I was never into skincare until I started my blog nearly 12 years ago. That’s when I really began playing around with it and finding so much enjoyment in really pampering my skin. Determining what it needs at what times and treating those concerns with the correct products. Over time I have seen the fruits of my labor and my skin has really gotten so much better. Better in terms of overall health, tone, clarity, breakouts and slowed signs of aging. As skincare technology advances, there are so many more options available at all price points. It’s important to take care of your skin and creating a manageable skincare routine that you can stick with is key.
An effective skincare routine can be just a limited number of steps or it can be much more extensive as long as you are treating the needs of your skin and being consistent. Deciding which products to use or add can be overwhelming so it’s best to start slow and minimal and add additional products as time goes on or if you want to try more things. One of the key products of a skincare routine is a facial serum so if you are unsure whether you should incorporate one into your routine, this blog post will break down the benefits of facial serums and what they can do for your skin.
10 Facial Serum Benefits
In this blog post I will break down the details of what exactly a facial serum is, how they work and the benefits of adding one to your routine. Since there are a TON of facial serums on the market, it’s best to identify your most pressing skin concern and look for a product that targets that specifically. Once you become more familiar with utilizing face serums in your skincare routine, you can slowly add in other ones that address other issues you may want to treat on your face.
What Is a Facial Serum?
Facial serums are skincare products delivering a higher concentration of active ingredients that are designed to address specific skin concerns. Most serums come in liquid form though some can be also come in a gel or lotion consistency. They come in liquid form so they can easily penetrate the skin and be layered under moisturizers or creams. It’s best to apply the serum after you have cleansed and toned but before you apply moisturizer.
Are Facial Serums Effective?
Face serums work by addressing skin concerns more directly and effectively because of their higher concentration of active ingredients. They become the part of your skincare routine where you see will see the biggest change in your skin because of their stronger formulas. Personally I invest the most in serums out of all the products I use in my routine. They are what has made the biggest difference in my overall skin health and appearance.
What Are the Benefits of Facial Serums?
Hydrating
All skin types can benefit from properly hydrating the skin and there are serums that specifically help to do this. Keeping the skin well hydrated will often affect more issues than you think. Dehydrated and dry skin can lead to breakouts, dullness, irritation, fine lines, etc. It’s important to make sure you are drinking enough water day to day but also using products on the skin that help to hold onto water and keep the skin hydrated. Serums formulated with ingredients such as hyaluronic acid are one of the most popular options to use. Here are a few hydrating serums to try: Summer Fridays Jet Lag Deep Hydration Serum, The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid Serum and Glossier Super Bounce Hydrating Serum
Resurfacing
Using a physical exfoliant can often be too harsh on the skin so many people will get the benefits of exfoliation by using serums with active ingredients designed to resurface. These are often serums formulated with various acids such as glycolic acid and will help to make your skin texture smoother and remove dead skin cells. A few resurfacing serums worth trying: Farmacy Honey Glow Resurfacing Serum, Biossance Resurfacing Serum, Sunday Riley Good Genes.
Speeding Up Cellular Turnover
As we age, one of the major factors that our skin faces is that we turn over cells at a slower rate. In youth, cells turnover very quickly which keeps the skin looking firm, supple and glowing. That rate slows down as we get older so it is important to find products to help speed up this process. Retinol serums are one of the most popular options because retinol is so effective at increasing cellular turnover. Here are three effective retinol serums to choose from: Summer Fridays Midnight Ritual Renewal Serum, Paula’s Choice Clinical Retinol Treatment, The Inkey List Retinol Serum
Fading Dark Spots
Using a facial serum with concentrated ingredients targeted at fading dark spots is the most effective way to even out the complexion. Most moisturizers are not formulated with enough active ingredients at a high percentage to make enough of a difference in helping target discoloration. This is where you will need facial serums with specific ingredients. Here are three serums that will really help to target this issue: Caudalie Vinoperfect Brightening Dark Spot Serum, Paula’s Choice Clincal Serum for Brightening Dark Spots, Innisfree Vitamin C Brightening Serum
Protecting the Skin Barrier
While many people may be focusing on treating anti-aging concerns with their serums, one of the biggest issues that will affect the skin the most is a damaged skin barrier. This can come from a variety of reasons (over exfoliating, environmental aggressors, underlying health conditions, etc) so it is important to incorporate a serum that helps to protect and strengthen the skin barrier. Here are a few skin barrier serums: The Ordinary Soothing & Barrier Support Serum, Naturium Barrier Bounce, Glow Recipe Avocado Soothing Skin Barrier Serum
Reducing Fine Lines
There are quite a few active ingredients that can target fine lines and wrinkles so there are a variety of options at all price points. Often your retinol or resurfacing serums will do this in conjunction with their other benefits so don’t feel the need to buy a separate serum to address every single concern. However if you want something to specifically address this concern only, here are a few recommendations: Clarins Double Serum, Caudalie Reservatrol Instant Lifting Serum, The Ordinary Argireline Serum for Facial Wrinkles
Calming
We often think of moisturizers as the main product to help with calming the skin but there are a ton of facial serums that address this wonderfully. If you struggle with sensitivity or redness, it may be worth it to add in a serum targeted at calming and soothing. Here are three great recommendations: Dieux Deliverance Serum for Calm and Even Skin, Tower 28 SOS Redness Relief Serum, Dr. Jart Cicapair Sensitive Skin Serum
Absorb Quickly
One of the best things about using facial serums and why they are preferred in most skincare routines is their ability to absorb quickly and easily. They layer wonderfully under moisturizers and face oils. So you can get the benefits of the serum without having to worry about the product feeling heavy on the skin.
Protect Your Skin From Various Environmental Aggressors
Environmental elements and aggressors can be one of the most damaging things to our skin. And it is important to use facial serums that help to protect against this. One of the most popular ingredients that helps with this is vitamin c. Here are a few vitamin c serum recommendations: The Inkey List Vitamin C Brightening Serum, Maelove the Glow Maker, Summer Fridays CC Me Serum
Reducing Breakouts
Often times when you are struggling with blemishes and breakouts, one of the last things you want to put on your face is heavy skincare products. That is why facial serums are so beneficial because they have ingredients such as salicylic acid to help treat, reduce and prevent breakouts and are lightweight in texture. They don’t feel heavy or uncomfortable on the skin especially for those with oily skin. Here are three serums that are designed to help treat breakouts: The Ordinary Salicylic Acid Pore Clearing Serum, Caudalie Vinopure Pore Minimizing Serum and INNBEAUTY Pore Refine Serum.
Five Serums I Love and Use Regularly
Mother Science Molecular Hero Serum (discount code: MAREESYE)
The Mother Science Molecular Hero Serum addresses many skin concerns so it may be a great replacement for various products in your routine if you are looking to streamline your lineup. However the biggest benefit of this product is how well it fades dark spots. It’s one of the best serums I’ve tried in a long time that really made my skin look even and clear. The key ingredient in the formula is Malassezin, which is 10x more powerful than vitamin c in helping reduce and fade dark spots.
Naturium Barrier Bounce
I like to use a hydrating serum almost daily and this has been the only one I’ve been reaching for. Holy GLOW!! It can be used a ton of different ways (as an essence, as a serum, as a lightweight moisturizer) but I prefer to use it as a serum. It instantly plumps my skin and delivers intense long lasting hydration. And the price point is under $25 which absolutely blows my mind. This is 10x better than serums double and triple the price. Highly recommend!!!
Medik8 Liquid Peptides
Many hydrating serums focus on simply providing moisture. But the Medik8 Liquid Peptides hydrates the skin as well as visibly plump. From the first time I used this serum, I could instantly notice a difference! My skin immediately looked firmer, more supple and fine lines were noticeably smoothed. After 4 weeks of using it every day, my skin looks so plump and actually feels thicker (not sure if it is but it feels that way LOL). If this is your first time trying the Medik8 line, this serum is a must have! It would easily work into any skincare routine and really targets fine lines and wrinkles better than most of my other hydrating serums. A definite repurchase for me.
Medik8 C-Tetra
I use a vitamin c serum every single morning in my skincare routine. While this is described as a serum, it actually feels more like a lightweight oil. I love the silky texture but only need a 1-3 drops to cover my entire face. If I use much more than that, I do notice that my skin will get oily throughout the day. However, the silky oil-like formula is wonderful for my normal to dry skin. And it makes my skin look so fresh and bright. It contains a stabilized form of vitamin c so it’s great for all skin types but especially those that have a sensitivity to vitamin c. And the addition of vitamin E in this formula really helps to nourish the skin.
Some by Mi Retinol Intense
This is a new addition to my skincare routine but I am really enjoying this retinol serum. It helps to speed up cellular turnover and promotes collagen production. In addition it also helps to target fine lines, wrinkles and skin texture. So many benefits in one serum!
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