With the plethora of skin care products available, it is quite a daunting task to choose products that are just right for you. Your usual (face wash + toner + sunscreen + moisturiser + exfoliator) regime doesn’t sort all that your skin needs to feel and look fabulous. As pollution, stress and nutritional deficiency steal away your skin’s natural glow, it becomes all the more important to supply your skin with potent nutrients and vitamins that work to replenish it from within. And that’s exactly what a face serum does!
But if you – like most of us – think of serum as just another expensive and superfluous product that can be easily skipped, then you are in for a shock. Read on to learn more about this new skin ‘superstar’.
Is serum just a new-age moisturiser?
Absolutely not. A serum is a stand-alone product, i.e. it is entirely different from other skin care products in terms of its potent formulations, customised options and instant impact on our skin. (Learn more about the difference between a serum and a moisturiser).
Why do I need a serum?
Face serums are specifically designed to increase the effectiveness of your existing skincare regime and combat aging and skin damage more successfully. Different types of serums, along with their unique combination of active ingredients and overall texture, serve many different functions such as-
- Prevents Skin Damage and Minimises Dark Spots
Daily UV exposure and the age-factor can result in the appearance of dull skin, discolorations and dark spots. Sun damage is caused by certain molecules called free radicals. They cause significant damage to the skin. Applying your serum and layering it with your favourite sunscreen in the morning before stepping out, will act as a filter against UV rays, skin damage and also pollutants. A good serum will immediately make skin more luminous and helps the appearance of dark spots to fade away entirely with continued use over time.
- Provides Intense Hydration
With advancing age, stress, and external factors, your usually moisture-rich skin, can soon turn dry and dull. Few serums are excellent hydrators, helping to decrease trans-epidermal water loss, and allowing your skin to retain more moisture. The result – radiant and dewy skin.
- Brightens Dull Skin
Serums promise even skin tones, pushing out blotchy skin, dark spots, pigmentation and blemishes. Being laden with natural skin lightening extracts, they illuminate the look of skin. Get used to natural radiance. #NoMoreHighlighters
- Addresses Signs of Aging
Collagen is a naturally occurring protein that depletes over time. Lower levels of collagen can lead to fine lines and wrinkles, anti- aging and reduced under eye circles. Hydrating and pumping nutrients into the skin cells, gives way to beautiful and youthful skin. Serum usage boosts elastin and stimulates skin regeneration and restoration. They help reveal instantly replenished, plumped skin. Don’t forget to slather up with an anti-aging moisturiser for best results!!
- Boosts Skin Volume
As you mature, skin can gradually lose moisture and volume, especially in sensitive areas like cheekbones and under the eyes. To replenish volume and moisture retention in these areas, reach out for a targeting serum such as an Eye Serum. Focus on the problem areas, until the product is thoroughly absorbed. Follow up with an under eye moisturizer.
6. As a night time repair tool too
Serums are wonder products, pretty much capable of handling almost all skin care concerns. Skin regeneration happens naturally when the body rests at night, as does the rest of the body. Not a bad idea to help skin that’s working hard to give you the benefits of “beauty sleep”. Serums, as a part of our skin night care routine are proven to stimulate cell renewal, cell turnover and increase in collagen production.
7. Lesser Breakouts.
Serums are completely devoid of fillers. Their goal is to make sure that their active ingredients (peptides, stem cells, vitamins and beneficial minerals) get past the outer layer of your skin and deliver their greatness deep down. This means they absorb much faster without acne or breakout – encouraging residue left behind.
Needless to mention, broader and confident smiles are some of the unsung glories of this super product!
Also Read: Niacinamide Serum Benefits
So what type of serum do I need?
Facial serums are pretty much ‘The Holy Grail’ of beauty currently. With varying types of serums, composed of different active ingredients in different combinations, it is nothing short of the perfect skin care product ever created. The goal is to target all major skin care issues, providing different benefits, and thus catering to all skin types.
However, unlike moisturisers, one size fits all doesn’t hold true for serums. Different people have different skin concerns and issues. Everyone’s skin responds differently to different products. That’s a major reason for the multiplicity of skin care products in the market. Bedazzled and confused, all of us go through the trial and error method of using expensive and/or popular branded products, only to find out that they did not suit us or worse, had no effect whatsoever.
Nevertheless, there is a perfect serum, made especially for you. You just have to educate yourself adequately so you know what to look for and what will work best for your skin.
The serum that worked best for my skin
After I had my son, I had developed blotchy dark hormonal pigmentation(melasma) on my face. It wasn’t exactly earth shattering but I found it really hard to cover it with makeup. This gave way to my quest for a skincare product that could effectively solve this specific skin concern for me. And it was not long before I stumbled upon Natural Vitamin C Face Serum by The Moms Co.
Enriched with potent ingredients like Vitamin C-rich Kakadu Plum, Vitamin B3, Chia Seed Oil and Hyaluronic acid, this water-based serum penetrates deep into the skin to hydrate, repair and replenish it from within. And that’s not all. It also improves skin radiance, fights pigmentation, dark spots and wrinkles for skin that looks and feels nourished from within and not just corrected on the surface.
While several serums promise miraculous transformation, only a few are enriched with natural ingredients, keeping the toxins out. The Natural Vita Rich face Serum is one such product that is made without Parabens, Sulphates, Mineral Oils, PEGS and other such harmful ingredients.
What makes this serum actually work?
The thing that matters the most when it comes to serum is ingredients and this one has the most potent ingredients there are for skin concerns like pigmentation, dark spots and wrinkles such as-
Vitamin C – Found as a native plant in North Australia, Kakadu Plum is a supercharged ingredient and is the world’s richest source of Vitamin C. It works to stimulate the production of collagen and reduce fine lines and wrinkles. It is also effective at reducing the appearance of hyper-pigmentation as it naturally brightens the complexion.
Chia Seed Oil – It restores skin moisture and fights uneven skin tone & fine lines. Considered the richest botanical source of omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, Chia Seed Oil absorbs deep into the skin and improves skin hydration.
Hyaluronic Acid – It has the unique ability to hold moisture based on the season. A super food for your face, it benefits tissue repair and protection while improves the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles.
Types of Serum
So while it’s important to incorporate serum into your skincare routine, it is also important to find the one that works best for your skin. For your ease, I have listed out the five main categories of facial serums that you can choose from to target your specific skin type and concern-
- Hydrating Face Serums for Normal to Combination Skin
It is your answer to treat dry and dehydrated skin while quenching the skin’s thirst for nutrition. The light weight formula seeps deep in the skin locking in the skin’s natural moisture levels, keeping it soft, supple and replenished. To increase moisture in thirsty skin, look for ingredients such as Argan oil, Hyaluronic Acid, Aloe Vera, Jojoba, and Vitamin E.
- Acne Fighting Serums for Oily Skin
Serums are uniquely created with tiny molecules that target the skin pores to deliver potent nutritive capabilities. All the same, they also quickly unclog and close open pores. The goal is really to prevent breakouts, by removing dead skin cells, absorbing extra oil and reducing redness and inflammation. Beneficial acne fighting ingredients are salicylic acid, alpha- hydroxy acid (AHA) and beta-hydroxy acid (BHA), glycolic acid, citric acid, zinc, and botanical extracts like tea tree, thyme, cucumber, and green tea.
- Skin Brightening Serums for Dry and Dull Skin
Brightening serums work by smoothing your complexion, fading any age or sunspots, evening skin tone, and diminishing hyperpigmentation. This leaves your skin with a natural, radiant and impeccable glow. These particular serums may contain extracts such as green tea, licorice root, and grapefruit or antioxidants like vitamin E and vitamin C.
4. Anti-inflammatory for Sensitive Skin
Serums’ capacity to work at the cellular level provide anti-inflammatory effects backed up with zinc, arnica and aloe Vera extract, prevent redness and inflammation.
Thanks for that! But how do I use one?
Freshly cleaned and moist skin is ten times more absorbent than dry skin! So it is highly recommended that you apply your serum twice daily, directly to your freshly cleaned skin. And if you’re a toner person, the serum should be applied after the toner.
Post cleansing, your serum should be applied over the entire face and neck. Apply a few drops of serum and massage gently into the skin with fingertips. Allow it to absorb into the skin for a few minutes to work its wonders. In the morning dab in your facial serum and follow it up with a wide ranged SPF moisturizer or sunscreen for ultimate protection from the sun. Follow the same routine at night, by anointing the serum on cleansed( or cleansed and toned before putting on your night cream, anti-aging cream or moisturizer. Avoid intense rubbing or tugging at your skin.
Applying more face serum than required, does not qualify for more benefits or quicker results. Your skin needs and can only absorb a certain amount. When a serum is packed with great actives, you don’t need large amounts. Using a serum often is better than simply applying more.
However, don’t forget to refer to the specific instructions on your face serum bottle. Some face serums are quite strong and thus do not need more than a few applications over the week.
There is a strong reason why dermatologists and skin care gurus advice on finishing your skin care with a moisturizer over your serum. This tiny step seals in all the actives and nutrients of the serum, resulting in better and efficient functioning of both the products. A moisturiser placed in the refrigerator will be cold on application, activating surface blood into the skin through capillary contraction, and thus increasing the penetration of the serum’s active ingredients.
So now that you know what a face serum is, why it works and how you can use face serum, I hope you find the right one for you. And if you have got any more doubts, feel free to ask them in the comment section below!