Faster cellular turnover and increased collagen production translates into firmer, smoother, glowing skin that looks clear, fresh, and even—you know, everything on your wish list from a beauty product. What’s especially valuable about growth factor serums is that they tend to be non-irritating. Growth factors work slowly to transform your skin, unlike harsher, faster-acting actives like exfoliating acids and retinoids.
Sold? We’re not surprised. But don’t go shopping just yet: Growth factor serums are not all created equally, and this is a complex category to navigate. With the help of our experts, we’re breaking down exactly what these actives are, what you should look for in an effective product, and a few of our favorite formulas to add to your cart.
Best Overall: SkinMedica TNS Advanced+ Serum
- Why We Love It: “This is considered the pioneer and gold standard of growth factor serums, as one of the longest on the market and the best researched,” says Dr. Kahn. The formula contains human fibroblast conditioned media, which is naturally rich in growth factors and other cellular material that your own growth factors need to thrive, as well as peptides, microalgae, and more marine extracts that work to firm and smooth skin. The unique treatment is actually two serums in one, housed in a dual-chamber bottle that pumps out the perfect blended dose. It’s silky, absorbs beautifully, and sits well under other products (even makeup), making it easy to incorporate into your routine.
- Key Ingredients: Human fibroblast conditioned media, peptides, algae extracts
- Size: 1 fl. oz.
Best for Wrinkles: Dr. Diamond’s Metacine Instafacial Plasma
- Why We Love It: This cult-favorite formula was inspired by the founder’s signature in-office facial, which uses a combination of lasers, microneedling, and PRP to dramatically transform skin—hence the slightly spooky red serum, which is packed with five bio-engineered growth factors, peptides and skin hydrators to leave you glowing. Though this formula is safe (and fabulous) to slather on post-procedure, you don’t need to get a pro treatment to see results. It’s clinically proven to improve wrinkles, even deep forehead lines.
- Key Ingredients: Synthetic growth factors (peptides), anti-aging peptides, sodium hyaluronate
- Size: 1 fl. oz.
Best for Uneven Texture & Tone: Angela Caglia Cell Forté Serum with BIOMSC
- Why We Love It: Because it’s formulated with human conditioned media sourced from mesenchymal stem cells, this serum is absolutely loaded with growth factors, exosomes, and cytokines to help repair skin damage—inclusive of fine lines and wrinkles, discoloration, and redness. It also plumps up dry, dehydrated skin using a thirst-quenching combination of hyaluronic acid and snow mushroom extract, the latter of which is proven to be 10 times as hydrating as the former.
- Key Ingredients: Human mesenchymal stem cell conditioned media, snow mushroom extract, hyaluronic acid
- Size: 1 fl. oz.
Best Budget: The Ordinary GF 15% Solution
- Why We Love It: This affordable serum contains synthetic versions of epidermal, transforming, and insulin-like growth factors (EGF, TGF, and IGF, respectively) made of peptides to help renew skin. The water-like texture absorbs quickly, allowing the actives to get to work supporting skin’s structure and density. While you shouldn’t expect miracles from any growth factor serum, we will note that we’re impressed by the results offered from this one—the ingredient list here overlaps a lot with some of the pricier serums in this article, but at a fraction of the cost.
- Key Ingredients: Peptides mimicking EGF, TGF, and IGF
- Size: 1 fl. oz.
Best for Sagging Skin: Jan Marini Transformation Face Serum
- Why We Love It: This formula features peptides that work similarly to TGF—the growth factor best for helping improve deeper wrinkles, sagging, and sun damage— as well as thymosin beta 4, a naturally-occurring peptide that works to control inflammation and promote cellular repair. For added benefit against uneven texture, this silky serum contains sodium PCA and sodium hyaluronate, plumping up fine lines and leaving skin looking juicy.
- Key Ingredients: Peptides mimicking TGF, anti-aging peptides, sodium hyaluronate
- Size: 1 fl. oz.
Best Korean: numbuzin No.9 NAD+ BIO Lifting-sil Essence
- Why We Love It: The star of this formula is NAD+, a peptide that’s key to your body’s ability to metabolize cellular energy (ATP) and function at its peak—but there’s actually a whopping total of 50 different peptides in the mix. The blend goes into overdrive to deliver a host of benefits, including mimicking growth factors to promote a firmer and tauter texture as well as lifting sagging skin. We especially appreciate how easy it is to add this product to our routine—though it initially has a sticky, stringy texture, it absorbs instantly into skin without leaving any residue behind.
- Key Ingredients: NAD+, peptides, glutathione
- Size: 4.23 fl. oz.
Best for Mature Skin: PCA SKIN Pro-Max Age Renewal Advanced Anti-Aging Serum
- Why We Love It: This formula has a corset-like effect on skin, which you’ll notice as soon as you apply it—a blend of biopolymers and kangaroo paw flower extract instantly tightens things up to the point that you can feel it happening on your face. Over time, though, is when the real magic happens: growth factor-mimicking peptides penetrate the skin (10 times deeper than a true growth factor could, by the way) to trigger collagen production. With regular use, you’ll see and feel your skin get firmer and firmer.
- Key Ingredients: Synthetic growth factors (peptides), biopolymers, kangaroo paw flower extract
- Size: 1 fl. oz.
Best for Sensitive Skin: Epi.Logic Master Plan Collagen Renew Growth Factor Serum
- Why We Love It: A little of this powerful serum goes a long way—seriously, you can get a full face of application with just a tiny pump—to revitalize even the most sensitive of complexions, transforming it without any irritation. It does so with a mix of human stem cell conditioned media (naturally rich in growth factors, remember?), peptides that function similarly to growth factors, and ultra-hydrating snow mushroom. Vogue editor Kiana Murden swears by this formula, sharing that it leaves her skin looking plump, bouncy, and dewier than ever.
- Key Ingredients: Human stem cell conditioned media, snow mushroom extract, peptides
- Size: 1 fl. oz.
Best for Crow’s Feet: iS Clinical Youth Eye Complex
- Why We Love It: This is a rare formula in this category specifically designed for the super delicate eye area. It uses a copper tripeptide here as a growth factor alternative to help fade fine lines and wrinkles by promoting the production of collagen and elastin, as well as a neuropeptide to help control expression lines around the eye. For even more defense against tired-looking eyes, there’s also a marine bacteria ferment in the formula, which helps quell puffiness.
- Key Ingredients: Copper peptides, acetyl octapeptide, pseudoalteromonas ferment extract
- Size: 0.5 fl. oz.
Best for Neck: SkinBetter Science InterFuse Treatment Cream Face & Neck
- Why We Love It: Tech neck is almost impossible to avoid (are you looking down to read this right now?), so this peptide-packed formula from SkinBetter Science is a boon to any regimen. The peptides in this formula support your skin’s collagen and elastin—not unlike EGF and FGF—to help lift and smooth sagging skin. Olive polyphenols provide free radical protection to fight against further damage, while hydrating glycerin and nourishing squalane leave skin looking soft and supple.
- Key Ingredients: Peptides, squalane, olive polyphenols
- Size: 1 fl. oz.
Everything You Need to Know
What types of growth factors are there?
There are many types of growth factors in the human body, but there are a select few that are relevant to skin health. The most well-known is epidermal growth factor, or EGF. “EGF helps with healing, cell survival and growth, and cell migration,” says Dr. Moy. The signals sent by EGF help repair cellular damage while working to increase levels of collagen and elastin. Fibroblast growth factor, or FGF, is key to skin structure as it activates your skin’s fibroblasts—the cells that produce collagen and elastin. “Certain forms, like FGF-2 or basic FGF, have been shown to aid in tissue repair and improve healing outcomes after dermatologic procedures,” adds Dr. Park. IGF (insulin-like growth factor) is known to promote tissue repair, and TGF (transforming growth factor) simultaneously promotes collagen synthesis while helping to regulate inflammation.
What makes growth factor serums complex is that you may not actually see these acronyms on product packaging even if a product is called a “growth factor serum.” A common ingredient category you’ll see instead is peptides. “Many products feature biologically active peptides that mimic growth factor effects but are not true growth factors,” explains Dr. Kahn. Peptides are made up of amino acids—the building blocks of protein—and can also act as chemical messengers or as precursors for collagen and elastin, says Dr. Moy. Peptides often used as growth factor substitutes include copper peptides (which promote firmer skin while fighting inflammation), Matrixyl (enhances collagen production), and acetyl hexapeptide-8 a.k.a. argireline, sometimes referred to as “Botox in a bottle” due to its wrinkle-smoothing properties.
Peptides aren’t the only type of ingredient used in lieu of growth factors, either. There’s also human conditioned media—which is exactly what it sounds like, material that has been cultivated in a lab using human-derived cells (usually fibroblasts or stem cells). According to Dr. Park, human conditioned media contains a blend of growth factors, cytokines, and other beneficial proteins that can support skin renewal—“a ‘soup’ of nutrient-rich fluid,” adds Dr. Kahn. Human conditioned media, peptides, and growth factors (real or synthetic) all work synergistically, so feel free to experiment with a formula that contains a hearty blend of these ingredients.
Do growth factor serums really work?
Growth factor serums can work, but their efficacy depends on a handful of aspects, including the ingredient source (Dr. Moy notes that growth factors can be synthetic, human derived, or even sourced from plants or snails), formulation stability, and delivery system. “Products must be stabilized and formulated in a way that allows these large protein molecules to remain active and penetrate the skin barrier,” explains Dr. Park. For this reason, most people see the best results from using a growth factor serum after a professional treatment like laser or microneedling, when skin channels are open and ready to receive these regenerative actives. They’re also a valuable part of a tretinoin skincare routine. Regardless, you’ll need to be patient: Even if you’re using the best growth factor serum on the market, results build with time. And, of course, don’t skip your sunscreen—as your growth factor serum works to repair existing damage, you’ll want to avoid incurring more!
Who should use growth factors?
Most people are a candidate for using a growth factor serum, but it’s especially a good idea to start if you’re noticing early signs of aging, have sensitive skin, a compromised skin barrier, or are looking for something to use after a professional treatment. “Many growth factor serums are designed to be non-irritating compared to stronger ingredients like retinoids and provide gentle regenerative support,” says Dr. Park. However, if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, have an active skin infection, or skin cancer, you should avoid growth factor serums, just out of an abundance of caution. Growth factors are biologically active and many active ingredients aren’t tested for compatibility with pregnancy; considering they promote cell signaling and proliferation, there is a risk that growth factors could increase abnormal or uncontrolled cell growth.
Are growth factors better than retinol?
Neither of these ingredients are better than the other. “Retinols and growth factors are both great, and work via different mechanisms—they’re both valuable and I like alternating between them” says Dr. Moy. Remember, vitamin A actively works to speed up cellular turnover and boosts collagen production, but growth factors accelerate turnover by telling your skin cells to repair themselves. The former can work reasonably quickly, but can irritate skin, while the latter is gentle and takes more time to deliver visible results. “Together, they can be a powerful duo: retinol for resurfacing, and growth factors for rebuilding and repair,” suggests Dr. Park.
- Dr. Eunice Park is a double-board-certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon and the founder of AIREM in New York.
- Dr. Amanda Kahn is a board-certified internist and longevity expert in New York, NY.
- Dr. Lauren Moy is a double-board-certified dermatologist and dermatologic surgeon in Beverly Hills, CA.