The 12 Best Growth Factor Serums That Provide Stellar Anti-Aging Results
If it seems like everyone is buzzing about peptides and exosomes right now (which they are), then it’s time to give some attention to growth factors. These powerful little proteins pack a mighty punch. They can do just about everything from increasing cell production to stimulating the formation of new collagen and elastin and even promoting plumper, tighter, firmer skin. But what exactly are growth factors, and how do they work? We’re sharing everything you need to know about them and how to find the best growth factor serum for your skin and its needs.
Our Top Picks
Best for Smoothing Wrinkles:Medik8 Liquid Peptides Advanced MP Best for Sagging Skin:SkinMedica TNS Advanced+ Serum Best for a Natural Glow:Dr. Diamond’s Metacine INSTAFACIAL PLASMA Bioactive Growth Factor Serum Best for Collagen Production:PCA Skin Pro-Max Age Renewal Advanced Anti-Aging Serum with Micro Growth Factor Technology Best for Lifting:Allies of Skin Multi Peptides & Growth Factors Advanced Lifting Serum Best for Adding Hydration:NeoCutis BIO SERUM FIRM Rejuvenating Growth Factor + Peptide Treatment Best for Preventative Care:Osmosis+ Beauty StemFactor Growth Factor Serum Best for Improving Skin Texture:SkinMedica TNS Recovery Complex Best for Rejuvenating the Skin from Daily Damage:Jan Marini Transformation Cream Best for Targeting the Neck:Glo Skin Beauty Bio-Renew EGF Neck Cream Best for Strengthening the Skin Barrier:Glo Skin Beauty BioRenew EGF Drops Best for Plumping the Skin:Glo Skin Beauty Bio-Renew EGF Cream
What is a Growth Factor?
Growth factors are proteins that promote collagen and elastin production, speed up cell turnover, and improve the skin’s tone and texture for healthier skin. They are derived from either human (the skin naturally produces them), animal, or plant cells and are often used as an adjunct therapy to help speed up the rate at which the body heals from an injury or wound—that’s why they are often part of an in-office protocol for treatments like lasers.
Besides their collagen-boosting benefits, growth factors are also heralded for their anti-aging abilities. However, over time, the body's natural production of growth factors begins to decline. When used regularly, growth factors can help reduce the look of fine lines, wrinkles, and other signs of aging. These specialized proteins can communicate between cells to encourage new cell growth and regeneration, leading to healthier and more youthful-looking skin.
Related Article:An Ultimate Guide to Growth Factors for Skin Health, A Dermatologist Explains All
How to Choose the Best Growth Factor Serum for Your Skin
When it comes to choosing the best growth factor serum for your skin, rule number one is to take a close look at the growth factor source. Most growth factors are synthetically produced in a lab or collected from human stem cells, usually obtained from an umbilical cord. Some people prefer synthetic growth factors over human-derived ones, which can equate to a more affordable skincare product with no worry of ethical concerns.
From there, it’s best to pay close attention to the ingredient deck and note all the ingredients used in the product. The best growth factor serums also contain other supercharged skincare actives like niacinamide, retinol, or peptides, which work with growth factors to produce the best possible results.
Shop the Best Growth Factor Serums
Best for Smoothing Wrinkles: Medik8 Liquid Peptides Advanced MP
$92.00
The next best thing to injectables and fillers is this clinically proven formula, which works hard to soften the look of expression lines and wrinkles for smoother-looking skin. Powered by growth factors and peptides, the fast-acting serum helps to improve overall skin function and crank up skin cell regeneration.
Key Ingredients: Expression line MiniProtein, growth factor MiniProtein™, peptides
Skin Type: All
Skin Benefits: Reduces the appearance of visible lines, wrinkle reduction and relaxation
Beauty Insider Tip: While you may see a softening of lines and wrinkles in just 10 minutes, more deep-set wrinkles respond best to consistent use of the serum, with results surfacing after eight weeks.
Best for Sagging Skin: SkinMedica TNS Advanced+ Serum
588 reviews
$295.00
Every bottle of this award-winning anti-aging complex packs more than one trillion exosomes and a blend of skin-friendly proteins and growth factors. This does-it-all formulation is one to have on hand if improving your skin's texture is a main concern. By targeting blood vessels and reducing skin inflammation, the complex encourages new cell growth for better-looking and healthier skin while tackling the symptoms of premature aging, too.
Key Ingredients: Growth factor blend, peptides, marine extract, green microalgae
Skin Type: Normal, mature
Skin Benefits: Smooths wrinkles and fine lines, lifts sagging skin, improves skin tone and texture
Beauty Insider Tip: To keep the serum efficacious, store it at room temperature in a dark space without sun exposure.
Best for a Natural Glow: Dr. Diamond’s Metacine INSTAFACIAL PLASMA Bioactive Growth Factor Serum
$200.00
From one of Beverly Hills' most renowned plastic surgeons comes this skin-rejuvenating serum that is designed to mimic the effects of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatments performed in the office. The red-hued serum counts growth factors, peptides, and sodium hyaluronate as key ingredients and improves the skin's tone, texture, glow factor, and overall appearance to become firmer, tighter, more lifted, and luminous over time.
Key Ingredients: Peptides, plasma, glycerin, radish root extract, folic acid ferment, sodium hyaluronate
Skin Type: All
Skin Benefits: Lifts, firms, tightens, brightens, layers well under other skincare products
Beauty Insider Tip: This serum, which is the debut product in his skincare collection, was inspired by Dr. Diamond’s Diamond InstaFacial which combines a series of lasers with microneedling and PRP to stimulate new collagen.
Best for Collagen Production: PCA Skin Pro-Max Age Renewal Advanced Anti-Aging Serum with Micro Growth Factor Technology
10 reviews
$221.00
One of the many benefits of regularly using a serum with growth factors is the ingredient's ability to stimulate new and healthy collagen for plumper-looking skin. Packed with a patent-pending growth factor technology (MGF) that penetrates the skin deeper than other growth factors, this anti-aging serum helps improve the appearance of saggy skin, volume loss, and wrinkles for skin that looks and acts younger.
Key Ingredients: Micro growth factor technology, organic kangaroo paw flower extract, biopolymers
Skin Type: All
Skin Benefits: Lifts, firms, smooths lines and wrinkles, restores lost volume, plumps
Beauty Insider Tip: Mix the serum with a pump of your favorite hyaluronic acid serum for a major boost in the glow department.
Best for Lifting: Allies of Skin Multi Peptides & Growth Factors Advanced Lifting Serum
11 reviews
$188.00
This clinically proven lifting serum took years to create. It delivers a hefty dose of proven active ingredients to the skin to do what it says. A bevy of growth factors communicate between skin cells to promote collagen and add support to the skin, helping regenerate it.
Key Ingredients: Growth factors, peptides, MSM, copper lysinate, phospholipids, glycolipid
Skin Type: All
Skin Benefits: Firms, lifts, smooths lines and wrinkles
Beauty Insider Tip: Apply the serum to the skin after using toners and mists but before moisturizer.
Best for Adding Hydration: NeoCutis BIO SERUM FIRM Rejuvenating Growth Factor + Peptide Treatment
97 reviews
$290.00
Growth factors and mega moisturizers are a winning combination, and that’s just what this treatment contains. This smooth-as-silk cream, packed with skin-brightening, hydrating and boosting agents, helps replenish lost moisture while strengthening the skin’s resilience for a noticeable effect.
Key Ingredients: Human growth factors, peptides, sodium hyaluronate, arginine, glycerin, acetyl glucosamine, glutamine
Skin Type: All
Skin Benefits: Improves the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, smooths, tightens, firms, hydrates, improves texture, brightens
Beauty Insider Tip: Apply the treatment to the face, neck and décolleté morning and/or night to the face, and use it with other NEOCUTIS anti-aging products for the best results
Best for Preventative Care: Osmosis+ Beauty StemFactor Growth Factor Serum
1 reviews
$136.00
Like a fountain of youth for your skin, this growth factor-rich serum relies on more than 600 different varieties, along with peptides and exosomes, to prevent and protect the skin against the common signs of aging. Perfect for treating rosacea, too, the skin-healing and rejuvenating formula leaves the skin transformed and younger-looking with just one use.
Key Ingredients: Human stem cells, human fibroblasts, witch hazel bark, lemon peel oil
Skin Type: All
Skin Benefits: Remodels the skin, rejuvenates, leaves skin glowing and healthy
Beauty Insider Tip: Apply any excess product to the back of your hands to keep them looking youthful
Best for Improving Skin Texture: SkinMedica TNS Recovery Complex
114 reviews
$230.00
Packing more than one trillion exosomes and a blend of skin-friendly proteins and growth factors into each bottle of this award-winning anti-aging complex, this does-it-all formulation is one to have on hand if improving your skin’s texture is a main concern. By targeting blood vessels and reducing skin inflammation, the complex encourages new cell growth for better-looking and healthier skin while tackling the symptoms of premature aging, too.
Key Ingredients: Human fibroblast-controlled media
Skin Type: All
Skin Benefits: Rejuvenates, reduces the look of fine lines and wrinkles, improves skin tone and texture
Beauty Insider Tip: For optimal results, apply the complex twice daily
Best for Rejuvenating the Skin from Daily Damage: Jan Marini Transformation Cream
85 reviews
$128.00
The ideal cream for boosting collagen and elastin and undoing the effects of daily damage, this illuminating moisturizing cream adds hydration back into the skin while improving its overall tone and texture. While you’ll notice an immediate silkiness to the skin, the more you use it, the better it works.
Key Ingredients: Growth factors, peptides, hyaluronic acid
Skin Type: Dry, normal, combination
Skin Benefits: Hydrates, encourages collagen and elastin production, decreases environmental damage, protects against future damage, improves skin tone and texture
Beauty Insider Tip: A little bit of this cream goes a long way
Best for Targeting the Neck: Glo Skin Beauty Bio-Renew EGF Neck Cream
$118.00
Most growth factor serums are formulated to treat the face, but this one is unique in that it targets the delicate skin on the neck. Packed with epidermal growth factors and skin-hydrating hyaluronic acid, it works to firm and smooth the skin on the neck, leaving it more supple, firmer and smoother.
Key Ingredients: Epidermal growth factor, lipids, hyaluronic acid, flaxseed and sea buckthorn oils
Skin Type: All
Skin Benefits: Firms, strengthens, smooths skin, lifts, tightens, encourages improved dermal thickness and elasticity, hydrates
Beauty Insider Tip: Use the cream after professional skin treatments and procedures to help encourage healthy healing.
Best for Strengthening the Skin Barrier: Glo Skin Beauty BioRenew EGF Drops
3 reviews
$138.00
Whether you use these drops daily or post-treatment, their skin barrier-protecting and rebuilding benefits are supreme. Formulated with peptides and epidermal growth factors, the serum works to regenerate the production of healthy skin cells for stronger-acting and looking skin while increasing hydration levels and reducing the look of lines and wrinkles.
Key Ingredients: Epidermal growth factor, peptides, hyaluronic acid
Skin Type: All
Skin Benefits: Softens skin, brightens, reduces the look of fine lines and wrinkles, strengthens the skin barrier
Beauty Insider Tip: Apply the serum all over for a more daily-use product, or add a few drops to moisturizer or liquid foundation for a reparative effect.
Best for Plumping the Skin: Glo Skin Beauty Bio-Renew EGF Cream
1 reviews
$178.00
Aging skin tends to lose its natural plumpness, but this restorative moisturizer works to reinstate a natural fullness to the skin that looks natural and never like it’s been overfilled with injectables and fillers. Developed in part with board-certified dermatologist Dr. Dendy Engelman, this award-winning cream also hydrates, firms and smoothes the skin with epidermal growth factors and peptides for a natural radiance.
Key Ingredients: Epidermal growth factor, phyto-retinol, peptides
Skin Type: All
Skin Benefits: Repairs, strengthens, hydrates, smooths and plumps, reduces the look of fine lines and wrinkles, brightens, improves the skin’s texture
Beauty Insider Tip: The cream is safe enough to use post-procedure to help restore the skin and nurse it back to health.
FAQs
Are growth factor serums safe for all skin types?
What's nice about growth factor serums is that they are generally safe for all skin types and well tolerated. As with any skincare product, finding a formula compatible with your skin type and caters to your current skin needs is always the best approach. It's also important to scan the ingredient deck and make sure that the growth factor serum you choose to use is void of any potential skin-irritating ingredients such as dyes, perfumes, and fragrances and is non-comedogenic if your skin is oily or acne-prone. This way, you can reap the full benefits of the serum.
Are growth factors better than retinol?
Growth factors and retinol are two different skincare ingredients with stellar anti-aging and overall skin reparative properties. A growth factor serum works well in a skincare routine that includes retinol since the two independently benefit the skin. Most dermatologists consider retinol and growth factors nonnegotiables in a well-rounded anti-aging skincare routine. So, it's best to incorporate these ingredients into your skincare routine.
Do growth factor serums really work?
If you’re skeptical about using growth factor serums, don’t be. There’s plenty of clinical data and science that supports the benefits and results of growth factors, proving that they do work. Since growth factors aid in wound healing and stimulate collagen production, the changes in the skin, like increased smoothness, less redness, enhanced texture and skin barrier function, and a firmer, plumper, tighter appearance to the skin with a natural glow, is proof that this supercharged ingredient really delivers results. However, it’s important to note that consistent use of a growth factor serum is key to seeing a change in the skin, which can take up to eight weeks before it is visible.
The Bottom Line
Growth factors are a must-include in any well-rounded skin care routine, especially if you want to improve the skin's health and functionality while nipping the signs of aging in the bud. Some of the best growth factor serums make sure of the ingredient along with other supercharged actives, like ceramides, peptides and hyaluronic acid for a holistic benefit. Plus, pairing growth factors with other proven skincare ingredients makes them work even better. No matter if you use a growth factor serum to target the neck, eyes, face or all of the above, working one into your regimen is a skincare must-have.
Elise Minton Tabin is an award-winning beauty journalist, editor, and beauty expert with more than 16 years of experience. She previously held the title of Executive Beauty Editor at NewBeauty magazine, where she reported on beauty, plastic surgery, anti-aging, health and wellness. She was also instrumental in the launch of the beauty supplement brand Hush & Hush. A self-professed beauty junkie and retinol and sunscreen pusher, Elise knows what’s new, what works and who’s the best to go for every procedure under the sun. Follow Elise on Facebook, Instagram, and on her beauty blog, elisetabin.com
