehow made its way into your bathroom cabinet. Crafted to be the ultimate skin reset, it’s luxurious and more like a cream serum than just a serum serum, because it’s all about the restoration, radiance and deep nourishment. Its silky formula contains ingredients that work on multiple levels of your epidermis. Think of it like a full support team (that’s Canadian, BTW), that hydrates, calms, brightens and firms all at the same time. It also helps soften fine lines, eliminates dullness and gives your skin a more lifted and plumper look. Its rich texture is gentle too, without a heavy feel. Splurgy for sure, but if your skin’s been feeling lackluster, this may be the revival it needs.
For brightening
Charlotte Tilbury, Dark Spot Correcting Radiance Recovery Serum
$122 for 100 ml, available at www.charlottetilbury.com/ca
Launched this March and already a cult favourite, the famed runway makeup artist’s latest elixir does exactly what its name suggests: it targets dark spots, hyperpigmentation and uneven skin tone. And if you think that sounds pretty fantastic, all courtesy of a hard-working formula, you’d be correct. There’s Vitamin C, in the form of 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid, to help brighten the skin and reduce the appearance of dark spots. Tranexamic acid works to even out skin tone and reduce redness. Niacinamide (vitamin B3) helps to improve skin elasticity and enhance the skin barrier function. Hyaluronic acid provides deep hydration, ensuring the skin remains plump and moisturized, while squalane and panthenol join forces to soothe and hydrate your face to promote a healthy-looking complexion.
Tatcha, The Brightening Serum
$120 for 30 ml, available at Sephora
Ahh, Tatcha, the Japanese brand all beauty editors love. And for good reason. The lightweight, water-like serum has been designed to enhance natural radiance, making you feel luminous and refreshed. With a formula boasting time-release vitamin C, your complexion is consistently brightened throughout the day. Japanese plum and ferulic acid support skin elasticity and provide antioxidant protection and a pro-glutathione antioxidant booster targets hyperpigmentation, evening out skin tone. It absorbs quickly too, so itlayers effortlessly under makeup without leaving a cakey or greasy finish. Plus, it’s clean and formulated without parabens, synthetic fragrances or mineral oil.
To get your natural glow on
La Rosée, Healthy Glow Concentrate
$55.50 for 30 ml, available at Shoppers Drug Mart
Just in time for their 10-year anniversary, French brand La Rosée has hopped the pond to land in Canada. Luckily for us, they brought their Healthy Glow Concentrate serum. One hundred per cent natural vegan, the non-greasy, faintly apricot-smelling elixir is ideal for all skin types to use, including during pregnancy. Organic carrot oil and apricot kernel oil team up to hydrate and brighten dull skin. Astaxanthin, a natural, buildable pigment and antioxidant, gives your complexion that subtle, sun-kissed tint without any orange undertones. Rosemary leaf extract and sunflower oil add nourishment, while vitamin E protects from environmental stressors.
Rhode, Peptide Glazing Fluid
$52 for 50 ml, available at www.rhodeskin.com/en-ca
Dewy and luminous: two words we can’t resist. And, clearly, neither could Hailey Bieber who infused her middle-namesake skincare brand’s Peptide Glazing Fluid chock full of ingredients to do just that—make your skin look dewy and luminous. Specifically formulated to hydrate and plump the skin, the gel serum contains niacinamide to brighten and improve overall texture. Peptides help to visibly reduce the appearance of fine lines. Hyaluronic acid locks in moisture, ensuring your skin stays hydrated throughout the day, while marula oil, rich in fatty acids, supports and softens the skin barrier, making it feel nourished and resilient. Bieber’s model looks and star power aside, what really sets this serum apart is its versatility. The vegan, fragrance- and cruelty-free formulation is not only suitable for all skin types, but it can also be used on its own or as a primer of sorts beneath your makeup.
For maximum hydration
Dr. Louie Revitalizing All-in-One Essence
$65.99 for 50 ml, available at www.drlouie.ca
More than a just serum for dry, dull skin with fine lines and hyperpigmentation, this is a love story. The face essence was originally mix-mastered by Korean-Canadian Dr. Louie Kim as a gift to his wife. And when he saw its impact, the eponymous brand was born. A multitasker, All-in-One combines the benefits of a toner, serum, moisturizer and face oil in one lightweight formula packed with do-good ingredients. Emblica, a concentrated extract of Indian gooseberries, provides antioxidant protection to combat signs of aging. Ascorbyl glucoside, a stabilized form of Vitamin C, helps brighten the complexion and fade dark spots. Hyaluronic acid delivers deep hydration. Organic jojoba oil balances oil production without clogging pores, and fomes officinalis (mushroom) extract works to tighten pores and improve skin texture.
Mimar, Ultra Hydrating Serum
$55 for 30 ml, available at www.mimiarskin.com
Homegrown Canadian. Toronto based and manufactured. Female owned and operated. Botanically driven skincare products… Do we really need to say more? No. But we will because Mimar’s Ultra Hydrating Serum is a game-changer for deep, long-lasting hydration. Lightweight and water based, the gel serum is infused with red-brown alga, sourced from the Baltic Sea, to provide instant hydration while plumping the skin. A natural complex combining watermelon rind extract, lentil fruit extract, and unripe apple extract works synergistically to hydrate the skin—all within 15 minutes of application, and to reduce fine lines within two hours.
