Face serums are lightweight moisturizers that contain a higher concentration of active ingredients — like hyaluronic acid, glycolic acid, and vitamin C — than typical facial moisturizers. Known for their effectiveness, face serums are often used to manage specific skin care concerns, such as wrinkles.
What is a serum? Serums pack a serious punch. These highly concentrated formulations are designed to deliver a potent mix of active ingredients to your skin. Serums often address specific skincare concerns, such as aging, redness, dullness or blemishes.
Ultimately, face serum and moisturizer are both necessary for a holistic skin care routine and to ensure that your skin doesn't dry out during the day. Face serum can't replace moisturizer, and moisturizer doesn't give your skin the extra vitamins and nutrients it needs to succeed and look great for years to come.
Most face serums are safe to be applied twice daily – once in the morning on a cleansed face, before the rest of your makeup, and once at night before bed.
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.
Wu says the liquid or gel-like texture of a serum can be a poor match for people with chronic skin conditions like eczema or rosacea, which weaken the skin barrier. For these people, serums may penetrate too quickly, causing irritation. Others need the hydration that a rich day or night cream provides.
Vitamin C serums, specifically, are typically used for their antioxidant and anti-aging properties. Their benefits often include leaving skin with a brighter, more radiant appearance. They can also result in a reduction of the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation for a more even skin tone.
Serums are thinner and lighter than moisturizers and have a greater variety of functions. A serum usually has smaller molecules combined with a high concentration of ingredients designed to penetrate, improve and/or nourish the skin in some way. A moisturizer's job is to hydrate the skin and prevent water loss.
Serums can be used alone by people with naturally oilier skin, or under a moisturizer to help protect the hydration levels in normal to dry skin. During the winter months, it's a good idea to use a moisturizer over your serum for extra hydration, to help your skin cope with changing temperature and drying winds.
If all your products (serum, moisturiser, sunscreen etc) already have their fair share of antioxidants, you don't need an extra toner too. Dry skin: If your skin feels tight and dry during the day, you skin needs more moisture. You can either opt for a hydrating toner or a richer moisturiser. It's up to you.
Best Overall Anti-Aging Serum: Clinique Smart Custom-Repair Serum. Best Drugstore Value Anti-Aging Serum: No7 Protect & Perfect Intense ADVANCED Serum Bottle. Best Anti-Aging Serum for Sensitive Skin: L'Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives Hyaluronic Acid Serum Ampoules.
Serum's purpose: "Antioxidant serums help protect your skin from the free radicals you're exposed to on a daily basis. They also aid in the prevention of fine lines and other visible signs of aging, and can heal and repair skin," Jaliman said.
"When you apply a hyaluronic acid serum to your skin, it acts like a sponge by attracting moisture to boost hydration on the surface of skin. The moisture that hyaluronic acid attracts comes from your external environment, so it absorbs moisture from the air around you to leave skin plump and hydrated."
Retinol is a type of retinoid, which is a fat-soluble organic compound and vitamin A derivative. Retinol exfoliates the skin, increases skin cell turnover, and stimulates collagen synthesis. It is considered the gold standard for its anti-aging and skin clearing benefits.
Hyaluronic acid is well known for its skin benefits, especially alleviating dry skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and speeding up wound healing. It can also help relieve joint pain in people with osteoarthritis.
You can totally layer all the serums you need. Just make sure you apply those with the lightest texture and most important actives first.
Always make sure to apply your serum on ahead of your moisturiser. If you swap the steps, the ingredients in your serum won't be able to penetrate the layer of your moisturiser — and then there's no use in using it! Give your serum about five minutes to soak into the skin before moving on.
If you're in your 40s, 50s, and beyond, vitamin-packed, collagen-boosting, antioxidant-spiked serums can help with wrinkles and fine lines, as well as skin's firmness and elasticity.
Look for serums that contain:
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and a must for aging skin. Retinol: Practically synonymous with anti-aging, retinol is a powerful stimulant that wakes up skin cells and encourages collagen production. With regular use, skin looks more toned and even.
Some anti-aging creams are meant to brighten skin as well.” Unlike a serum that could potentially dry out or over-exfoliate your skin, depending on the ingredients, a cream is more gentle and can be applied both morning and night.
Face serums are necessary for a holistic skincare routine. Like other skincare items, serums also have their own benefits on the skin. While moisturizers simply hydrate the skin, serums are often packed with anti-aging, anti-acne, and similar ingredients meant to target specific skin issues.