It’s true that every product in your skincare routine should contain skin-loving ingredients that are catering to your skin, but serums are the king of the castle (super important). Facial serums are highly concentrated formulations made to target your concerns. You probably learned to stick to three basic steps: cleanse, tone and moisturize. But those who are skincare aficionado’s kept serums as the secret to their glow. Serums are for those seeking to find precision care for a current skin problem or take preventive and proactive measures against the telltale signs of aging: fine lines, wrinkles, discoloration, sagging, and dryness, to name a few. If you’re not yet convinced, here are the top reasons why using an active serum is important and the best ingredients to look out for.
They work because they contain a higher concentration of actives than moisturizers and creams: The biggest benefit of a serum, hands down, is that it works and gives results. The secret is that serums are made of a high concentration of active ingredients that you can get without a prescription. In the basic routine; cleansers and moisturizers contain between 0.5 to 10% active ingredients, whereas serums can contain up to 70%. What this means is that you’ll actually get to see the results. Whether you’re looking to even your skin tone, acne control, reduce fine lines, brighten, or tightening the skin, serums should be your go-to. You see visible transformation more dramatically and more quickly than using your regular cream.
Serums penetrate deeper into the skin: Most serums are lightweight in texture, and never thicker than a gel. In cosmetic chemistry, the use of a term called “viscosity” describes the thickness of a formula. Our skin has a bandwidth of how product it “drinks up” or absorbs, so your skin doesn’t take in everything. In fact, when a solution is too thick, the vast majority of it can simply sit on top of the skin, essentially blocking other ingredients from entering and possibly clogging pores. This is why serums are lighter formulas with smaller molecules that can actually penetrate the skin and go deeper to address concerns.
Keep in mind: some brands are developing oil-based skincare products that are labeled as “serums.” Oils have a heavier molecular weight, so it should be the final step of your skincare regimen to prevent it from disturbing other ingredients from soaking through. Non-soluble lipids and oils are not serums.
Serums are precise and can target specific skin conditions: The best serums stay away from fillers and occlusive like mineral oils to ensure potency. They have fewer bad ingredients and tend to have fewer ingredients that do not serve a function. Serums are specially designed to be delivery systems that prioritize treating skin conditions, whether it’s anti-aging, brightening, blemish control, hydrating or alleviating dullness. For example, the Serumize Clear Fight serum is for acne-prone skin with 2% Salicylic acid, oleanolic acid, and more active ingredients to target acne.
It allows customization: You can mix and match your serums depending on what your skin needs at any time, whether you want to switch them up from AM to PM, day to day, between seasons or during and after a holiday. Another great option is to layer two to three serums as long as you wait at least a minute or two for each to absorb into the skin. However, be sure to do your research and avoid combining actives that don’t go well together, as it will cause irritation or damage.
You save money! Wait, isn’t a serum one of the most expensive skincare products out there? How are we saving money, you ask? Well, since serums are more active and result-oriented. Investing in one will actually show actual improvements. That way you don’t waste money on multiple products that are just 'ok'. In comparison to prescription products, you save a lot of money. So instead of many products, you will be investing in quality drops daily. It's quality vs quantity!
