You might take a daily multivitamin to help fill in the nutritional gaps in your diet, but when it comes to keeping skin looking its best, that’s where vitamin serums come in.

“Serums are concentrated facial treatments that are designed to penetrate the skin quickly,” says board-certified dermatologist and LovelySkin, CEO Dr. Joel Schlessinger. “When you apply a serum rich in vitamins, it absorbs directly into your skin for maximum efficacy.” Follow along as we answer your questions about vitamin serums, including:

• How do vitamins benefit my skin?
• What vitamins are typically found in serums?
• What are the best vitamin serums?

The Benefit of Vitamins for Skin

Vitamin serums have many benefits for skin--what benefits exactly depends on which vitamins they contain. Here’s a quick refresher on some of the most popular active ingredients you’ll find in the best vitamin serums:

Vitamin A, also known as retinol, is a powerful skin care vitamin designed to help renew skin cells faster to stimulate collagen production, improve skin texture, diminish acne and reduce hyperpigmentation for radiant skin.

Vitamin B isn’t just one vitamin, but rather a group of vitamins. There are actually eight types of B vitamins: B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9 and B12, which makes it one of the most versatile vitamins used in skin care. Vitamin B skin care harnesses the power of this potent antioxidant to help the body accelerate its production of fatty and amino acids to help soften skin, lock in moisture, and reduce redness and inflammation for a stronger skin barrier.

“The B vitamins you’re most likely to see in skin care are B3 and B5,” Dr. Schlessinger says. “Niacinamide is the most popular form of vitamin B3 in skin care, and it helps smooth fine lines, soothe irritation and prevent acne. B5, also called pantothenic acid, helps draw moisture into the skin.”

Vitamin C is a powerful skin care ingredient that’s an essential nutrient to both your skin and body. This antioxidant is designed to support collagen and elastin production to help diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, defend against free radicals and lighten dark spots for healthier, more youthful-looking skin. With its amazing skin benefits, it’s no surprise that most consider vitamin C to be their anti-aging secret weapon.

Vitamin D is an essential vitamin for both our bodies and skin. It not only protects our skin, but when used in skin care can help reduce inflammation and improve cellular turnover in the fight against premature aging.

Vitamin E is primarily known to boost the effects of Vitamin C skin care, however this powerful anti-aging ingredient provides many skin benefits of its own. Vitamin E skin care products are designed to help maintain skin’s hydration levels and moisture barrier for nourished, beautiful skin. Because it’s also a natural anti-inflammatory, it can provide protection against free radicals and help soothe irritated skin.

6 Vitamin Serums To Try

While some facial serums feature a finely tuned combination of different vitamins to address various skin concerns, other serums might feature only one vitamin in their formula, so you can easily incorporate it into your existing skin care routine. Though formulas may vary, the best vitamin serums contain high-quality active ingredients that are meant to be applied to your skin after cleansing and before moisturizing. Here are a few favorites from Dr. Schlessinger and the LovelySkin experts:

1. SkinCeuticals Silymarin CF Vitamin C Serum

Vitamin actives: vitamin C

Great for: Addressing breakouts and anti-aging concerns in one step, especially for oily complexions!

This facial serum offers all the benefits of a vitamin C serum—think antioxidant protection, smoothing uneven skin tone and smoothing fine lines—combined with powerful active ingredients to help prevent breakouts. Silymarin, an ingredient derived from milk thistle, helps prevent the oil oxidation that can lead to acne while salicylic acid helps exfoliate the skin to reduce future breakouts.

2. LovelySkin VITA-CE with Ferulic Acid

Vitamin actives: vitamins C and E

Great for: Reducing the signs of sun damage and aging skin, including hyperpigmentation and wrinkles

One of the best vitamin serums from LovelySkin’s own skin care line, this antioxidant-packed serum helps curb environmental damage by neutralizing free radicals with help from powerful antioxidants like vitamin C and ferulic acid. It also contains a unique peptide that is designed to help relax facial muscles to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. “In our clinical trials for VITA-CE, we noted a 63 percent reduction in wrinkle depth,” Dr. Schlessinger says.

Epionce Intense Defense Serum

Vitamin actives: vitamins A, B3, C, D and E

Great for: Simplifying your anti-aging routine

This all-in-one multitasking vitamin serum packs a fleet of five vitamins into one formula, so you can help soften the signs of aging and prevent future damage in just one step. Vitamins A, B3, C, D and E all work together to replicate your skin’s natural processes to help decrease the appearance of fine lines, smooth skin texture and improve firmness and elasticity.

iS Clinical Poly-Vitamin Serum

Vitamin actives: vitamins A, B3 and B5

Great for: Regenerating severely damaged skin

If you’re looking to improve the quality of your skin after it’s been compromised by a condition or medical treatment such as radiation or chemo, then this reparative facial serum is a great choice for you. Vitamin B5 combines with hyaluronic acid to draw moisture back into dehydrated skin, helping it look fresher and plumper while vitamin A works to improve skin tone and vitamin B3 and B5 help soothe redness to revive skin.

Alpha-H Vitamin E Serum

Vitamin actives: vitamin E

Great for: Repairing dry, dull or damaged skin to bring it back to life

This is one of the best vitamin serums to keep on hand to help repair skin that’s stressed out, dried out or damaged, whether from an accidental sunburn or exposure to the elements. This Vitamin E serum combines the power of macadamia seed oil and evening primrose oil to help enhance your skin’s barrier function and prevent moisture loss while Vital ET™ (Alpha-H’s own vitamin E derivative that’s quickly absorbed by skin) works to calm redness and inflammation.

Jan Marini C-ESTA Serum

Vitamin actives: vitamins B5, C and E

Great for: Lifting, plumping and firming mature skin for a rejuvenating boost

If you have sensitive mature skin, this gentle but potent serum could be the answer to your anti-aging needs. It’s formulated with a neutral pH to prevent irritating reactive skin while a combination of vitamins C, B5 and E help provide antioxidant protection to diminish the appearance of fine lines and stimulate collagen production. It also contains DMAE, a complex designed to help improve skin tone and firmness for more youthful-looking skin.

Now that you’ve got the lowdown on the best vitamin serums, consider adding ceramides to your routine. Check out our recommendations in our blog post, 7 Ceramide Products Your Skin Can’t Live Without.