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
One of the most common face serum benefits is hydration. 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. Often hydrating serums include such ingredients as hyaluronic acid and squalane to help retain moisture in the skin. Here are a few hydrating serums to try: UBeauty Super Hydrator (discount code: MAREE20), Experiment Beauty Super Saturated Serum (discount code: MAREE15), L’Oreal Revitalift Pure Hyaluronic Acid 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: Dr. Whitney Bowe Exfoliation Night Resurfacing + Brightening Serum, Sofie Pavitt Mandelic Acid Exfoliating Serum, Shani Darden Lactic Acid AHA Exfoliating Serum
Speeding Up Cellular Turnover
As we age, one of the major factors of skin aging is that cellular turnover slows down as we age. 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: Medik8 Crystal Retinal, Mother Science Retinol Synergist (discount code: MAREESYE), YSE Beauty Last Call Daily Gentle Retinol Serum (discount code: MAREE15)
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 and skin tone. 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: Mother Science Molecular Hero Serum (discount code: MAREESYE), Educated Mess Golden Hour Serum (discount code: MAREE30), Caudalie Vinoperfect Brightening Dark Spot 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 great skin barrier serums: Naturium Barrier Bounce, Cocokind Ceramide Barrier Serum, TirTir Ceramic Milk Ampoule
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 anti aging serums I recommendation: Clarins Double Serum, Educated Mess Freeze Frame (discount code: MAREE30), OneSkin Face Supplement (discount code: MAREE15)
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, TirTir SOS Serum, Tower28 SOS Rescue 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: Medik8 C-Tetra Luxe, Educated Mess Golden Hour (discount code: MAREE30), Timeless Skincare 20% Vitamin C + E Ferulic Acid 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: INNBEAUTY Pore Refine Serum, Caudalie Vinopure Pore Minimizing Serum, Kora Organics Tumeric Glow Pore-Minimizing Serum (discount code: MAREE15)
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!!!
OneSkin OS-01 Skin Supplement (discount code: MAREE15)
I LOVE the texture of the OS-01 Skin Supplement and can use it either as a lightweight moisturizer or a serum underneath a heavier/richer moisturizer. The science behind OneSkin products is truly remarkable and they are one of the first companies to focus on skin longevity rather than just targeting anti-aging concerns. The OS-o1 peptide can penetrate deeper layers of the skin while still remaining stable. It targets the root causes of aging and helps the skin look and feel healthier. This formula treats fine lines and wrinkles, while helping even out the skin tone, reduce the appearance of enlarged pores and improve skin barrier function. You are truly getting so much just in one product!
Educated Mess Golden Hour (discount code: MAREE30)
I personally use a vitamin c serum every morning in my skincare routine because it is a powerful antioxidant that helps to protect the skin from various types of free radicals and environmental damage. The Golden Hour Vitamin C serum is especially great for those with sensitive skin or if you experience any irritation from using vitamin C serums. This serum is for those looking to brighten any discoloration on the skin and will overall give you a radiant glow.
Medik8 Crystal Retinal
This was the product that was most recommended to me to try from Medik8. Their crystal retinal formula uses retinaldehyde which works faster than traditional (over the counter) retinol. There are various strengths depending on what your skin can tolerate and you can work up to the stronger levels over time or stick with what works for you. If you really want to target anti-aging concerns such as wrinkles, uneven skin tone and firmness, retinol products are a must have for your skincare routine. I started with using this once a week and worked my way up to every other night.
Comments