The Ultimate Guide to Facial Serums
Your skincare routine covers all the basics. You remove your makeup before bed, you moisturize, and you always apply sunscreen. But as you get older you may notice that your skincare routine needs a little extra help. That’s where a facial serum comes in.
Facial serums have many benefits to your skin and can be used to address a variety of skin issues. Here’s our ultimate guide to facial serums and a few of our favorite products to help you get started.
What Are Your Concerns?
There are a few main categories that patients are often most concerned about when it comes to their skin. These include:
Skin Color
Issues such as pigmentation, veins, and age spots top the list of concerns about skin color. Your skin produces a pigment called melanin. When the melanin is unhealthy or becomes damaged, then it can change the pigmentation of your skin. Too much melanin can be the result of too much exposure to the sun, creating dark spots or even darker skin all over.
Texture
The texture of the skin tends to change as we age. People may notice larger pores, acne, and less skin elasticity as they get older. Exposure to elements in the environment such as the damaging UV rays of the sun, air pollution, and dry air can damage the skin every day. That, combined with a reduction in the skin’s ability to create collagen to help with elasticity, changes the texture of the skin.
Tightening
Speaking of collagen, another concern we often see is loose, sagging skin in the neck, jowls, and cheeks. Around the age of 35, many notice a change in the elasticity of the skin. Over time things such as stretching of the skin and fluctuations in weight change the appearance of the skin. That is further exacerbated by the slowing of collagen productivity, sun exposure, and even gravity can contribute to sagging skin.
There are a variety of treatments and products that can help to improve the color and texture of the skin as well as address concerns about sagging skin. One of the products we recommend to those with these concerns is a facial serum as a part of a skincare routine.
What is Facial Serum?
A facial serum is a concentrated skincare product that is rich in nutrients the skin needs. Many are water-based so they’re lightweight and absorbed by the skin quickly. Serums are known for delivering powerful results due to their high concentrations of antioxidants, vitamins, and botanicals that are meant to target skin concerns. They can work to repair damaged skin, reduce fine lines, and restore moisture for a healthy and youthful complexion.
How to Use a Facial Serum
Think about your daily skincare routine like a three-course meal. The appetizer is the cleansing and toning of your face, the main course is the serum, and the special treat is a nourishing moisturizer. The point is, you should fill up the course that delivers the most nutrients – and that’s the serum.
A serum should be used all over your face and neck and will be applied in the morning and in the evening, depending on the needs of your skin and the recommended applications. It goes on after you wash and tone your face but before you put on your moisturizer. This order should help the serum to be the most effective and penetrate clean skin.
How is Serum Different From a Moisturizer?
Moisturizers and serums both help the skin – but in slightly different ways. Serums are usually lighter and thinner than a moisturizer. Serums also have active ingredients that will benefit you best by penetrating deep into the skin, which is how it can address problems deeper in the skin such as sun damage. Moisturizers are usually thicker and meant to help maintain your skin’s natural moisture barrier as it works to keep the skin hydrated. Both are important but there is a difference between the two.
Which Serum Do You Need?
Facial serums have different formulations to help them target specific skin concerns. The most common serum’s you’ll find include:
Anti-Aging Facial Serums
These serums help to slow down the process of aging for your skin by delivering anti-aging ingredients that work to target wrinkles and fine lines. They’re often a great choice for all skin types, not simply mature skin. You can start to use anti-aging serums in your 20s if you want to be proactive.
The key ingredients to look for in these serums include:
It’s important to note that if you struggle with dry skin, then you must be careful of the concentration of retinol in a serum. It’s a good idea to start with a low dose, such as around 0.25%, to ensure your skin can tolerate the ingredient before moving up to something stronger.
A great option for an anti-aging facial serum is:
Bio-Active Growth Factor Serum
This serum has everything you want to address hydration and improve your skin’s elasticity. It’s specially formulated with a combination of biomimetic peptides and neuropeptides contained without a hyaluronic acid-base.
Hydrating Facial Serums
A hydrating serum does exactly what the name suggests, it infuses the skin with moisture. It’s the ideal choice for those with dry skin but is also a great choice for acne-prone and oily skin. Since hydrating serums are specifically designed to hydrate without leaving an emollient residue behind. Both young and mature skin can benefit from a hydrating serum.
The ingredients to look for in a hydrating facial serum include:
- Peptides
- Hyaluronic Acid
- Luminescine
We think these hydrating facial serums are a great option:
Collagen Boost with Hyaluronic Acid
This serum is formulated with SoleimanMD Skincare’s proprietary Trans-Epidermal Carrier along with four forms of hyaluronic acid. It provides superior hydration to the skin to help improve its texture and to address fine lines, wrinkles, and photo-aging of the skin. It also supports your skin’s rejuvenation and provides long-lasting hydration – up to five days after the initial application.
Our Firming Hydropeptide Serum is a very efficacious formula with pure hyaluronic acid, Copper Peptides and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-28. Glides on beautifully for a hydrated, smooth and so appearance to the skin. Plumps and nourishes the skin for a smooth and so texture. Potent anti-aging ingredients achieve more youthful skin.
Antioxidant & Brightening Facial Serums
An antioxidant serum works to protect your skin from the free radicals responsible for premature aging that it comes into contact with each day. Antioxidants also help to prevent wrinkles and fine lines as they heal and repair skin. Anyone is a good candidate for an antioxidant serum since everyone is exposed to the damaging effects of free radicals. The only thing to be on the lookout for is ingredients that can potentially irritate the skin if you have sensitive skin types, such as sulfates, dyes, or fragrances.
Brightening Serums also help to repair and reverse the hyperpigmentation in the skin while also fighting cell breakdown and the signs of aging.
A quality antioxidant facial serum should contain some of these ingredients:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Niacinamide
- L-ascorbic acid
- Resveratrol
Pro tip: Apply a Vitamin C serum in the morning under your sunscreen for extra protection against the damaging UV rays of the sun.
A great option for a high-quality antioxidant and serum is:
This innovative serum combines cutting-edge 20% Vitamin C technology with peptides, niacinamide, Arnica, ergothioneine, and red tea. It improves the texture, tone, and firmness of the skin as it helps to protect it from cell damage and accelerate cell turnover, leaving behind light, bright skin.
Correcting Facial Serum
This type of serum helps to target issues such as enlarged pores, fine lines, rosacea, acne, or hyperpigmentation, to name a few. The right serum can also help to minimize pores and smooth the skin.
In a color-correcting serum, you want to look for these ingredients:
- Vitamin C
- Phytic acid
- L-ascorbic acid
- Glycolic acid
- Arbutin
This is a correcting serum we love:
Skin Balancing Glow Serum – Pro-Biotic!
This unique serum hydrates and plumps the skin as it helps to diffuse the look of redness, wrinkles, and skin irregularities. It’s infused with warm gold mineral pigments that help to refine the look of the skin as it brightens and hydrates.
The Bottom Line on Facial Serums
Many people have concerns when it comes to their skin, such as the early signs of aging, dark spots, or even dryness. Adding a serum to your daily skincare routine can improve how your skin looks and feels, so it’s worth the investment to add them to your beauty regimen. If you have specific questions about the facial serum that’s best for you, the team at Cosmetic Injectables is always here to help guide you in the right direction.
Check out our blog to read more about how to get rid of forehead lines and Dysport vs Botox.
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