With so many beauty products available on the shelves today, it can be increasingly daunting to start creating a skincare routine. Moisturisers, cleansers, toners, you name it – it’s going to be part of someone’s skincare routine. Lately, active serums seem to be rising in popularity, with plenty of celebrities (and dermatologists) advocating for their use. But what even is an active serum? Why should people even bother to use them? Plus, how does one even get started using them in the first place?
Fortunately, this article will try to explain the benefits of face serums, and how people should use them in their daily skincare routines. So, be sure to keep reading below to understand more!
What are serums?
Simply put, a face serum is usually a light and thin liquid that tends to contain concentrated amounts of active ingredients. These active ingredients are designed to penetrate the skin’s surface through the use of active molecules so that the user can almost immediately feel and see its effects. Serums mainly come in the form of oils, lotions, or gels, and their lightweight nature means that they easily glide on the skin without giving you that greasy sensation. They are different from moisturisers and creams as they are extremely concentrated, and are used for specific skin care needs, such as dullness, discolouration, acne, or fine lines.
There are a few common ingredients that tend to make up face serums. Some serums will contain several of these ingredients, whilst others will only contain around one or two. These ingredients include:
Vitamin C: This is an antioxidant, mainly used for skin brightening. It helps to improve one’s overall skin tone and radiance.
Retinol: This is a type of Vitamin A, that mainly boosts collagen production in the skin. This helps to minimise fine lines and wrinkles, making your skin look younger.
Hyaluronic acid: While this ingredient does naturally occur in the body, there are benefits to getting it from outside sources too! Hyaluronic acid helps to keep one’s tissue and skin hydrated, as well as making the skin look plumper.
Peptides: Peptides are the foundation of collagen and other such proteins. As such, they help to smooth and boost the texture of your skin.
Vitamin E: This is another antioxidant that is famous for its ability to nourish, protect and moisturise the skin.
Face serum benefits:
If you choose to use a face serum that is well-suited for your skin type and addresses the issue you want to solve, then there are plenty of benefits it can bring. Here are just a few key things that they can do for you:
Hydrates your skin
We’ve all heard the advice that hydrating is vital when it comes to the upkeep of your skin. While most people generally use moisturisers for this purpose, serums can be used as well. This is because serums tend to contain active moisturising ingredients which help to lock in skin moisture. This means that your skin will remain soft, smooth, and dewy all day long. This makes it great for people who tend to have extremely dry skin or live in dry arid areas, as the effects of an active serum last longer when compared to a simple moisturiser. If you are worried that the oil will make your skin greasy, then good news – most serums still allow your skin to breathe, so you won’t feel like you are walking in a pile of grease!
Reduces ageing, wrinkles and lines
While fine lines, crow’s feet, and wrinkles are all a natural part of the ageing process, it can still be incredibly disheartening to see them on your skin – especially if these lines come prematurely! Fortunately, some face serums have ingredients that can ward against ageing. For instance, ingredients such as retinol, Vitamin C, and other antioxidants can help to repair skin cells quickly and revitalise the skin. To gain the most out of these anti-ageing properties, a few experts advise people to apply face serums overnight, so they can look fresh as ever in the morning.
Reduces acne breakouts
Although applying oil on already oily skin sounds counterintuitive to most, studies have found that this isn’t the case! In fact, face serums can be a great way to reduce extra oil and acne breakouts. This is mainly due to serums being chocked full of oil-fighting ingredients such as tea tree oil, salicylic acid, and strawberry extract, which all can keep excess oil in check. A few anti-acne serums are even designed to specifically target pimples and other skin blemishes, like dark circles.
How to apply a serum?
If you are just entering the world of active serums, then it is important that you know how to use and implement them into your skincare routine. Since if you end up using them incorrectly, then you will not be able to reap their benefits. So, here are a few tips to apply face serums the smarter way.
Start clean: It is essential that you start with a clean slate. This means you have to cleanse and exfoliate your skin before putting on your serum. By starting clean, you will have removed any excess sebum, grime, or toxins that could prevent the serum from being absorbed into your skin.
Apply a small amount: Sometimes, less is more. This is one of those times. Be sure to apply a few drops onto your palm, and then gently massage it into your skin.
Be gentle: Experts recommend that you use gentle, circular motions, like giving a massage. This will not only help the ingredients be absorbed more evenly but will also prevent your skin from being damaged due to rough treatment.
Avoid the eye: The eyes are one of the most sensitive places on your face. As such, if you put the serum too near them, you could end up with eye irritation. So be sure to steer far away!
Wait for it to absorb: While serums are absorbed pretty quickly, it still takes them a little bit of time. As such, wait for at least 5 minutes before applying any moisturiser or makeup.
