In the daily skincare steps of a woman with beautiful skin, it is indispensable for serums. So what is serum? Howto Choose the Best Facial Serum, even if you are not an expert?
1. What is serum?
The serum is a liquid or gel essence that specializes in skin problems. The serum exists in two common forms: water-based and oil-based and contains micronutrients and minerals of microscopic size. So, they can creep into the inner dermis and dermis to treat, repair, and nourish comprehensively.
Besides, serums are usually manufactured with nutrient concentrations ten times higher than surface lotions. So what is a serum, and why is it so useful?
2. What is the effect of serum?
Since serums are usually manufactured as a specific treatment for a particular problem, finding a multi-purpose serum is difficult and impossible to achieve.
If you are a beauty or skincare, you must be well aware that serums are having their moment. We know that a serum is something you pop between a cleanser and a moisturiser, and it is full of active ingredients to combat skin issues.
To help you pick the right formula for your skin, we have curated a list of various kinds of serums. Therefore, you know what you need to pick for flawless, radiant skin.
Based on popularity, serums are divided into seven main groups of uses as follows:
Anti-aging serum
Uses
According to New York’s top dermatologist Dr. Debra Jaliman, the group’s primary purpose is to “turn back the clock” and slow down the aging process by providing essential ingredients against wrinkles and sagging.
Anti-aging serums often contain retinol or retinoid substances.
With a strong ability to prevent aging from increasing the production of collagen and elastin firming, full of skin, retinol is often favored at the top of the ingredients table.
There are also other standard components: stem cell, primrose, grape seed extract, vitamin C, peptide, AHA …
Skin type/age using an anti-aging serum
For all skin types, not only those with visible signs of aging that women from the age of 20 can apply.
Note:
If you have dry skin and intend to use retinol, you should start from 0.25% to adapt and then increase over time.
Anti-acne serum
If you are suffering from active acne, you need a serum that is full of salicylic acid. This acid clears up your pimples and acne breakouts. These serums help balance, hydrate, and bright problematic areas to reveal radiant, glowing, and acne-free skin.
Uses
Typically acne serums are used to treat existing acne conditions and prevent their return.
The anti-acne serum is formulated with tiny molecules that can easily penetrate deep into the pores of the acne and trigger the action of powerful active ingredients. From there, unclog pores, oil control, minimize irritation, redness.
Also, this serum can help fade acne scars as well as gently remove dead skin.
Anti-acne serum often contains substances: Salicylic acid, AHA, BHA, glycolic acid, citric acid, zinc, plant extracts from tea tree, thyme, cucumber, green tea …
Skin type/age using an anti-acne serum:
- The skin is experiencing hidden acne, acne, inflammatory acne, red acne ….
- It can be used for all ages, especially puberty.
Hydrating serums
If you are suffering from dry skin and want your usual moisturizer does not suffice to hydrate your skin, then choose a hyaluronic acid-rich serum. The acid also helps in moisture retention and sinks deep into your skin to hydrate it from within. A pump of this may keep your skin looking plump and fresh all day.
Uses
Supplying water, moisturizing dry, or stretching the skin with excessive oil is the primary use of these serums.
The ability to retain water and moisture will double your function if you combine cream and serum.
If the cream is applied on the surface, the serum will penetrate deep into the pores to provide nutrients to help balance the amount of oil and water on the skin.
Moisturizing serums often contain substances such as argan oil, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, rose essential oil, ceramide, seaweed, jojoba oil, and vitamin E.
Skin type/age using moisturizing serum:
- Dry skin, oily skin, or skin problems due to lack of moisture, dehydration.
- It can be used for all ages.
Exfoliating serum
Uses
Removes dead skin and dirt that has accumulated in the skin for a long time, impeding the ability to absorb nutrients as well as clog pores that form acne.
Serums or essences of this group are in the form of chemical exfoliants with the effect of softening, smoothing the skin due to hyperpigmentation, clearing the surface, preventing acne and removing wrinkles.
Serum/exfoliating essence often contains substances: AHA, BHA, lactic acid, retinol, enzymes extracted from plants, fruits, and citric acid.
Skin type/age using an exfoliating serum:
- It can be used for all skin types, especially acne-prone skin.
- It can be used for all ages.
Free radical eliminating serum
If your skin is continuously exposed to environmental aggressors such as cigarettes smoke, smog, pollution, and sun rays, you are putting your skin at the risk of premature aging, sunspots, and hyperpigmentation. You need a serum that is full of antioxidant-rich ingredients such as pomegranate and vitamin E. These antioxidant-rich serums are skin-repairing powerhouses and great for all skin types.
Protects the skin from damage caused by any of the following causes: dark spots, acne scars, ultraviolet loss, sun damage, while stimulating collagen and elastin growth.
These serums, essences help the epidermis maintain moisture, balance the amount of oil to increase flexibility, healthy skin against harmful free radicals.
Skin-regenerating serums often contain seaweed extracts, antioxidants, essential oils, omega three fatty acids.
The skin type/age of using the regenerated serum:
- Problems with acne, aging, sunburn, darkening.
- It can be used for all ages.
Anti-inflammatory serums
If you have sensitive or acne-prone skin, the anti-inflammatory serums are for you. You seek serums that are enriched with aloe vera or green tea to help soothe and calm the skin. These serums also help cure sunburn, calm, angry, and irritated skin and reduce redness.
Whitening, skin lightening serums
Uses
One of the notable advantages of serums is its ability to brighten, whiten intensive.
They work by inhibiting melanin (melanin) produced by melanocytes, from which the skin also becomes evenly colored, radiant white.
Skin whitening serum usually contains substances such as green tea, licorice root, grapefruit, antioxidants like vitamins E and C.
There are also skin whitening ingredients such as kojic acid, ferulic acid, peptide.
Skin type/age using a whitening serum:
- For all skin types, especially the dull skin, dark skin, melasma.
- It can be used for all ages.
5 Types of Organic Facial Serum Formulations
1. The Oil Serum
Of all the facial serums, the oil serum is actually the easiest to formulate. It also contains a foundation of exclusively high-end specialized carrier oils that are fast-absorbing (otherwise known as ‘dry’ oils). The high-end oils contained with the serum not only offer moisturizing and barrier repair properties but also contain polyphenols, essential fatty acids. And other compounds that can be metabolized by the skin.
On top of the foundation, you will find high-performance oil-soluble extracts that could have a notable effect on the skin. Also, aroma-blends that contain aromatic chemicals that can benefit the skin. A serum will provide moisturizing and barrier strengthening properties to the surface, as well as offering antioxidant properties.
This type of formulation does not need a preservative as it does not have water. You will, however, need to add an antioxidant, mainly as you will be working with highly sensitive plant oils that have a shelf life. An antioxidant can lengthen the oils’ shelf life and will add potential anti-aging benefits to the product.
2. The Gel Serum
Because gel serums impart that ‘tightening’ feeling on the skin and allow your customers to think that their skin is being temporarily lifted or tightened in some regions of the face. Because this formulation is water-based, the gel-serum will enable you to incorporate some excellent water-based (hydrophilic) botanical extracts.
Gels are thought of as transparent, but you can impart color to gels by infusing glycerites, including colorful extracts and adding colorful botanical powders into the formulation. Gels are hot property in the world of natural cosmetics since we discussed in our podcast in Amsterdam.
Also, the biggest challenge of making a gel serum will be to find the right thickness and consistency so that you could dispense the serum accurately. You might want to consider a dropper or pump bottle in order to keep air and light away from your high-performance extracts. But, the gel will have to have a runny consistency.
3. The Water-Based Serum
Because water-based serums are similar to gel serums, although it will contain fewer gums and thickeners. You would use a water-based facial serum to give high performance hydrophilic botanical extracts, which are trapped against the skin underneath a cream or lotion. That is the perfect way to encourage greater penetration of water-based ingredients into the skin, thereby delivering their high-performance components slightly more in-depth into the layers of the skin. That is by layering an anti-aging facial mist underneath an emulsion and then underneath an oil. The oils may create an occlusive barrier, which will encourage greater penetration of ingredients.
A facial serum may contain a foundation that consists of water-based ingredients such as hydrosols, which could have soothing, skin toning, and balancing properties. You would then include skin-feel components such as humectants, which help the serum cling to the skin. Some customers might like the feel of humectants on their surface, which will give them a lasting think after they’ve spritzed or patted on the facial serum. Finally, you would include high-performance botanical extracts to pack your formulation full of herbal goodness.
4. The Emulsion Serum
A facial serum which consists of an emulsion is a moisturizer that delivers high-performance ingredients into the skin, as well as acting to strengthen the skin’s barrier function. An emulsion will bring together two ‘immiscible’ phases – phases that don’t want to mix well, such as oil and water. We also use an emulsifier to create a bond between the oil and water and hold them in a stable form.
An emulsion has the most significant potential for delivering high-performance actives deep down into the skin’s tissues. Getting down to the dermis is quite challenging for any cosmetic ingredient, given the skin’s barrier function. However, a blend of oil and water is best suited for achieving this impressive task. The emulsion will also deliver moisturizing properties to the skin, strengthening the barrier function.
5. The ‘Pressed’ Balm Serum
You may be looking at the line-up of facial serum formulations above, thinking, “how does a balm serum fit in this list?“. We were taken by surprise when the ‘pressed serum’ started trending in the natural beauty sector in 2017. However, we think that the pressed serum offers fantastic possibilities for the savvy skincare formulator. The most significant difference between the balm serum and all of the others is that this serum takes on a solid form, while all of the others are liquid.
A balm serum has a balm foundation, consisting of kinds of butter, waxes, and oils. But, then, it contains oil-soluble active ingredients that can offer benefits to the skin. The types of butter and waxes create an occlusive layer on the surface which moisturizes and nourishes while allowing the active ingredients of the pressed serum to work their magic on the skin. There are dozens of satisfying exotic kinds of butter and waxes that can be used in a balm serum, paired with hundreds of precious botanical oils.
It is important to equip yourself with accurate knowledge about the serum before making a decision to use it. It also helps you make the right choice for your skin’s needs, while also saving a cost quite high since buying too many products does not work as expected.
You will find useful tips and quick and effective to choose the best facial serum for your skin! Good luck!
Also, you should readsome other articles like “choose the right moisturizer?“,“How to Get Rid Of Bad Breath“, “How to Stop Yourself From Overthinking“, and “How to stop hiccups“… to know more!
