We asked the pros for their recommendations on the best growth-factor serums on the market. Below are their top picks, so let the collagen-plumping begin.
Why we love it: A routine Best of Beauty award winner, SkinMedica TNS Advanced+ Serum is a growth-factor OG that set the standard long before it became a buzzword. If you're wondering, TNS stands for tissue nutrient solution, a nod to its star ingredient: human fibroblast conditioned media. This serum supplies the skin with growth factors to improve the appearance of fine lines, coarse wrinkles, skin tone, and texture. "SkinMedica received the patent in 2000 for the first cosmetic product with growth factors. Numerous clinical studies have since backed TNS growth factors," explains Dr. Amin. "It's one of the most clinically supported growth-factor serums on the market, offering firmer-looking skin in as little as two weeks," says Dr. Murphy-Rose.
Editor's tip: "The serum also contains a peptide complex to rejuvenate the skin, and it's fragrance-free -- another big plus," says Dr. Amin.
Key ingredients: growth factor blend, peptide complex, French flax seed | Type of growth factor: human | Fragrance-Free: yes | Who it's for: aging and sagging skin
Why we love it: Growth factors work like keys, unlocking receptors on skin cells to activate processes like collagen and elastin production, cell growth, and improved blood flow. "When the key clicks into the lock, it activates the cell to do things, like grow and divide, make more collagen and elastin, or increase blood flow," Gail Naughton, a regenerative medicine researcher and growth-factor formulator, previously told Allure. That's exactly what makes the Neocutis Bio Serum Firm so effective. With a formulation that combines human growth factors, peptides, and hyaluronic acid, it targets fine lines, wrinkles, texture, brightness, firmness, and elasticity. "These key ingredients reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, refine texture, brighten skin, and improve firmness and elasticity," says Brendan Camp, MD, a double board-certified dermatologist and dermatopathologist in the New York-New Jersey area.
Editor's tip: Dr. Amin also praises the fragrance-free formula, making it perfect for sensitive skin, and highlights the inclusion of acetyl glucosamine, which boosts the skin's natural production of hyaluronic acid, alongside sodium hyaluronate, a humectant that draws water into the skin for deep hydration.