Serum is a product that we are used to seeing on the shelves of perfumeries and supermarkets since all skincare brands offer it. In the midst of creams and other masks, we do not always know what its role is. We asked our questions to Lionel De Benetti, consultant cosmetologist for Kiehl's, to understand his role and how to choose and use it properly.
The answer may seem logical:a serum is liquid while a cream is not. But that's not all. The serum is a concentrate of active ingredients, more dosed than the cream, and which offers a much lighter texture. Some brands have also created serums which have a texture close to that of a cream (to make it more pleasant to apply), but which are not to be confused with day or night creams, because the active ingredients are more concentrated than in a cream.
Because it is very concentrated in active ingredients, the serum could be enough for the epidermis and be applied alone. However, it is advisable to apply it in synergy with a cream (day or night), which brings comfort. The serum is therefore applied before the cream, whether in the morning or in the evening. And it is important not to mix the two, firstly because there may be an incompatibility between the two formulas, and secondly because applying the serum before the cream allows the skin to absorb it. before the latter and take full advantage of the assets.
We choose a serum according to our age, our skin type, and what we want to treat (spots, imperfections, dull skin, dehydration, wrinkles, etc.). When you are not sure what to choose, or when you are using a serum for the first time, Lionel De Benetti advises choosing an anti-aging (or first wrinkles) formula, generally quite complete since it plays on hydration and evenness of skin tone (rather than targeting a specific issue). If we like a serum, we should not expect the result to be visible from the first days, because even if it is a concentrated product, the cell renewal of the skin takes place in 28 days. It is therefore necessary to allow time for the skin to benefit from the active ingredients. In addition, it is not recommended to take a serum and a cream from the same range. “The serum does not have to contain exactly the same active ingredients as the cream”, explains Lionel De Benetti, because then we would lose the interest of using two different products. Understand that if you are taking a vitamin C cream, your serum should not be formulated with only vitamin C.
It depends on what you're looking for. If you find a favorite serum and you had trouble finding an equivalent, you can keep this serum. But our skin does not have the same needs throughout the year (in winter it will be in demand of nutrition for example, while it may need radiance in spring). We can, like a cure, use a serum to reboost our epidermis, especially during seasonal changes or in case of fatigue.
Yes. The most important thing is that the cream contains active ingredients that are different and complementary to the serum. So it is quite possible to choose a cream and a serum from different brands. What also matters is the rendering that we are looking for. At some brands, a serum will have a different finish than at another, just like for creams. It may therefore be interesting to test a formula via a sample.
Now that serums have no more secrets for us, all that remains is to find the one that will perfectly suit our needs!
