One of the most important steps in any skincare routine—other than sunscreen—is applying a facial serum. But with so many different brands of face serums flooding the market today, many of us may be conflicted as to which is the right one, when to use it, and what ingredients to look for that suit our specific needs.
The right serum will deliver a potent dose of highly-concentrated active ingredients to the skin, and most target multiple skin issues with just one product. Serums are thinner in consistency and carry smaller molecules than moisturizers and face oils. Unlike moisturizers, serums do not contain air-tight, occlusive ingredients, which allows them to absorb deeper into the epidermis where they deliver the most benefits.
Common active ingredients in face serums include retinol, Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA), Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA), niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, vitamins A, C, and E, ceramides, and benzoyl peroxide. Each is formulated to combat different, specific skin type issues. Including anti-aging, hydrating, plumping, exfoliating, brightening, and reducing acne flare-ups, among others. Incorporating a serum into your routine will allow you to achieve more dramatic, visible skincare goals in a shorter time period since they penetrate the skin on a deeper level.
Serums should always be applied after cleansing, exfoliating, and toning, but before moisturizers, suncare, and makeup. It’s best to apply a face serum using your fingertips, patting onto the skin, and smoothing outward. Do not massage your serum into your skin, but rather let the formula absorb on its own, and using a moisturizer as the next step will seal the serum into the skin and supercharge its benefits.
How often you use a serum will depend on the formula you are using to treat your specific needs. Hydrating serums, for instance, can be used daily in the morning and again at night, but a serum with exfoliating acids (AHAs and BHAs) should only be used a maximum of two or three times per week.
Carefully read the label and directions of the specific brand and formula you are using and consider your unique skin issues to determine how often you should use that particular serum. There is no one cure-all serum and it is important to recognize their differences and unique ingredients when choosing one that best suits your skincare goals.
Let’s get into six of the most common types of face serums, their ingredients, and what skin types and issues they benefit from to find one that’s right for you.
Anti-aging Serums
Anti-aging serums help slow down the aging process by delivering essential active ingredients to combat fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging while firming and plumping the skin. They are beneficial to all skin types, not just mature skin, and can be used preventatively as early as one’s 20s.
The main ingredients to look for in an anti-aging serum are retinol, coenzyme Q10, vitamin C, peptides, AHAs, caffeine, green tea, proteoglycans, and hyaluronic acid (sodium hyaluronate). Coenzyme Q10, peptides, and vitamin C help boost collagen levels and improve the skin’s elasticity while retinol speeds up the cell turnover rate to reduce the appearance of fine lines.
Whenever using a serum with a retinoid, it’s best to start with a low dose (.25%) to test how your skin reacts before working your way up to a higher dose. Retinol should also be used only at night as it can make the skin more sensitive to the sun’s UV rays and potentially cause an adverse reaction. Plus, using retinol at night will be more effective as your body is in repair and restorative mode as you sleep.
Olehenriksen’s Truth Serum, which you can learn more about here, absorbs quickly and helps brighten the skin with antioxidant-rich stabilized vitamin C derivatives. It’s also enhanced with collagen to improve elasticity, nourishing orange and green tea extracts, and skin softening and conditioning aloe juice.
This serum is also vegan and cruelty-free without any parabens, sulfates, or phthalates. It does have a wonderful citrusy scent, but it’s also an oil-free formulation, so you won’t be left feeling greasy.
Kiehl’s Powerful Strength Line Reducing Concentrate is also a potent vitamin C serum made with 10.5% L-Ascorbic Acid (pure vitamin C) and 2% Ascorbyl Glucoside (vitamin Cg). This water-free concentrate smoothes the skin’s texture, minimizes the appearance of pores, and helps visibly reduce lines and wrinkles in as few as two weeks for a more youthful complexion.
On top of 12.5% vitamin C, this serum also uses moisture-retaining Hyaluronic Acid while remaining a paraben, alcohol, mineral oil, and dye-free formula.
Brightening SerumsÂ
Brightening serums are multifunctional and target skin issues such as uneven skin tone, dull or rough texture, hyperpigmentation, enlarged pores, and fine lines. Those looking to even out and brighten dull skin or fade dark spots from age or sun damage are ideal candidates for this type of face serum.
Ingredients to look for in a brightening face serum are phytic acid, vitamins C and E, kojic acid, azelaic acid, L-ascorbic acid, glycolic acid, ferulic acid, green tea, licorice root, and arbutin. Some even contain light reflectors for an instant glow.
These face serums will naturally brighten your complexion, color-correct dark spots, and leave the skin with a natural, radiant glow.
Roc’s Multi Correxion Revive + Glow Daily Serum is a lightweight serum with an active blend of 10% vitamin C. As well as visibly brightening and tightening the skin, this serum minimizes lines and wrinkles while evening the skin’s overall tone and improving its luminosity.
This dermatologist-tested serum is paraben-free and clinically proven, making it a powerful skincare ally. It’s also full of peptides, antioxidants, and advanced hydrators for enhanced efficacy.
Drunk Elephant’s C-Firma Fresh Day Serum is enhanced with pumpkin ferment and pomegranate extracts to firm and brighten the skin for a healthy complexion. It is antioxidant-rich and exfoliates dead skin cells as it hydrates and smooths.
With 15% vitamin C, this day serum evens the skin’s tone and improves signs of photoaging. It also uses 0.5% ferulic acid and 1% vitamin E to aid in its brightening and firming effects.
Hydrating Serums
The purpose of a hydrating face serum is to infuse extra moisture into the skin, keeping it smooth, plump, and supple. Those with dry, parched, or dehydrated skin will obviously benefit from a hydrating serum, but so can those with oily or acne-prone skin. All skin types need hydration, and these face serums provide them with minimal residue to clog pores, making them useful for dry to oily skin, young and old.
When choosing a face serum to hydrate, look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid, peptides, ceramides, aloe vera, rosehip oil, sea kelp, jojoba, glycerin, vitamin E, argan oil, and Luminescine.
Hydrating face serums are not meant to replace moisturizers, but rather to work in unison with them to amplify the hydrating effects.
The Ordinary’s Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 is a hydrating water-based formula with ultra-pure, vegan hyaluronic acid. The molecular size of hyaluronic acid determines its depth of delivery in the skin, and this formula combines low, medium, and high molecular weight HA, as well as a next-generation HA crosspolymer at a combined concentration of 2%.
While hyaluronic acid can attract up to 1,000 times its weight in water, vitamin B5 enhances surface hydration, resulting in smoother, plumper skin.
Caudalie’s Vinosource-Hydra S.O.S Thirst-Quenching Serum combines biotech hyaluronic acid, Vinolevure, organic grape water, and antioxidant polyphenols to intensely and visibly hydrate dry skin, nourish the moisture barrier, replenish the skin’s microbiome, and reveal healthier-looking skin.
With this combination of hydrating ingredients, this oil-free, non-comedogenic, lightweight, and water-based formula soothes the skin, leaving it supple and soft.
Antioxidant Serums
Antioxidant facial serums protect against damaging free radicals and environmental stressors exposed to our skin daily. They also aid in the prevention of visible signs of premature aging and can heal and repair the skin. Since none of us are immune to this exposure, antioxidant serums are suitable and beneficial to all skin types.
Vitamins A, C, and E, resveratrol, niacinamide, L-ascorbic acid, seaweed, noni extract, flower water, green tea, and ceramides are all common ingredients to look for in an antioxidant serum. They help protect and repair skin from daily wear and tear as well as reverse the damage from exposure to harmful elements.
Antioxidant serums help stimulate the skin’s natural repair functions and allow it to heal at its core while fading scarring and sun damage. They also promote skin cell growth such as collagen and elastin while helping the epidermis maintain proper moisture and oil levels that keep skin soft, hydrated, and smooth.
La Roche-Posay’s Anthelios 50 AOX Daily Antioxidant Face Serum SPF 50 provides advanced protection to help visibly improve the appearance of fine lines, dark spots, and skin texture. With its weightless texture, this serum can easily be worn alone, with a moisturizer, or under makeup.
As well as a powerful antioxidant complex of Baicalin, vitamin C, and vitamin E, this formula also provides SPF protection. It visibly smooths and blurs fine lines, wrinkles, and pores for an even complexion, and is even safe for sensitive skin.
SkinCeuticals’ C E Ferulic brightens and firms the face while diminishing the appearance of lines and wrinkles. With one use of this vitamin C, vitamin E, and ferulic acid-infused anti-aging formula, the skin is protected from free radicals, looks brighter, and is replenished of lipids for up to 72 hours.
This daytime serum has also been clinically proven to reduce combined oxidative damage from free radicals generated by UV, Ozone, and Diesel Exhaust by up to 41%. Once absorbed, it remains effective for a minimum of 72 hours and is ideal for normal, dry, combination, and sensitive skin types.
Exfoliating SerumsÂ
Exfoliating serums are multitasking and work to smooth and tone the complexion, diminish fine lines and wrinkles, correct discoloration and hyperpigmentation, and improve dullness while restoring a healthy glow. All skin types can benefit from exfoliating serums, but certain ingredients work better with specific skin types.
Here are the main ingredients to look for in an exfoliating serum based on skin type:
- Normal, dry, and mature skin – AHAs and hyaluronic acid
- Oily or acne-prone skin – BHAs and salicylic acid
- Sensitive skin – PHAs and lactic acid
- Deeper skin tones – Mandelic acid
Exfoliating serums remove debris that builds up on the top layer of the skin due to dead skin cells. This ensures that your skin is functioning optimally and that skincare products are more efficient and readily absorbed. They also unclog pores and prevent breakouts.
Exfoliating serums should be used no more than two to three times per week, preferably at nighttime since they can make the skin more sensitive to UV light. If using retinol with an exfoliator, carefully monitor your skin’s reaction. If it leads to excessive dryness, redness, flaking, sensitivity, or irritation, use each product separately on alternate nights.
Drunk Elephant’s T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum uses AHAs and BHAs to resurface dull, congested skin and dramatically improve the appearance of its tone and texture, plus fine lines, wrinkles, and pores. With a mix of glycolic, tartaric, lactic, citric, and salicylic acids combined with raspberry extract and horse chestnut, this gel serum creates a clear and radiant complexion.
This gentle, soothing formula at an ideal pH of 3.5 sinks in easily and delivers an effective level of chemical exfoliation without harsh side effects.
Alpha-H’s Liquid Gold Midnight Reboot Serum creates bouncy, smooth, and radiant skin thanks to its unique combination of anti-aging glycolic acid, granactive retinoid, and tripeptides with CoQ10, Ferulic Acid, and antioxidant-rich Australian botanicals like Tazman Pepper. This powerhouse serum helps to enhance elasticity, increase luminosity, and even the skin’s tone and texture.
Acne Serums
Acne serums are uniquely formulated to stop acne breakouts before they happen, rather than treating them after. Those with oily or acne-prone skin, obviously, are the best candidates for this type of facial serum.
Common acne-fighting ingredients to look for in a serum are salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, glycolic acid, AHAs, niacinamide, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, and botanical extracts like green tea, cucumber, and tea tree.
These serums can also help gently remove the build-up of dead skin cells and, over time, fade scarring caused by acne. Other benefits include tightening the skin, unclogging and minimizing pores, absorbing excess oil, and reducing inflammation, redness, and irritation.
Mario Badescu’s Anti Acne Serum balances and hydrates the skin. It’s a lightweight and fast-absorbing gel is formulated with salicylic acid and thyme extract that exfoliate away dead skin cells and clarify the complexion.
This oil-free formula also improves circulation to help fade acne scars. It also penetrates deep into the pores to cleanse them from the inside and help reduce sebum secretion.
Dermalogica’s Age Bright Clearing Serum exfoliates the skin to help prevent acne and accelerate cell turnover to reduce signs of skin aging. This highly-concentrated formula uses phytoactives to hydrate and smooth the skin while niacinamide and white shiitake mushroom promote a brighter and more even skin tone.
This two-in-one serum also uses Deralogica’s AGE Bright Complex, which works with the skin’s natural microbiome for a clearer, brighter complexion.
Keep in mind that a little goes a long way when it comes to serums; you don’t have to use much product to achieve more dramatic results in less time than other skincare products. There are less expensive serum options on the market, but they typically will have a less potent concentration of active ingredients.
Most dermatologists recommend incorporating a face serum into your skincare routine, but, ultimately, it will be up to you to do the research, read the ingredients, and make sure the one you choose will benefit your specific skin type and issues.
For questions, concerns, or article ideas, feel free to reach out to our eCosmetics Beauty Editor directly at beauty@ecosmetics.com
