Dr. Vanita Rattan has looked at more than 100 serums, and she brings the same priorities to every one. Skin barrier health, safe formulations for skin of color, and a close read of the ingredient list are what she keeps returning to. Her record on serums gives her an approval rate of 47%.
What does Dr. Vanita Rattan recommend in serums?
The serums she approved tend to share the same core ingredients. She keeps coming back to glycerin, which she calls a 'water magnet,' and squalane, which she names as her favourite oil and says works even as a standalone facial oil. Ceramides matter a lot to her too, partly because she says skin of color tends to lack them. She also checks whether a product is NPA safe, her term for a formula free of denatured alcohol, fragrance, and essential oils, which she says dry the skin, cause contact dermatitis, and sensitize it over time. When she approved The Ordinary Soothing & Barrier Support Serum, she specifically praised the absence of all three.
In her words
"It's got solvents, then it's got glycerin, which I love, your water magnet. Then it's got peptides, so that is they're like basically like chemical messengers between cells to help rejuvenate skin cells. It's got panthenol, which is anti-inflammatory, plus ceramides. And ceramides are key if you have a damaged skin barrier. So I actually love this product. Bioma, you've done an outstanding job. I love it."
"I do like that they've added in licorice extract and it's in the therapeutic index, but they haven't stabilized the kojic acid, that's something I would say. I do like the heavy packaging, I think Hyphen has probably one of the best packaging in India. [...] The smell's actually not bad. This is probably my favorite depigmentation serum so far in what we've looked at."
"Looking into The Ordinary Soothing and Barrier Support Serum, [...] this is very expensive for The Ordinary range, they're almost breaking three of the five and ten single actives with this particular product. [...] It is expensive for The Ordinary but it does actually make sense if you do a deep dive into the ingredients. Fifth ingredient here is niacinamide which is good because it means it's in that 2 to 5% range which is what we're looking for."
"I do like this one from The Ordinary so I like lactic acid and I also like the mandelic acid but in addition to really make it special you want to have 7% humectant in it too that will then give you hydration at the same time as exfoliation."
"I like the multipeptide plus hyaluronic acid"
"Out of all of the products from Medicube, the one that I would recommend is actually this one."
How many serums has Dr. Vanita Rattan reviewed?
Dr. Vanita Rattan has reviewed 110 serums, for an approval rate of 47%. 52 approved, 10 mixed, and 48 skipped.
What has Dr. Vanita Rattan skipped in serums?
Dr. Rattan's skips almost always trace back to the same ingredients. Fragrance is the one she raises most often. She says it can cause contact dermatitis. She skipped the Foxtale Vitamin C Serum for pairing it with an exfoliating acid, which she said risks skin barrier damage with daily use. Denatured alcohol is another dealbreaker, one she called out in the CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum and said she 'really expected better' from a brand she normally respects. She also skipped it for its 10% L-ascorbic acid, which she said is too much for daily morning use, and for not being in an airless pump.
"This product is actually a disaster. There are no positives with this product. [...] They've added in alcohol, DH alcohol. It's got tiny percentage vitamin C, like a fraction of a percent. It's got fragrance and it's not in an airless pump. [...] This one's a disaster. This one is definitely not worth your time and money."
"You're getting the quick brightening which you would get with lactic acid or mandelic acid, it's not because of vitamin C effect. Plus this product has fragrance, so it's a bad idea to make an exfoliator with an irritant together. The skin will brighten because of exfoliation, but if you use this daily it may lead to skin barrier damage and the fragrance can lead to contact dermatitis. So for me, this is a no."
"This one is an absolute disaster in a bottle"
"I actually made a video on Bio Oil years ago. Bio Oil is the number one product right now for stretch marks. And when I made the video, I was shocked to learn that it contained vitamin A, retinyl palmitate. It's a blanket no when it comes to vitamin A during pregnancy, just like it's a blanket no on using Botox during pregnancy. [...] When I looked into it, it was loaded with fragrance. It contained vitamin A and it didn't contain any collagen stimulating actives."
What should you take from Dr. Vanita Rattan's picks?
Dr. Rattan's serum record is a clear picture of what she weighs in a formula. She named the Good Molecules Discoloration Correcting Serum as her Top Pick in the category. The ingredients she comes back to most, across her approved and skipped takes alike, are fragrance, denatured alcohol, and essential oils. She says those are the things that turn a sound formula into a skip.
Watch Dr. Vanita Rattan say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- Good Molecules Discoloration Correcting SerumNamed a winnerWatch at 13:36
- Garnier Vitamin C 3.5% Anti Dark Spot SerumSkipped itWatch at 18:50
- Foxtale Vitamin C SerumSkipped itWatch at 5:17
- Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening SerumSkipped itWatch at 25:01
- Bio-OilSkipped itWatch at 8:25
- CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C SerumSkipped itWatch at 9:48
- SkinCeuticals C E FerulicSkipped itWatch at 14:03
- Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with AvocadoSkipped itWatch at 4:35
- Timeless 20% Vitamin C + E Ferulic Acid SerumSkipped itWatch at 20:11
- Beauty of Joseon Glow Deep Serum: Propolis + NiacinamideSkipped itWatch at 5:47
- La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C10 SerumSkipped itWatch at 8:05
- The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2%Skipped itWatch at 11:52
- COSRX 23% Ascorbic Acid Pure Vitamin C SerumSkipped itWatch at 12:45
- Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Luxury Facial OilSkipped itWatch at 4:55
- Glow Recipe Avocado Ceramide Recovery SerumSkipped itWatch at 11:48
- Eucerin Radiant Tone Dual Serum with ThiamidolSkipped itWatch at 17:42
- Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin C SerumSkipped itWatch at 14:47
- L'Oreal Revitalift Pure Vitamin C 12%Skipped itWatch at 18:10
- Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night OilSkipped itWatch at 4:55
- Innisfree Green Tea Seed Hyaluronic Acid SerumSkipped itWatch at 11:53
- Murad Rapid Dark Spot Correcting SerumSkipped itWatch at 11:23
- Numbuzin 5+ Vitamin Niacinamide Concentrated PadsSkipped itWatch at 26:35
- The Ordinary Balancing & Clarifying SerumSkipped itWatch at 2:46
- Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Facial OilSkipped itWatch at 15:38
About this expert
See everything Dr. Vanita Rattan has reviewed
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This guide reflects what Dr. Vanita Rattan said across her videos about 110 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.