If your skin's happy with serum alone, you can skip moisturizer. But only a lucky few with normal and super oily skin can get away with this, in my experience. So, don't be too disappointed if your skin needs both.
Answer: You can but you don't have to. Serums and moisturizers help the skin in different ways. For some, particularly those who do not have dry skin, a serum alone will be enough. At other times, when your skin is dry or the environment is drying, you will find that you need both a serum and a moisturizer.
Unlike other skincare products like thick face creams and moisturizers that you massage into your skin in an upward direction, serums are meant to be applied to your face in small tapping motions with your fingertips or your palms. Do not rub your skin excessively, let the serum absorb into your skin on its own.
The ideal age to start using face serums would be late 20s and early 30s. This is the age at which the first signs of aging appears.
To allow serums to fully absorb, apply and wait 5 minutes before moisturizing. Take note: Well-formulated serums absorb quickly and disappear into your skin. If they leave an oily or sticky residue, they're not doing their job well.
It is not necessary to have a serum in your skincare regimen. "Serums are simply an added step for those that have the right skin type and are looking to go the extra mile in their daily routines," explains Dr. Charles.
Add in a serum.
Though you can skip it on your laziest days, using a serum in the morning gives your skin extra protection for the day to come. Reminder: If and when you do use a serum, it should come after cleansing and before moisturizing.
According to her, it's okay to skip moisturizer when you don't need it, such as when you're in a humid environment that's already full of moisture. "You don't always have to use a moisturizer, especially if you have oily-prone skin or if you've just used an HA serum that helps moisturize," Dr. Cindy explains.
While it might seem counterintuitive to slather a hydrating moisturizer on already-oily skin, every skin type needs to moisturize. In fact, dermatologists believe that the excess oil production that occurs in people with oily skin might actually be your skin's way of overcompensating for a lack of moisture.
Dull & Dry Skin
This one is obvious, but if you aren't moisturizing, you will dry out your skin, and it will get even worse if it's winter and cold out, or the humidity is really low. Without moisturizer, your skin will start flaking and appear dry.
Should I Use a Moisturizer? In short, yes. "A daily moisturizer is necessary to maintain your skin's moisture barrier and to prevent environmental damage to your skin," Weinstein explains.
You can use face serum twice a day—before your moisturizer—but reserve products with retinol for nighttime. “Generally, most people should be using a treatment serum twice day,” says Hirsch.
Toners can restore skin's PH levels to a normal level, hydrate, and refresh the skin. Serums, on the other hand, provide a high concentration of active ingredients to the skin, hydrate and deal with skincare concerns like wrinkles and fine lines.
Occasionally, though, serums can actually cause acne—so proceed with caution. "They can lead to breakouts—especially if you're using the wrong one for your skin type," says Green.
As a rule of thumb, we typically recommend applying products in order from lightest to heaviest. For oils and serums, that usually means applying serums (which are often water-based) first. After the serum absorbs into your skin, you can apply facial oil, and then moisturizer and sunscreen.
The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA 2% Exfoliating Serum
"It's best used at night and contains lactic acid, a gentle but effective alpha hydroxy acid that works to eliminate dead skin cells to improve the overall texture and tone of the skin," the derm revealed.
More serum does not equal more benefit. Your skin can only absorb a certain amount, and when a serum is packed with great actives, you don't need large amounts. Using a serum often is better than simply applying more. Using moisturizer over your serum will help lock in the serum anti-ageing actives and nutrients.
Anti-pigmentation and antioxidant serums work best when applied in the morning. This helps protect your skin against environmental assaults and free radical production produced by light, including UV and high energy visible light. Anti-aging serums are often best suited for nighttime application.
The Serum You Should Use Under Your Eye Cream or Gel
Many serums say right on the packaging that you can't use it under the eye area. That's not the case with our Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum. Not only will it help any eye cream or gel work better around the eye area, but it can also stimulate the production of collagen.
Serum. A pea-sized amount of serum gives your skin a concentrated boost of ingredients that help with hydration, exfoliation, acne, or dull skin. If you use too much: Using too much of any product leaves active ingredients sitting on your skin. Some, such as exfoliating serum, can lead to stinging or peeling.
Moisturiser cannot by itself make your skin dark or fair . Moisturisers are only meant to give the hydration a skin needs. In very humid climates, it is better to avoid moisturiser as a whole.