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Consistency is key to an effective skin-care routine, and the best serum sticks make it a whole lot easier. These mess-free alternatives to the bottled face serums lining your sink are perfect for tossing in your tote, traveling, or anytime-application on days you almost forgot you had a face (because, yes, sometimes your morning regimen happens at 2 pm). Serum sticks deliver all the glow-boosting, smoothing, and hydrating benefits of their liquid counterparts in a format you'll actually look forward to using. In fact, they often feature dermatologist-loved ingredients we've come to depend on, like hyaluronic acid, retinol, squalane, and niacinamide, to tackle specific concerns like hyperpigmentation, fine lines, and dryness. We chatted with editors and board-certified derms to find out what makes these serum sticks stand out and the picks they can't live without.
Our Top Picks
- Best Overall: Tatcha The Serum Stick, $49
- Most Hydrating: Milk Makeup Cooling Water Jelly Ice Soothing Serum Stick, $29
- Best Glowy: Glossier Futuredew Solid Oil-Serum Illuminator, $26
- Best Tinted: Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Balm Serum Boosted Skin Tint, $42
- Best for Hyperpigmentation: Live Tinted Superhue Hyperpigmentation Serum Stick, $34
- Best for Body: Megababe Thigh Rescue Anti Friction Stick, $14
- Best for Dry Skin: Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Barrier Balm, $32
Frequently Asked Questions
- How are serum sticks different from regular serums?
- What are the benefits of using a serum stick?
- Meet the experts
- How we test and review products
- Our staff and testers
Best Overall: Tatcha The Serum Stick
Why it's worth it: Tatcha's The Serum Stick is jam-packed with 80% purified squalane, as well as sunflower seed wax and Japanese rice bran to smooth, soften, and alleviate dryness wherever and whenever your face needs a pick-me-up. Of course, you'll also get to bask in the brand's signature Hadasei-3—the antioxidant-rich blend of Uji green tea, Okinawa mozuku algae, and Akita rice that powers all of Tatcha's products. While we love swiping the stick on bare skin or on top of makeup (to cut down on midday cakiness), Boston-based, board-certified dermatologist Ranella Hirsch, MD, likes to use the formula as a base makeup primer to improve blendability. However you use it, the Serum Stick is a welcome hydration boost and a permanent fixture in our purses.
Tester feedback: "I typically don’t focus much on product packaging, but when it comes to skincare, practicality is key for daily use and on-the-go application," says social media manager Bianca Richards. "The Tatcha Serum Stick has become a favorite addition to my skincare routine. I especially enjoy using it as an under-eye balm to add extra moisture and smoothness in that area, prepping it perfectly for makeup application."
Key ingredients: Hadasei-3, squalane, sunflower seed wax | Fragrance-free: yes | Who it's for: people who want a multifunctional option
Most Hydrating: Milk Makeup Cooling Water Jelly Ice Soothing Serum Stick
Why it's worth it: The texture of Milk Makeup's Cooling Water Jelly Ice Soothing Serum Stick is a delight in and of itself, but it's the effective formula that keeps us uncapping, day after day. This satisfyingly bouncy, jelly-like serum is great for all skin types (even acne-prone) dealing with puffiness, dryness, or redness. Just glide the cooling, calming face stick across your skin to reap the rewards of niacinamide, aloe, caffeine, and seawater. "The cooling is from the release of water upon pressing," explains cosmetic chemist Ginger King. "Also, the inclusion of aloe vera combined with humectants like glycerin, sorbitol, polysaccharides, and polymers enhances that refreshing effect." This is the clear version, but if you're craving a flush along with your revitalizing, reach for the Cooling Jelly in one of six rosy hues.
Tester feedback: "Traveling can be pretty brutal on my dry skin with rosacea. After my most recent flight, my skin was red and itchy, and at one point, I described my skin to my husband as feeling like it was crawling," says senior editor Jesa Marie Calaor. "This bouncy stick did wonders to soothe it. It's cooling as it glides across skin and keeps it feeling hydrated. That cooling effect makes me want to reach for it before itching and picking at my skin too. "
Key ingredients: niacinamide, aloe, amino acids | Fragrance-free: yes | Who it's for: everyone
Best Glowy: Glossier Futuredew Solid Oil-Serum Illuminator
Why it’s worth it: Kind of makeup, kind of skin care, and kind of perfect, Glossier’s Futuredew Solid Oil-Serum Illuminator brings everything we love about the liquid original to a solid stick format, making the whole application ordeal even more appealing. This glow-giving balm is ideal for days when you crave juicy dewiness without the usual glitter in a standard highlighter, thanks to moisture-locking botanical oils and vitamin E acetate, which helps neutralize free radicals. You can use it as the last step of your skin-care regimen or as a part of your makeup routine after applying your base.
Tester feedback: "The portability factor of a highlighter is hugely important to me, so this Glossier stick earned points right off the bat," says Blackman. "I really like how buildable this formula is, adding warmth to my complexion as I layer. At first I was worried it was a little too oily, but after a few minutes of letting it sit, that feeling subsides. I'm excited to carry this thing with me into summer."
Key ingredients: vitamin E, botanical oils | Fragrance-free: yes | Who it’s for: people who want a makeup/skin-care hybrid
Best Tinted: Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Balm Serum Boosted Skin Tint
Why it's worth it: Anastasia Beverly Hills's Beauty Balm Serum Boosted Skin Tint toes the line between foundation and a solid serum, offering a wash of second-skin coverage with every flick of your wrist. This 2024 Best of Beauty winner is spiked with hydrating hyaluronic acid microspheres and firming peptides that quickly melt into a buttery balm texture without leaving behind a greasy sheen. Keep at home and toss another in your bag to deliver a fresh dose of nourishing color anytime your skin needs a boost.
Tester feedback: "This hit it out of the park for me with a texture you can apply with your fingers, a brush, or right from the applicator for even, beautiful coverage," says senior copy manager Leslie Lipton.
Key ingredients: hyaluronic acid, peptides | Fragrance-free: yes | Who it's for: people who want light coverage
Best for Hyperpigmentation: Live Tinted Superhue Hyperpigmentation Serum Stick
Why it’s worth it: The Live Tinted Superhue Hyperpigmentation Serum Stick is a balm-to-serum stick that effectively fades signs of dark spots and hyperpigmentation over time. Dr. Chang notes that the formula is stuffed with ingredients that promote even skin tone and minimize the look of dark circles, like niacinamide, vitamin C, bakuchiol, glycolic acid, and licorice root. The stick format also allows users to target areas where dark spots and hyperpigmentation are most visible. If you’re applying the stick during the day, make sure you follow with SPF and moisturizer.
Key ingredients: niacinamide, vitamin C, bakuchiol, glycolic acid, licorice root | Fragrance-free: yes | Who it’s for: people with dark spots
Best for Body: Megababe Thigh Rescue Anti-Friction Stick
Why it's worth it: So there's your face, and then there's your everywhere else. Megababe's Thigh Rescue Anti-Friction Stick is here to save the day for the girlies prone to painful, frustrating chafing, providing just the right amount of slip to keep friction in check. Laden with soothing aloe, vitamin E, grapeseed oil, and ginger root extract, this stick calms existing irritation while helping you resist future flare-ups. And trust us, those flare-ups are definitely worth avoiding. "Skin under friction causes shearing forces that can lead to microtears," says San Diego-based board-certified dermatologist Melanie Palm, MD. "Continual friction can cause redness, skin breakdown, and even open erosions, which become susceptible to infection." So uncap this stick, glide it, and bid adieu to that dreaded chafe.
Tester feedback: "It sounds so corny to say out loud, but this product is downright freeing," Allure senior news editor Nicola Dall'Asen. "It's a whole lot easier to love and embrace your own body when you aren't constantly seeking relief from 'chub rub' or other causes of chafing—take it from someone who's been there."
Key ingredients: aloe, vitamin E, grapeseed oil, ginger root extract | Fragrance-free: yes | Who it's for: people who chafe
Best for Dry Skin: Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Barrier Balm
Why it’s worth it: Kiehl’s has been doing us right since it arrived in 1851, and the Ultra Facial Barrier Balm is just another example of said doing-right. This squalane-forward formula deeply hydrates skin and strengthens its moisture barrier, helping deliver better moisture retention over time. It blends right in over or under makeup. It is safe on even the most parched, most eczema-affected skin types, thanks to an assist from pro-ceramides and proteins extracted from Atlantic sea glaciers (cool) to further hydrate. Use this stick up to four times a day and watch the results roll in.
Key ingredients: squalane, ceramides | Fragrance-free: yes | Who it’s for: people with dry skin
Best for Fine Lines: Kahi Wrinkle Bounce Multi Balm
Why it's worth it: Kahi's Wrinkle Bounce Multi Balm quickly went viral after Korean actress Kim Go-eun flaunted the handy little stick in episode eight of the K-drama The King: Eternal Monarch. This formula features salmon collagen and salmon polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN), two major players in K-beauty. While salmon-based ingredients haven't exactly skyrocketed stateside (yet), they're wildly popular in South Korea for a reason. Studies have found that salmon DNA promotes wound healing, helps deliver oxygen and nutrients to the skin, reinforces the skin barrier, stimulates collagen production, and promotes cell regeneration.
And, true to its name, this multi balm can help prevent makeup from drying and caking throughout the day, as a moisturizing treatment around areas prone to fine lines and wrinkles, and as a lip balm.
Key ingredients: salmon polydeoxyribonucleotide, salmon collagen, Jeju origin oil | Fragrance-free: yes | Who it's for: people with fine lines and dry skin
Best for Bedtime: Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Ampoule Stick Balm
Why it's worth it: When we found out Missha's best-selling Time Revolution Night Repair Face Serum Ampoule comes in stick form, we were tickled. Thanks to the solid format, you can give your skin a bedtime boost call anywhere without having to haul around a bottle of serum. It's infused with 77% Extreme Biome, a proprietary ingredient made up of 10 fermented probiotics, to help strengthen and firm skin while improving elasticity and radiance. It also features a proprietary blend of plum, carrot, plum cabbage, eggplant, beetroot, and blueberries to protect against daily environmental stressors and leave skin calmer and clearer.
Key ingredients: fermented probiotics, fruit and vegetable extract blend | Fragrance-free: yes | Who it's for: people with fine lines
Frequently Asked Questions
How are serum sticks different from regular serums?
Good news for those getting started with serum sticks: There's not much to catch up on. As Boston-based, board-certified dermatologist Ranella Hirsch, MD, puts it: "Zero snark—serum sticks are simply serums in a stick format." The stick format has three main benefits: they're clean, convenient, and make for an effective, targeted treatment. Just a few swipes can fix various skin-care woes, including hyperpigmentation, pesky irritation, and patches of dry, rough skin.
What are the benefits of using a serum stick?
The biggest benefit of using a serum stick is ease of use. "Serum sticks are less messy than traditional serums," Dr. Hirsch shares. "They should not be shared but are otherwise fine to use on yourself over and over as needed—no cleanup or sanitation required." Plus, serum sticks can be applied without you ever actually touching the skin yourself, so you don't need to worry about transferring any icky germs from your hands to your face.
Other benefits are shared with their liquid serum counterparts—they often contain higher concentrations of actives than other skin-care products, helping achieve faster, more impactful results, lightweight all the while. "Serums are the new moisturizers," New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Ellen Marmur, MD, tells Allure. "They are perfect for layering—like a primer on clean skin before makeup or sunscreen."
Meet the experts
- Ellen Marmur, MD, a New York City-based board-certified dermatologist
- Ranella Hirsch, MD, a Boston-based board-certified dermatologist
- Melanie Palm, MD, a San Diego-based board-certified dermatologist
- Ginger King, a cosmetic chemist
How we test and review products
When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that's included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.
For our list of the best serum sticks, we considered each product's performance across five primary categories: product ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance, texture, and product wear. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors—along with special consideration from editors, dermatologists, and aestheticians. To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we've solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it's never been tested on curls? We're proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.
More skin care we're totally in love with—and think you should be, too:
- Our Favorite Korean Serums for Impossibly Hydrated Skin
- Fight Off Cold Weather With The Best Face Washes for Dry Skin
- 13 Best Retinol Body Lotions for Firmer Skin
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