Best peptide serums

Peptides sit at the gentler end of the actives shelf, and the category is crowded with vague blends and fairy-dusted claims. We score each peptide serum on evidence, dose disclosure, and formulation with the same SerumProof rubric, then rank by total score. The picks below run from highest to lowest.

1. 171
   The Ordinary

   Multi-Peptide + HA Serum

   A broad peptide serum for around fifteen dollars, with hydration built in. The catch is disclosure: none of the peptide levels are stated, so you take the doses on trust. As a low-cost, low-risk entry into peptides, it is still good value.

   $19.9, ~$12/mo
2. 262
   The Ordinary

   Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum

   The value benchmark of the category: multiple studied peptides at a disclosed copper level for roughly the price of a lunch. It is the obvious first serum to compare everything else against, even if you re-cap it fast.

   $32, ~$19/mo
3. 360
   SkinMedica

   TNS Advanced+ Serum

   The packaging is excellent and the price matches it. The growth-factor evidence is real but modest and largely brand-led, and on proven actives per dollar it is very hard to justify over options a tenth of the cost. You are paying for the science story and the bottle.

   $295, ~$187/mo
4. 460
   Medik8

   Liquid Peptides

   A polished, comfortable peptide serum from a serious brand, but the evidence and the pricing do not line up. The headline peptides carry limited support, the doses are undisclosed, and you pay a lot for the count on the label. Pleasant to use, hard to justify over cheaper multi-peptide options.

   $68, ~$41/mo
5. 556
   Augustinus Bader

   The Serum

   An expensive serum that asks you to buy a proprietary complex on faith while its disclosed actives are present at supporting levels. The ingredients that are named are fine and well-tolerated, but nothing here justifies the price on evidence. You are paying for the brand story and the texture.

   $405, ~$243/mo
6. 652
   BioEffect

   EGF Serum

   An elegant hydrator wrapped around a preliminary-evidence growth factor at a prestige price. The HA base delivers the appearance of hydration reliably; the EGF story is early, undosed and hard to protect in a dropper. You are buying the science pitch, not settled results.

   $179, ~$215/mo
7. 747
   Paula's Choice

   Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster

   A solid mid-tier pick with a broad peptide lineup. You pay a premium over the budget benchmark for formulation polish rather than for more proven actives.

   $62, ~$56/mo
8. 844
   Plated Skin Science

   INTENSE Serum

   The packaging respects how delicate the active is, and the underlying idea is interesting. The problem is the evidence: exosome skincare is preliminary, there is no studied use level, and the price is firmly prestige. Promising to watch, hard to recommend at this cost today.

   $258, ~$310/mo

Ranked by our SerumProof score. See how scoring works.