7 Best water-based serums for hydration without greasy residue

Staying hydrated is key to healthy-looking skin, and water-based serums offer an effective way to achieve this. While facial serums can be a totally optional part of beauty regimens, water-based serums can be great supplementary products for quenching parched skin. They provide instant hydration and help plump the skin while reducing the signs of aging, all without leaving a greasy finish.

What's even more beneficial is that water-based serums facilitate the absorption of water-soluble ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid and vitamin C. These ingredients are skincare powerhouses known for their brightening and anti-aging properties.

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What is a water-based serum?

A water-based serum features water as its headliner ingredient. Unlike oil-based serums, they tend to have a lighter texture and are more easily absorbed into the skin. Their quick absorption means one doesn’t have to wait around to apply makeup, making water-based serums perfect for layering beauty products.

Water-based serums are an excellent addition to skincare routines, especially for individuals with sensitive skin. Additionally, their non-comedogenic formulas make them suitable choices for oily and acne-prone skin types.

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7 Best water-based serums for hydration

Here are seven of the best water-based serums that help hydrate and plump the complexion.

Disclaimer: This is purely the writer's opinion. We might have missed a few products, let us know your views in the comments.

• Pixi Clarity Concentrate
• Laneige Water Bank Hyaluronic Serum
• Innisfree Green Tea Seed Serum
• Caudalie SOS Serum
• The Ordinary Hydrating Serum
• Moon Juice Plump Jelly Hyaluronic Serum
• Kate Somerville HydraKate Serum

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1. Pixi Clarity Concentrate

The Pixi Skintreats Concentrate is a serum with a water base designed to provide three skincare benefits: exfoliation, oil control, and minimizing pores. Made with salicylic acid from willow bark, lactic acid, probiotics, and aloe, it is exfoliating and soothing at the same time, a good combo for a clear, hydrated, and smoother complexion.

While suitable for all skin types, this formula is beneficial for breakout-prone skin.

Price: $24 (Pixi Beauty)

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2. Laneige Water Bank Hyaluronic Serum

This lightweight skin-plumping serum provides intense and deep moisture to a parched complexion. Inner-skin dryness, irritation, roughness, and sensitivity are greatly reduced with micro-sized hyaluronic acid, leaving the skin with moisture-plumping and firming effects.

The soft-melting formula feels like whipped cream on the skin, excellent for quick absorption to instantly replenish lost moisture. Meanwhile, peptides add firming benefits, while green tea enzymes gently exfoliate for a smoother, softer, and plumper complexion.

Price: $45 (Sephora and Amazon)

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3. Innisfree Green Tea Seed Serum

For deep hydration without greasiness, consider Innisfree’s water-based serum with green tea properties. This serum features three key ingredients: five types of hyaluronic acid for amplified hydration, green tea tri-biotics to balance and strengthen the skin’s biome, and green tea seed to fortify the moisture barrier.

With a lightweight watery-gel texture, it feels soothing on application and provides 24-hour hydration.

Price: $30 (Innisfree)

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4. Caudalie SOS Thirst-Quenching Serum

The Caudalie water-based serum provides SOS care for parched skin, deriving its thirst-quenching power from two skincare powerhouses. It has hyaluronic acid that delivers potent hydration and antioxidant-rich grape seed extract that replenishes the skin's biome for a nourished moisture barrier.

With its ultra-light aqueous texture, the serum feels fresh and easily melts into the skin. It makes the skin feel and look like it’s drenched in water, gaining a soft, long-lasting suppleness. Light fragrance is added with notes of lemon tree, cucumber, mint, and mandarin blossom, adding to the refreshing effects of the serum.

Price: $52 (Caudalie)

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5. The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid + B5 Hydrating Serum

Hydration is crucial in skincare, but it doesn’t need to be an expensive step. The Ordinary offers a purse-friendly solution for plump skin without greasiness. The reformulation of their best-selling hydration serums delivers instant plumping effects from combined hyaluronic acid and pro-vitamin B5. The unique blend promotes supple skin effects and improved elasticity while minimizing fine lines caused by skin dryness.

Price: $9.90 (The Ordinary and Sephora)

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6. Moon Juice Plump Jelly Hyaluronic Serum

This water-based serum provides a hydration boost to parched complexions. It moisturizes the skin with hyaluronic acid fortified with peptides, ensuring long-term plumpness and bounce.

Additionally, the formula features a blend of mushrooms to inject the skin with various benefits. Silver ear mushroom delivers hydration to the cells, while adaptogenic redshift mushroom provides natural barrier support. All housed in a lightweight jelly consistency, the serum boasts a smooth texture that seamlessly absorbs into the skin.

Price: $58 (Moon Juice)

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7. Kate Somerville HydraKate Serum

Created to bring parched complexion back to life, this fatigue-fighting serum takes its moisturizing power from dual-weight hyaluronic acid with Aquaport technology. It delivers customized hydration to areas of the skin most in need.

Meanwhile, the added algae extract delivers restorative care to the skin. It hydrates as well as targets visible signs of aging, leaving the skin with a radiant, moisture-rich glow.

Price: $78 (Kate Somerville)

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These water-based serums provide the skin with the extra hydration and plumping boost it requires. Without any oil in the formula, they moisturize parched skin without leaving a heaviness or greasy finish.

Individuals can purchase these serums from the official websites of the brands or online stores like Sephora and Amazon.