Dr Dray reviews serums the way a dermatologist would. She wants to know what each ingredient does, whether they work together or fight each other, and whether the price is worth it. Across more than 140 serums, her record lands at an approval rate of 51%, and a handful of products earned her Top Pick. The ones she skipped tell just as interesting a story.
What does Dr Dray recommend in serums?
What she keeps praising is ingredients that work as a team. The Maelove Fade Away Brightening Serum was one of her most repurchased this year. Arbutin, kojic acid, and licorice root each hit the pigment-making process from a different angle. Together they work better than any one alone. She made the same case for the Abib Glutathione Dark Spot Serum, which combines ascorbic acid, glutathione, and niacinamide in what she called a complementary formula. Hydration keeps coming up in her approvals too. She explains that a well-moisturised surface scatters light, so dark spots look less obvious. A stronger skin barrier also cuts down on irritation, and less irritation makes hyperpigmentation easier to shift. Value matters alongside quality. She has said The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + Hyaluronic Acid does the job just as well as options that cost significantly more.
In her words
"I'd classify this as a low irritation potential product, it doesn't have fragrance or anything that tends to cause irritation. I've seen it going anywhere from seventeen to twenty dollars for an ounce, which with the polyglutamic acid and the peptide in it is pretty [...] reasonable. [...] I think this is Remedy's best serum to date, [...] arguably my favorite product from them yet."
"These products in this line from Aveeno, calm and restore, are top dog. I especially love the calm and restore serum."
"I'm a fan of the Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil. [...] The conditioners will help to limit the absorption of things that can discolor your hair from pool water. It's also a heat protectant, so when you do heat style your hair, use the lowest heat setting and [...] it will help to offset heating of the hair strands from your treatment that would otherwise damage your hair even further."
"Here's another great rich cream this time with polyhydroxy acid, even gentler, and colloidal oatmeal which helps to hydrate."
"We have the Beauty of Joseon Glow Deep Serum with propolis and niacinamide. If you're allergic to fragrance be really careful with propolis because propolis can cross react with a lot of fragrance allergies, but it is a very hydrating ingredient. Centella asiatica extract is anti-inflammatory. Niacinamide is good for redness, dark spots, and moisture barrier."
"I'm also making my way through the aloe 2% na so one of the questions that I get a fair amount is like is is it okay to use retinoids if you have sensitive rosacea prone skin and you absolutely can the question is like are you able to tolerate these ingredients because treat for rosacea topical retinoids actually can help the condition out quite a bit because first of all a retinoid whether it be a dappling or tretinoin or [tazarotene] um can help to reduce the number of the those rosacea bumps the red bumps the pusill bumps in theory it'll potentially help cut down on the burden of those little mites Demodex that also are contributory may help out with the inflammatory infiltrate against those that's part of you know the overall package that you get with rosacea but with long-term consistent use of a topical retinoid it actually kind of strengthens the epidermis and improves barrier function so with that you might experience an improvement in the symptoms of sensitivity because the retinoid helps the barrier function better"
How many serums has Dr Dray reviewed?
Dr Dray has reviewed 146 serums, for an approval rate of 51%. 74 approved, 44 mixed, and 28 skipped.
What has Dr Dray skipped in serums?
Her outright skips are relatively few, fewer than one in five. But they cluster around two things: ingredients she thinks the evidence does not support, and packaging that defeats the formula. She skipped The Ordinary Growth Factor 15% Solution because she calls growth factors in skincare a line of nonsense marketing claims. She says they do little more than moisturise. The Some By Mi Beta Panthenol Repair Serum got skipped for a different reason. Its dropper could not draw up the thick formula at all. That made it too frustrating to use consistently, no matter how good the ingredients were.
"Fragrance and essential oils ultimately will worsen the appearance of the scar, so this is not something I recommend. People who use it and claim that it helped their scars, just know it worked by lubricating the skin surface. You can get that same effect for half the price without the risk of irritation from fragrance just by using mineral oil or any of the skin protectants."
"Don't buy it. This packaging is all wrong. [...] The dropper is pretty short and just the overall shape of this bottle, the dropper ends up tunneling into the product and all the product gets pushed to the sides of the container. It's very difficult to get any sucked up into the pipette into the dropper with each one, so you've constantly got to be moving it around to try and get product up into the little dispenser. It's the worst packaging. This is not it. This dropper is not it."
"You'll probably notice Abreva sold over the counter without a prescription. And in my opinion, Abreva is way too much effort. You have to apply it multiple multiple times a day and it really only shortens the duration by like maybe half a day. So it's a lot of work. It's expensive. Valtrex is a much better way to go in my opinion."
"Once I saw this had spicules in it, it was an immediate no for me. I was not interested in using it. Foreign body granulomas are really challenging to get rid of, and that's one of my major reservations with this. [...] I'm really nervous about spicules. [...] I would just like to see more long-term safety data with these. You might say, well, you use those microneedle dissolvable patches, but those dissolve."
What should you take from Dr Dray's picks?
Her serum record is most useful for people who want to know whether an ingredient actually earns its place. She leans toward formulas where actives work as a team. She is honest about value and takes a firm line against claims she thinks the evidence does not support. The Maelove Fade Away Brightening Serum, one of her named picks, and the Abib Glutathione Dark Spot Serum are both products she used in her own routine. That gives those recommendations particular weight.
Watch Dr Dray say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- SkinCeuticals C E FerulicNamed a winnerWatch at 12:46
- Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid BoosterNamed a winnerWatch at 5:57
- Remedy Intense Hydration Multi-Depth Moisture Advanced Hydrating SerumNamed a winnerWatch at 15:38
- Bio-OilSkipped itWatch at 13:50
- Some By Mi Beta Panthenol Repair SerumSkipped itWatch at 9:22
- Abreva Cold Sore TreatmentSkipped itWatch at 1:57
- VT Reedle Shot 100 CollagenSkipped itWatch at 8:30
- The Ordinary Growth Factor 15% SolutionSkipped itWatch at 7:55
- Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair SerumSkipped itWatch at 1:07
- Hero Cosmetics Cella 4% Dark Spot SerumSkipped itWatch at 11:52
- Clarins Double Serum Complete Age-Defying ConcentrateSkipped itWatch at 9:05
- Geek & Gorgeous Stress Less Serum with 0.5% Beta-Glucan and Metacast-AideSkipped itWatch at 6:43
- Tula Brightening Treatment Drops Triple Vitamin C SerumSkipped itWatch at 8:23
- Biopelle Tensage Snail SerumSkipped itWatch at 3:40
- Phyla Fortify SerumSkipped itWatch at 17:46
- Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Brightening Treatment SerumSkipped itWatch at 9:16
- Remedy Copper Peptide Complex Advanced Firming SerumSkipped itWatch at 3:35
- Geek & Gorgeous A-Pad Azelaic Acid SerumSkipped itWatch at 5:36
- First Aid Beauty 10% Vitamin C Brightening SerumSkipped itWatch at 12:53
- La Roche-Posay Niacinamide 10 SerumSkipped itWatch at 4:53
- Geek & Gorgeous C-Glow 15% Vitamin C SerumSkipped itWatch at 18:09
- La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 SerumSkipped itWatch at 3:59
- Bliss Vitamin C Plus Tripeptide SerumSkipped itWatch at 4:23
- RoC Revive and Glow Vitamin C SerumSkipped itWatch at 15:27
About this expert
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This guide reflects what Dr Dray said across her videos about 146 products in serums, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The approval rate is the share of these products she approved. It is general information, not medical advice.