As we ease into longer, warmer days, the urge to bare sun-starved limbs comes with a familiar beauty dilemma: a hesitation to reveal dull, dry skin. Enter the best body serums—essential for reviving and refining skin without the weight of winter’s heavy creams. Unlike their richer counterparts, these featherlight formulas absorb in a flash while delivering a high concentration of actives to target everything from hydration to tone and texture.

“A serum is a fantastic way to get a more potent dose of your active ingredients, but without weighing yourself down using heavy products,” explains New York City dermatologist Rachel Nazarian, MD, of Schweiger Dermatology. “Especially when it comes to hydration, using a lightweight serum-based product can allow you to apply hydration while avoiding the sticky, heavy, occlusive feel that creams and lotions often cause,” Dr. Schweiger says.

Vogue’s Favorite Body Serums

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Ingredients-wise, hyaluronic acid remains a perennial favorite for plumping thirsty skin. “It absorbs multiple times its own weight in water and can draw hydration into the skin easily,” says Dr. Nazarian. But serums don’t stop at moisture—look for formulas enriched with alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) to gently exfoliate, or niacinamide to brighten and firm, depending on your skin’s unique needs.

Moreover, board-certified nurse practitioner and aesthetics expert, Vanessa Coppola, reminds us the importance of approaching body care with the same intentionality as we do with our facial skincare. “Your skin is your largest organ, and it deserves the same level of care, precision, and customization we give to the face. Body serums are no longer just a luxury item, they’re a smart, proactive investment in lifelong skin health and confidence. Your face isn’t the only place that deserves results-driven care. Body serums transform skincare into full-body skin health,” Coppola tells Vogue.