"Serum is the 'medicine' for the skin. Its mission is to solve a problem,” explains Alexa André, scientific and innovation director at Darphin. Either because it is more concentrated in active ingredients, or because it has an additional action compared to the cream. What characterizes it:its hyper-fluid texture that allows you to incorporate active ingredients or vitamins that would be unstable in a cream, and in greater quantities. "Initially, the serum is the physiological serum, that is to say a concentrated solution", says Jean-Claude Le Joliff, specialist in formulation for major brands of
cosmetic. But serums have evolved a lot in recent years. The very aqueous or alcohol-filled textures of yesteryear have given way to fine and sensory emulsions. All this explains and justifies their price, often the highest of a range.
It is generally hyper-concentrated in active ingredients (sometimes up to twice as much as a cream), but above all, it has a more targeted action:antioxidant, anti-stain, anti-wrinkle... The serum is therefore complementary to the cream, which aims first to protect the skin (which the serum alone does not do); it acts in synergy with it by reinforcing, even boosting its action. It also has the specificity of acting more deeply, either by sending messages (for example:cell regeneration, inhibition of the rise of melanin to prevent the appearance of new spots), or by its greater penetration permitted by various
means:ceramides, vectors which encapsulate the active ingredients and propel them within the cells, or a small quantity of fruit acids which, by promoting slight desquamation, make the skin more permeable.
Why not ? Serums have become so specialized that we can (it is even recommended) multiply them to meet our different expectations. The idea:copy the Asians who practice the “layering” method:apply up to 7 different products including 3 or 4 serums. We won't do the same (if only for budget reasons!) but we can, for example, put an antioxidant as the first protection, then an anti-wrinkle or a moisturizer, depending on your concerns. “But be careful that the actions are not antagonistic, warns Nadine Leconte. We do not put an anti-redness then a circulation booster, for example. We do not risk anything serious, just to cancel the actions. »
