A face serum is the most concentrated step in a skincare routine, so the right one is chosen by skin concerns rather than by product claims to achieve your desired results. Lancôme's serums map to four concerns:
- Skin barrier damage: Génifique Ultimate Recovery Serum or Advanced Génifique Face Serum
- Uneven tone and visible pores: Clarifique Pro-Solution Serum
- Loss of firmness and sun damage: Rénergie H.C.F. Triple Serum
- Uneven texture in mature skin: Absolue The Serum
Here is how to tell which concern is yours, and which serum addresses it.
1. Damaged Skin Barrier: Try Génifique Ultimate Recovery Serum or Advanced Génifique Face Serum
A damaged skin barrier often lacks the necessary moisture to maintain its healthy appearance and function. Génifique serums are specifically formulated to address a damaged skin barrier by delivering a high concentration of hydrating ingredients, like hyaluronic acid, beta-glucan, and glycerin, directly to the skin. These ingredients help to attract and retain water, visibly plumping the skin and minimizing the appearance of fine lines while helping create an optimal environment for repair. By restoring and maintaining balanced hydration levels, the skin looks and feels resilient, supple, and radiant.
Génifique Ultimate Recovery Serum: Skin barrier repair & recovery; improvement of fine lines and overall skin quality. Users with a compromised skin barrier experienced 93% better skin barrier repair in 1 hour*.
Advanced Génifique Face Serum: Hydration and strength; visibly hydrates, plumps, and improves the look of dull skin. Clinically proven to improve radiance by +27% and reduce the look of fine lines by -42% after 8 weeks of use.
*Moisture barrier recovery vs. bare skin
Génifique Ultimate Recovery Serum
Visible Damage & Skin Barrier Recovery
Advanced Génifique Face Serum
Radiance Boosting
2. Uneven Skin Tone or Large Pores: Try Clarifique Pro-Solution Serum
Uneven skin tone and large pores can be addressed with a lightweight, multi-benefit serum like Clarifique Pro-Solution Serum, which is both clarifying and brightening. It's formulated with ingredients like niacinamide, polyhydroxy acids, and beech bud extract to help reduce the appearance of discoloration, dark spots, post-acne marks, and large pores.
Brightening ingredients, like niacinamide and beech bud extract, work by promoting cell turnover for a more radiant complexion. While exfoliating ingredients like polyhydroxy acids refine the look of pores by removing dead skin cells and visibly smoothing the skin's surface. In a 10-week clinical study with 64 women using this serum, skin tone is more even by +28.2%, pores are visibly reduced by -18.7%, dark spots are visibly reduced by -20.3%, and post-acne marks are visibly reduced by -29.7%.
Clarifique Pro-Solution Serum: Brighten and clarify; reduces visible dark spots & post-acne marks and tightens pores.
Clarifique Pro-Solution Serum
Brightening & Dark Spot Reducing
3. Skin Over 40 or Sun Damage: Try Rénergie H.C.F. Triple Serum
UV rays and environmental aggressors are the culprits behind visible sun damage. Combined with the gradual slowdown of cell renewal and moisture retention, you may notice the visible formation of dark spots, dryness, and wrinkles in skin over 40. Rénergie H.C.F. Triple Serum is a triple-dose anti-aging serum formulated with Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin C+ Niacinamide, and Ferulic Acid to address these visible aging signs. Three formula textures—gel, cream, and emulsion—are housed in separate chambers and once dispensed, freshly combine into a lightweight serum texture before application.
The skin barrier may not be able to retain moisture like it used to, causing skin over 40 to experience more instances of dryness. Triple Serum’s next-generation hyaluronic acid, a form of hyaluronic acid created with fragmented molecules to enhance absorption, helps to hydrate maturing skin. In a clinical study with 45 women using Triple Serum, skin is more supple by +14.7% and skin is smoother by +30.1% in just 8 weeks.
Free radicals on the skin can lead to sun damage, which can cause visible concerns like discoloration, dark spots, and wrinkles. Triple Serum’s formula, with powerful ingredient combinations like Niacinamide and Vitamin C, is clinically proven to reduce the look of dark spots by -14.1%, their visible intensity by -15.0%, also wrinkles reduced by -7.6%*. Meanwhile, antioxidants like Vitamin C and Ferulic Acid work together to help neutralize UV-induced free radicals while soothing the skin.
Rénergie H.C.F. Triple Serum: Anti-aging; visibly reduces the look of wrinkles, improves volume loss, and brightens dark spot appearance.
*Based on 8-week results in a clinical study of 45 women.
How to Layer Rénergie H.C.F. Triple Serum
- Use with Génifique Ultimate Recovery Serum or Advanced Génifique Hydrating Serum to help strengthen the skin barrier and boost radiance. To layer, apply Génifique first, then follow with Rénergie H.C.F. Triple Serum.
- When you pair Rénergie H.C.F. Triple Serum with a broad-spectrum sunscreen SPF 30 or higher in the daytime, you effectively protect skin from sun damage.
Rénergie H.C.F. Triple Serum
Plumping & Dark-Spot Reducing
4. Skin Over 50 or Uneven Texture: Try Absolue The Serum
Maybe your skin doesn’t feel as soft as it once was, but experiencing a rough or uneven skin texture is common in skin over 50. Skin is naturally more prone to dryness, slower to renew cells, and has accumulated environmental damage over the years, all of which can lead to flakiness, a rough texture, and an uneven or dull skin tone. Absolue The Serum is a concentrated serum designed for mature skin and concerns like texture. The iridescent, transformative serum formula is rich but absorbs quickly for a lightweight feel on the skin and luxurious experience. A blend of Grand Rose Extracts, Vitamin E, Proxylane, and Gentle Exfoliating Acid Complex revitalizes skin with millions of new surface cells. Immediately, skin is more hydrated by +50.5%*, firmer by +26.2%, and skin tone is improved by +47.1%**. Over time, skin is smoother by +25% and more radiant by +16.9%***.
Absolue The Serum: Anti-wrinkle; helps accelerate skin surface cell renewal, visibly smooths texture and plumps.
*Based on corneometer testing on 24 women at 4-hour timepoint.
**Based on dermal torque meter testing on 40 women at 4-hour timepoint.
***Based on clinical testing with 51 women at 8 weeks.
How do you layer a face serum in your routine?
Generally, in a standard skincare routine, face serums are applied after cleansing and toning (when the skin is clean and prepped) and before moisturizing and applying SPF, as they typically feature lightweight, concentrated formulas designed to absorb effectively. Here's a step-by-step morning and nighttime skincare routine to consider when layering in your face serums:
Morning skincare routine:
Step 1: Cleanse – Wash with a gentle cleanser
Step 2: Toner
Step 3: Serum
Step 4: Eye Cream
Step 5: Day Cream Moisturizer
Step 6: Broad-Spectrum Sunscreen
Nighttime skincare routine:
Step 1: Double Cleanse – Oil-based cleanser followed by a gentle cleanser
Step 2: Toner
Step 3: Exfoliate/Prime
Step 4: Serum/Treatment – Target your specific skin concerns, e.g., dehydration, wrinkles, dull skin, etc.
Step 5: Eye Cream
Step 6: Night Cream Moisturizer
Frequently Asked Questions
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