All About Serums: What Are They and When to Use Them

Taking care of your skin is essential, especially if you want to keep it radiant and healthy. Using the right products and completing the appropriate steps in your skin care routine will allow you to enjoy various benefits, such as the following:

• Glowing Skin: Having the proper skin care routine can help you keep your skin in good condition. It can also help you avoid various skin issues, such as acne, wrinkles, and fine lines.
• Youthful Complexion: The aging process can cause your skin’s cell turnover rate to become slower. If not addressed properly, you will experience having dull, dry, and rough skin. But an effective skin care routine will allow you to get rid of layers of dead skin cells, revealing a younger-looking complexion.
• Improve Skin Concerns: If you are dealing with some skin problems, such as acne, scarring, and dark spots, you need a skin care routine tailored to your needs. When you use the right products to treat your concerns, you will see improvements in your symptoms and may even be able to get rid of the problem altogether.

Why Is Skin Care So Popular?

Nowadays, more and more people are being conscious of the products they are applying to their faces. They are now more mindful of the ingredients in every skin care product that they use. Individuals also conduct a copious amount of research before they buy or switch to a new skin care product.

However, this was not always the case. Before everyone became a skin care fanatic, most people only bought the skin care products easily available to them. Although some were aware of the products they need for their skin type, not enough people had access to easy-to-understand resources that will help them learn about theirs.

Everything changed with the rise in production and distribution of skin care products on the mainstream market. This made high-quality items more accessible to the masses at a much affordable price point.

There was also a boom in the self-care movement that pushed individuals to become more aware of what they eat, what activities they participate in, and how they take care of their skin. Additionally, the popularity of the Korean 10-step skin care routine encouraged more people to learn about the different types of products they can use on their skin.

But learning about the various types of skin care products can be overwhelming. Sometimes, it might even be confusing to know the differences between each one.

One way to go about it is to learn about each product type one by one. To help you get started, let us discuss serums.

What Is a Serum?

A facial serum is a type of skin care product that contains a high concentration of active ingredients, including the following:

• Hyaluronic acid
• Glycolic acid
• Vitamin C
• Niacinamide
• Retinol
• Alpha Arbutin
• Glutathione

This kind of product is made up of smaller molecules, allowing it to penetrate the skin more effectively. Because of its composition and concentrated formula, a serum is often used to address specific skin concerns.

Benefits of Using Serums

Serums offer a variety of benefits to individuals who use them regularly. Here are some of the primary advantages you can enjoy when you start using serums.

Enjoy Better-Looking Skin Sooner

Due to their composition, serums are more easily absorbed by the skin compared to other skin care products. Because of this, you can enjoy the product’s benefits sooner and more efficiently.

Provides More Visible Results

As discussed above, serums are made with high concentrations of certain ingredients. This can help serums in providing results that can be more visibly noticed compared to other skin care products.

No Heavy or Greasy Feeling

Another reason to start using serums is that they provide various benefits without leaving your skin oily or sticky. This is possible because serums are quickly absorbed by your skin instead of sitting on top of it for hours on end.

Different Types of Serums

Since serums are primarily used to take care of certain skin problems, it makes sense that there are different types of this product. Each one is formulated uniquely depending on how it is supposed to be used.

Anti-Aging Serums

Individuals going through the skin aging process need a product that will help avoid or lessen the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. One product that can accomplish this is an anti-aging serum, such as Gluta-C’s Elixir.

This product contains excellent moisturizing ingredients that can improve your skin’s elasticity. Gluta-C’s Elixir is also effective in rejuvenating and brightening your skin.

Skin-Brightening Serums

Address your skin’s dullness and dark spots by using a brightening or whitening facial night serum. This kind of serum is often loaded with antioxidants and pigment-reducing components that will leave your skin looking more radiant.

Most skin-brightening serums contain niacinamide, an ingredient effective in helping dark spots fade and making your complexion more even. This type of serum can also contain vitamin C.

However, since the efficacy of pure vitamin C does not last long, vitamin C compounds are being used in serums instead. This method lengthens the product’s shelf life and makes it easier for the skin to absorb the serum.

Hydrating Serums

Hydrating water-based serums often contain hyaluronic acid and are perfect for making your skin look fresher, plumper, and younger. Hyaluronic acid is a type of humectant that draws water from the surrounding.

When this ingredient is absorbed by your skin, it sucks in moisture from the surface of your face into your skin. This allows your skin to be moisturized from the inside.

Anti-Acne Serums

Individuals who are suffering from acne should look for a serum that contains salicylic acid. This is a popular anti-acne component that works by getting rid of excess oil or sebum from your pores and preventing comedones from forming in the future.

You should also try to find one that has niacinamide. This ingredient is effective in reducing inflammation and soothing and hydrating your skin.

Exfoliating Serums

You can use a night serum for the face as a chemical exfoliant. Using this method will allow you to get rid of layers of dead skin cells from your face in a less harsh and abrasive manner.

Serums made for this purpose often contain alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs), beta-hydroxy acids (BHAs), or poly-hydroxy acids (PHAs). These acids are all effective in removing dead cells from your skin but differ in the way they work.

• Alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs): This ingredient works by getting rid of dead cells from the surface layer of your skin.
• Beta-hydroxy acids (BHAs): BHAs work on the deeper layers of your skin to remove blackheads, blemishes, and impurities from your pores.
• Poly-hydroxy acids (PHAs): This type of acid can be treated as the gentler counterpart of AHAs. That is why it is recommended for people with sensitive skin.

Incorporate Serum in Your Skin Care Routine

If you already have a set skin care routine and are looking to start using serum, you might be wondering where you should fit the product in your regimen. Since this is a lightweight product, you should apply your serum after cleansing and toning your skin and before you use any moisturizer, sunscreen, or makeup.

As for the time when you should apply your serum, it really depends on the product that you own. The type of serum that you have will determine whether you should apply it in the morning or at night.

Day Serums

Antioxidant and anti-pigmentation serums that contain vitamin C are best used in the morning. The active ingredients in these serums can effectively protect your skin from free radicals and other pollutants that you may encounter when you are outside. These types of serums also work together with your sunscreen to keep your skin safe from the damaging effects of the sun’s UV rays.

Night Serums

Serums made to address the effects of aging on your skin perform best at night and when used as an overnight serum for the face. This is because the ingredients in anti-aging serums work with your body’s circadian rhythm and helps promote skin repair and cell turnover.

Exfoliating serums should also be used at night. This type of facial night serum is made up of acids that can make your skin more sensitive to UV. Using them during the day may harm your skin and cause you to suffer from sun damage.

Anytime Serums

There are serums that you can use any time of the day, including hydrating water-based serums. This type of serum uses hyaluronic acid to keep your skin hydrated. Using it twice a day will help you enjoy its benefits better.

You can also use serums that contain niacinamide at any time. This ingredient does not increase your sensitivity to UV, so you do not have to worry about photodamage.

Having a set skin care routine is important to keeping your skin healthy. However, you should also be aware of the products you are using on your skin and how they are helping you. That is why it is important to research before trying or switching to a new skin care product.

Now that you have learned about serums and how they benefit your skin, it is time to use one to your advantage. Make sure to use a high-quality serum that can help you achieve the results that you want. For more information on serums and other skin care products, do not hesitate to reach out to us today.