HotandFlashy has looked at a lot of serums, and her record is genuinely useful if you are trying to cut through the noise. She came away approving most of what she tried, with an approval rate of 67%, but the ones she skipped tell a story of their own. She named no single category winner here, which makes the patterns in her takes the real thing to pay attention to.
What does HotandFlashy recommend in serums?
She keeps coming back to serums that pack in several skin-supporting ingredients at once. The Cocokind Ceramide Barrier Serum won her over because it delivers ceramides, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide all in one lightweight formula. She pointed out it feels especially good on hot days. For vitamin C, she has a clear type: she praised both the Maelove Glow Maker Vitamin C Serum and the Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum, calling them interchangeable and noting they sit at a similar price. She also has a soft spot for value, which is why she flagged that the COSRX 23% Ascorbic Acid Pure Vitamin C Serum is worth watching when it goes on sale. The CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum got a nod too, for its peptides and niacinamide alongside the hydrating staples.
In her words
"The other Vitamin C Serum [...] that I love is MAD Hippie, the glow maker. I love these both so much. I kind of use them interchangeably. You could choose one or the other. They're about the same price point."
"This is their Ceramide Barrier Serum and this is so lightweight. If you're in a heat wave and you just don't even want to put on moisturizer but you still want to get your ceramides, your hyaluronic acid, your glycerin, your niacinamide in, this is packed with all those things. I think this has like five ceramides in it. It just feels really fantastic. If you kept it in your mini fridge or in your fridge and then put it on, it would be so nice and cooling for these hot summer days."
"It's their Skin Renewing Gel Oil. And I used to love this product. I stopped buying it the last couple years, but it's so good for like skin slugging, you guys. You know, winter's coming and if you're going to be slugging your skin, which is putting on a really heavy occlusive layer of something at night to keep all the hydration in, this is a really great product to do that with and it's going to be on sale."
"This is a more lightweight night cream than my usual night cream it's got peptides niacinamide glycerin hyaluronic acid"
"If you're looking for just a straight ascorbic acid based vitamin C serum, the one from COSRX is pretty good. It's 23% that's going to be marked down."
"My second favorite is Maëlove The Glow Maker at one ounce for $29.95. It's oil free, gluten free, fragrance free, cruelty free, and vegan, and they also offer free shipping both ways and a 100 percent money back guarantee if you don't like it. Maëlove is a really great company I've been working with them for years and I love their products and formulations."
How many serums has HotandFlashy reviewed?
HotandFlashy has reviewed 30 serums, for an approval rate of 67%. 20 approved, 5 mixed, and 5 skipped.
What has HotandFlashy skipped in serums?
She skipped a few, and she was direct about why. The SkinMedica TNS Essential Serum got a clear no after a two-month trial showed no visible difference. She added that the smell alone would have put her off regardless of the price. The DRMTLGY Neck Contouring Serum left her neck feeling dry within minutes with no firming effect she could see. The Ordinary Vitamin C 23% Suspension felt gritty and scratchy and caused stinging, so she stopped using it. The Vichy LiftActiv Vitamin C Brightening Skin Corrector Serum (15% formula) she found already oxidised on the drugstore shelf. That means the vitamin C had already started breaking down before she even opened it, so she ruled it out as a top choice.
"I did try SkinMedica TNS years ago in 2017. I did a two-month trial on it and I used it once a day for 2 months. I took before and after pictures and there was no difference in my skin from the before to the after after 2 months. I wasn't willing to plunk down another $295 for another bottle of it. Plus, can I tell you the stuff stinks? It smells like death and putting that on my face every day I was like no thank you. Plus it didn't do anything for the price that they're asking for."
"I am very sad about this one because it's from one of my favorite brands, and it is from Dermatology. This is their neck contour serum. It's supposed to visibly lift, tighten, and firm the neck. This has this roller applicator. I put this on my neck. It didn't do anything. There was no difference. Within like 5 minutes, my neck just felt so dry. So, didn't love that."
"I didn't find any white crystals on my skin with this so I hope that much more of it was dissolved, and with 23 percent that gives you a chance of [...] getting an effective level even if some doesn't dissolve. But I didn't love this one. The rubbing on this one I felt like it was very gritty and very scratchy. It kind of burned and irritated and stung a lot when I used it, so I haven't really continued to use this one. It's not my favorite."
"I did find one at the drugstore that is formulated at the right pH, and that is the Vichy Liftactiv Vitamin C Serum. However, as you can see, this is already brown, it has oxidized a bit already, probably because it's been sitting on the shelf in that CVS for a long time. So is this my top choice? Absolutely not."
What should you take from HotandFlashy's picks?
If you are shopping for serums and want a guide with real range, HotandFlashy's record is a solid place to start. She rewards serums that do several jobs at once, hold up well in testing, and make sense for the price. Her skips are just as informative: she is not shy about saying when something stings, does nothing, or smells bad, and that honesty is what makes her approvals mean something.
Watch HotandFlashy say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- SkinMedica TNS Essential SerumSkipped itWatch at 21:52
- DRMTLGY Neck Contouring SerumSkipped itWatch at 8:35
- The Ordinary Vitamin C 23% SuspensionSkipped itWatch at 12:50
- Vichy LiftActiv Vitamin C Brightening Skin Corrector Serum (15% formula)Skipped itWatch at 14:22
- The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% SerumSkipped itWatch at 18:37
- Mad Hippie Vitamin C SerumRated itWatch at 17:22
- Cocokind Ceramide Barrier SerumRated itWatch at 14:20
- CeraVe Skin Renewing Gel OilRated itWatch at 6:28
- CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid SerumRated itWatch at 27:28
- COSRX 23% Ascorbic Acid Pure Vitamin C SerumRated itWatch at 7:42
- Maelove Glow Maker Vitamin C SerumRated itWatch at 7:31
- Maylove Hydro Relief Amino Acid and Peptide CreamRated itWatch at 13:24
- Maelove Hydrator SerumRated itWatch at 26:13
- The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + Hyaluronic Acid 2%Rated itWatch at 21:41
- Geek & Gorgeous C-Glow 15% Vitamin C SerumRated itWatch at 13:56
- Dr. Brenner Vitamin C SerumRated itWatch at 14:50
- COSRX 6 Peptide Skin Booster SerumRated itWatch at 19:15
- Naturium Glycolic Acid Resurfacing Gel 10%Rated itWatch at 16:23
- Timeless Matrixyl Synthe'6 SerumRated itWatch at 18:21
- Geek & Gorgeous Power Peptides Pro Collagen Multi Peptide SerumRated itWatch at 13:13
- KRX Six Peptide Skin Booster SerumRated itWatch at 7:09
- Poems from the Lab Future Focus Vitamin C SerumRated itWatch at 16:25
- DRMTLGY Needleless Growth Factor SerumRated itWatch at 17:47
- Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster with 2% Mandelic Acid and Lactic AcidRated itWatch at 16:28
About this expert
See everything HotandFlashy has reviewed
Related guides
This guide reflects what HotandFlashy said across her videos about 30 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.