What Is a Face Serum

What is a Serum and What are Our Best Serums for Your Skin?

Take a good look in the mirror. If your skin’s appearance has room for improvement, consider this: Do you need a face serum? Serums are a key step of any solid skincare routine, because they are known to provide skin’s surface with a concentrated amount of efficacious ingredients, like vitamin C and hyaluronic acid. And even if you already use a vitamin C serum, you might not necessarily know how it’s making your skin visibly brighter and more even in tone. Here’s what you should know about face serums.

What is a face serum?

A face serum is a skincare product applied before your moisturizer. They are designed to deliver key ingredients, which are formulated into a face serum that works to brighten, hydrate and provide a variety of benefits, depending on the type of serum you use.

How we recommend you use a serum:

• How often you should use our serums: Apply our face serums at least once a day.
• When to use our serums: Use one of our face serums after using cleanser and toner, but before moisturizer.
• Where to apply our serums: Apply our face serum to your entire face and neck (since skin there needs moisture, too). Our Genifique Eye & Lash Concentrate is designed to target the eye area and work as a lash serum, too.
• Is serum a cream or a moisturizer: Serums are neither. Face serum can contain moisturizing ingredients, as is the case of serums with hyaluronic acid — but you should still layer a moisturizer over them to help nourish skin’s outermost layers.
• Do serums provide moisture: Face serums can provide moisturizing ingredients, but they shouldn’t be considered your primary moisturizer, especially if you have dry skin. However, if you have naturally oily skin, you could potentially use a hydrating face serum by itself.
• How face serums are different from moisturizers in texture: Serums tend to be more lightweight and are generally absorbed more quickly by skin than moisturizers are.

Types of Serums by Lancôme

Some serums may work well for one skin type versus another depending on the formula. For instance, some serums contain oils, which may not be the best choice if you’re working with naturally oily skin. The key ingredients also matter. While vitamin C and hyaluronic acid are two popular serum ingredients, you’ll also find a mix of other antioxidants and hydrators.

Vitamin C:

At Lancôme, we are particularly fond of serums formulated with vitamin C. That’s because vitamin C, which also goes by l-ascorbic acid on ingredient lists, is known to be a skincare powerhouse. It’s a well-known antioxidant that helps defend skin’s surface from free radicals, which are spawned by environmental aggressors (sun exposure, pollution, the usual suspects). On top of that, our skincare serum with vitamin C is designed to visibly brighten skin and even skin tone appearance. Not surprisingly, a vitamin C serum is a good starting place for most skin types. You can find it in Visionnaire Skin Solution Vitamin C Serum.

Hyaluronic Acid Serums:

Hyaluronic acid serums are ideal if your skin is dry. That’s because hyaluronic acid, which often goes by sodium hyaluronate on ingredient lists, is a molecule that can hold up 1000 times its weight in water. Let’s put it this way: It’s a moisture magnet. Serums formulated with hyaluronic acid are also a great option for addressing visible signs of aging, since a lack of moisture can increase the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. You can find it in Absolue Revitalizing Oléo-Serum.

Anti-Aging Serums:

Anti-aging serums help improve the appearance of signs of aging, such as fine lines and wrinkles. Our Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Serum with bifidus prebiotic helps to address key signs of youth, such as radiance, tone, elasticity, smoothness and firmness. It also helps strengthen the moisture barrier.

Eye Serums:

An eye serum can deliver visible benefits specifically for the eye contour area, and some formulas help visibly de-puff and minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Our Absolue Revitalizing Eye Serum is formulated with grand rose extracts and is designed to improve the appearance of skin around the eyes day after day. Some formulas, such as the Advanced Génefique Eye Light Pearl also double as a lash serum for lashes that feel supple and look silky.