Five Best serums under $100 for 2013

I am pleased with this Five Best selection. All of these serums are under $100 – some of them are well under – and provide a great price to quality ratio. I remember that a couple of years ago it was a real struggle to pull together a compelling selection and so I made it a priority to find better. The Five Best serums under $100 for 2013 has something to suit every pocket and they are all superb.

BRAD Biophotonic Essential Elixir Multi-peptide ($95 in the shop). This is a serum that I just keep going back to. I look forward to using it – usually at night (see my latest “what’s working for me” post). My skin finds BRAD Multi-peptide extremely soothing and it leaves my complexion looking smoother, dewy and calm – as if it’s been on vacation. The formula is mostly a blend of a dozen amino acids. It is one of those products that got off to a slow start, but now its effects are cumulative and I know I’ll be buying a second bottle. One of the finds of the year. Read the full review.

Osmosis Correct ($46). The retinol in Correct is trans-retinal (retinaldehyde), a form of retin A that is relatively stronger as well as being gentler. Correct has an interesting selection of actives, including the peptide caprooyl tetrapeptide-3. It may help maintain the structure of the skin and prevent sagging by boosting laminin as well as collagen iii. Anti-aging heavy hitters continue with two wound repairers, epidermal growth factor and GHK copper peptide, antioxidant R-lipoic acid and chlorella, and 1,3 beta glucan (usually found in mushrooms), which can activate the immune system. Read the full review.

Arcona Peptide Firming Complex ($72 in the shop). I enjoy using this serum and highly recommend it to people looking for their first serum recommendation. It is unusual to see the powerful antioxidant pea extract so dominant in a serum. There is also an epidermal growth factor, which stimulates fibroblasts. As the name of this serum implies, it is the peptides that take center stage. Syn-coll is a small peptide with a unique sequence to mimic the human body’s own mechanism to produce collagen via TGF-β. Syn-tacks is a peptide combination that is supposedly more powerful than Matrixyl 3000 and there’s Thymulen, a peptide that compensates for the decline of the thymus (the organ responsible for T-cells and growth factors) as we get older. Read the full review.

Your Best Face Antioxidants Concentrate ($55 in the shop). This second-time winner of the Five Best under $100 is a showcase of YBF’s favorite heavy-hitting antioxidants, including ferulic acid, resveratrol, glutathione, spin trap and Lipochroman 6. It can be used on its own, with your LED light device, underneath a moisturizer, or even with another complementary serum. It was recently reformulated to replace the paraben preservative with a safe one based on radish root. This is a great way to try the kind of actives that are usually confined to more expensive serums and it has consistently good reviews from users. Read Tina’s review.

Prana AU 24K Gold Serum ($96 in the shop). You get to glam up for less than $100 with a serum that has real flakes of gold. But the real gold in AU 24K is that there is nothing to dislike and every single ingredient serves the skin. This makes it pretty good value. Plus, a little goes a long way. This serum does an excellent job of plumping and smoothing the skin, fading fine lines and it even calms redness and seems to minimize broken veins. As well as gold, there are peptides and plenty of B vitamins. Read the full review.

Ingredients in BRAD Multi-peptide: Biophotonic Organic Herbal Infusion, Organic Aloe Leaf Juice, Witch Hazel, Hyaluronic Acid, Silk Amino Acid Blend (Sodium L-Pyrrolidone, Carboxylate, Sodium Lactate, L-Arginine, L-Aspartic Acid, L-Pyrrolidonecarboxylic Acid, Glycine, L-Alanine, L-Serine, L-Valine, L-Proline, L-Theonine, L-Isoleucine, L-Histidine, L-Phenylalanine), Acrylates/C10-30, Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, (2s)-2-Amino-5-Guanidinopentanoic Acid, Organic Jojoba Oil, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ethylhexyl Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol

Ingredients in Osmosis Correct: Aqua (Harmonized Water), Lecithin (Phosphatidylcholine), Niacinamide, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Chlorella Vulgaris Officinalis Extract, Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Asiaticoside, Beta-Glucan (D), Fulvic Acid, Lactic Acid (L), Sodium Hyaluronate (L), L-Hydroxyproline, Thioctic (R-lipoic) Acid, Retinal (.05% Retinaldehyde), Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Lonicera Caprifolium(Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Pogostemon Cablin (Patchouli) Oil, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Santalum Austrocaledonicum (Sandalwood) Wood Oil, Lonicera Japonica(Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Rubus Chamaemorus (Cloud Berry) Seed Oil, Cyclodextrin, Pentylene Glycol, Benzyl Alcohol, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Dextran, Dimethyl Sulfone

Ingredients in Arcona Peptide Firming Complex: Aqua, Pisum Sativum (Pea) Extract, Hydrolyzed Myrtus Communis Leaf Extract, Dextran Complex, Acetyl Tetrapeptide 2 (Thymulen 4 Pentapeptide), Palmitoyl Tripeptide 5 (SYN®-Coll Tripeptide), Diamino Butyloylhydroxyehreonine (SYN®-tacks Peptide), Epidermal Growth Factor, Palmitoyl Dipeptide, L Sodium Hyaluronate, Diaminohydroxytbutyrate

Ingredients in YBF Antioxidants: Reverse Osmosis Water, Olivem (Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate), Ethoxydiglycol, Ferulic Acid, Macadamia Nut Oil, Leucidal (Radish Root Ferment Filtrate), Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Spin Trap (Phenyl Butyl Nitrone), Lipochroman-6 (Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol), Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Trans Resveratrol, Glutathione

Ingredients in Prana Gold Serum: Purified Water (Aqua), Certified Organic Aloe Vera Gel, Cyanocbalamine (Vitamin B12), Sodium Hyaluronate, Ginseng, Green Tea, Marine Collagen, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-3, Pentapeptide-18, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Dexpanthenol (Vitamin B), Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Pycnogenol, Centella Asiatica, Chamomile, Genuine German Gold, Allantoin, Chitosan, phenoxyethanol