Beauty serums are fast, no-nonsense – and do three jobs in one | Sali Hughes on beauty

The beauty industry’s great fallacy is that its customer base is made up of (cue nauseating marketing portmanteau) “skintellectuals” – people who have the time, interest and wherewithal to understand the difference between a peptide, a retinoid and a humectant – and the inclination to apply all three in a single routine.

In reality, most people do not have a specific interest in skincare and have other priorities, which is why I know that suggesting a serum is already pushing my luck, so it had better work hard for its time and money.

A multipurpose serum is fast, straightforward and can be applied day and night(post cleanser, pre-moisturiser). It takes out the guesswork and kills multiple birds (dehydration, a compromised skin barrier, dullness, poor texture, unwanted lines, or any combination therein) with one stone.

Olay’s Super Serum (£39.99) addresses dullness with brightening vitamin C and exfoliating lactic acid; niacinamide to soothe and protect the skin barrier, and humectants to hydrate. It’s suitable for all, but younger adults in particular seem to love it – sales are huge.

Estée Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair (£65) is also loved by millions, and fairly so. Its silky, non-greasy texture contains the patented TriPeptide-32, to soothe, tone and soften. Despite the name, it is worn day and night and is generally well tolerated by even very sensitive skins (it can also be layered under pretty much anything else). Peptides – short linked chains of amino acids that serve as the building blocks for proteins – are a safe bet for everyone. Essentially, the more peptides present in skin, the more collagen it can produce, and the more this mitigates the signs of skin ageing.

If you want to add a retinoid (still by far the most evidence-backed “anti-ageing” treatment), Clinique’s Smart Clinical Repair (£62) includes HPR (Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate), which is gentler and faster working than retinol, as well as hydrating hyaluronic acid, glycerin and a sophisticated blend of peptides for barrier and texture.

Less potent but also more affordable is No7 Protect & Perfect Intense (£24.95), another peptide serum with retinol and additional vitamin C to brighten dullness. The wearing of an SPF by day is essential with both (and is best practice anyway).

All of the above work well as what I’d call a Fisher-Price starter serum for those who previously haven’t included one in their routine – but as a diehard serum fan, I wouldn’t hesitate to use them on my own face.