Face Cream versus Facial Serum: What Order Should They Be Applied in?
A well-rounded skincare routine is essential for maintaining healthy, radiant skin. One crucial step in this routine is the application of a face serum before moisturizer. This practice ensures that the active ingredients in the serum penetrate deeply into the skin, while the moisturizer seals everything in and provides hydration.
Face Serums: A Powerful Skincare Boost
A face serum is a lightweight, fast-absorbing beauty product formulated with a high concentration of active skincare ingredients. These active ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, retinol, niacinamide, and salicylic acid, are designed to target specific skin concerns, from brightening and fading dark spots to reducing fine lines and wrinkles.
The Supermello Hyaluronic Gel Cream Moisturizer, Brightwave Face Serum 10% Vitamin C + Peptide Brightening Serum, and the Dreamwave 2% Bio-Retinoid Complex Overnight Serum are all recommended products for various skin concerns. The Supermello Hyaluronic Gel Cream Moisturizer, in particular, is a lightweight gel-cream moisturizer that offers deep moisture and plant-based ingredients to soothe sensitive skin. It has even earned the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance.
The Order Matters: Serum Before Moisturizer
The general rule when applying skincare products is to apply thinner products first, so serums come before moisturizers. This is because serums have a thinner, lighter consistency and contain concentrated active ingredients that need to penetrate deeply into the skin. Applying serum first allows these ingredients direct contact with clean skin, enhancing their absorption and efficacy.
After the serum absorbs (waiting about 30-60 seconds until it feels mostly absorbed but not dry), you follow with moisturizer. Moisturizers are thicker and form a protective barrier on the surface, locking in hydration and keeping out environmental aggressors.
Key reasons for this order include optimal penetration, enhanced efficacy, sealed benefits, and the consistency rule. Applying serum on slightly damp skin may improve absorption, but always follow with moisturizer to maintain hydration and protection.
Exceptions exist, such as the "sandwich method" for retinol serums where moisturizer is applied before and after to reduce irritation, but generally, serum first, moisturizer second is the accepted standard.
Moisturizers: Overall Hydration and Protection
Moisturizers are another skincare product designed to hydrate the skin and prevent moisture loss. Different types of moisturizers include creams, lotions, and gels, suitable for various skin types. While serums are designed to target specific skin concerns, moisturizers provide overall hydration and protection.
In conclusion, incorporating a face serum into your daytime skincare routine is essential for optimal skin health. By applying the serum before moisturizer, you ensure that the active ingredients penetrate deeply into the skin, providing maximum benefits. Always remember to follow the general rule of applying thinner products first and maintaining proper hydration for healthy, radiant skin.
[1] Skincare.com [2] Byrdie [3] Allure [4] Harper's Bazaar
- Face serums, with active ingredients like hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, retinol, niacinamide, and salicylic acid, are lightweight beauty products designed to address specific skin concerns.
- A well-known moisturizer, the Supermello Hyaluronic Gel Cream Moisturizer, is praised for its lightweight gel-cream texture, deep moisture, and plant-based ingredients that soothe sensitive skin.
- In a skincare routine, thinner products like serums should be applied first, as they require direct contact with clean skin for optimal penetration and efficacy.
- After the serum has absorbed, apply the moisturizer to lock in hydration, form a protective barrier, and keep out environmental aggressors.
- Serums and moisturizers work together in a skincare routine to ensure optimal skin health, with serums providing benefits from targeted active ingredients and moisturizers supplying overall hydration and protection.
- Those with acne-prone skin or sensitive skin can benefit from a well-balanced skincare routine featuring products like serums and moisturizers.
- A well-rounded vegan skincare routine might include sunscreen, cleanser, toner, serum, and moisturizer to promote healthy, radiant skin through principles of health-and-wellness and science.
- A primary goal of a skincare routine is maintaining a strong skin barrier, which can be achieved by following the general rule of applying thinner products like serums first and sealing them with moisturizers.
- Specific products, such as the Brightwave Face Serum 10% Vitamin C + Peptide Brightening Serum and Dreamwave 2% Bio-Retinoid Complex Overnight Serum, cater to various skin concerns and can be integrated into a skincare routine for added benefits.
