Never has a skincare category created so much confusion as the serum. But equally, and perhaps not inconsequentially, never has a skincare category garnered such a dedicated fanbase so quickly. Isn’t it about time you got your head around it?
Simply put, serum has the potential to be the most powerful step in your skincare routine. Being lightweight and usually water-based, serum sinks right into your skin. Moisturiser, however, which is packed with bulky ingredients such as emollients and sunscreen, does not (and you wouldn’t want it to – as moisturiser is designed to sit on the surface and protect from the outside elements).
If you’re looking for something to effect real change, whether that’s brightening, hydrating or fighting line formation, serum is where the magic happens. And when to use it? Remember the water-based bit and think: oil floats on water, so moisturisers and facial oils sit directly on top of serum – anything else in your arsenal (toners, exfoliating lotions etc) goes underneath. Got it? Now all you have to do is pick which one…
The Future-Proofer
ANR to its legion of loyal fans is the serum that transcends the category, possibly because it launched (in 1982) long before serum became skincare’s hottest topic, but definitely because it’s the one the beauty editors still credit with keeping them fresh. It works overnight to restore, repair and keep the signs of ageing at bay, plus delivers a big dose of hydration. Who’s the Daddy? ANR.
Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronised Recovery Complex II, £70 available at Boots
The Instagram Favourite
If Instagram is your conduit to the beauty world you’ll already have this in your bathroom or on your wish list – it’s that much of a #skincareroutine staple. Why? Because the exfoliating and circulation-boosting properties give an impressive glow from first use, and skin just gets plumper, smoother and more even-looking the longer you use it. It can be applied as a 10-minute mask for added oomph.
Sunday Riley Good Genes Treatment, £85, available at Cult Beauty
The Hydration Powerhouse
This is a big wallop of water for skin that feels tight and dry and doesn’t look as plump and lively as you’d like. It’s also a helpful addition to skincare routines that have started to feel over-complicated (at a time when almost everything claims to resurface, this just packs skin with moisture-retaining molecule Hyaluronic Acid). A brilliant price point, and it works.
Vichy Aqualia Thermal Dynamic Hydration Serum, £22.50 available at Boots
The Fresh Skin Pick-Me-Up
With the water-like and aromatic feel of an old-school floral toner, this will please anyone missing that fresh, fragrant and slightly astringent step in their skincare routine. Add Glycolic acid (a sugar-derived exfoliating molecule) and Sodium Hyaluronic (an especially tiny version of Hyaluronic Acid, all the better for penetrating and hydrating the skin) and you have a beautifully simple brightening serum.
Votary Lemon & Neroli Toning Serum, £75, available at Liberty
The Dark Spot Corrector
Disclaimer: we can’t pretend this isn’t pricey, but a shadowy skin tone can be one of the hardest conditions to treat. This is from a brand that’s fast becoming the serum mother ship, and it really does work. It’s packed with hard-hitting actives but Niacinimide (Vit B3) is key for bringing down dark patches, while pearl powder provides instant radiance. People will notice, we promise.
Zelens Z Luminous Brightening Serum, £135, available at Space NK
The Double-Whammy
It’s an unhappy fact that spots and wrinkles aren’t mutually exclusive, so if you’re waiting to grow out of one before growing into the other, we wish you luck. Or there’s Clinique’s new offering, which takes everything the brand has learnt from its research into anti-ageing and combined it with its equally impressive know-how in treating blemish-prone skin. Cuts shine, spots and wrinkles: job done.
Clinique Anti-Blemish Blemish + Line Correcting Serum, £39, available from April
The All-Rounder
A little bit of chemistry in your own home, this comes in the form of a powder and activator that you mix yourself to create an inky blue liquid. Copper peptides (hence the blue) are used here in unusually generous quantities (1% compared to the usual 0.01% or less) to trigger skin’s healing processes, tackling lines, uneven pigmentation, dullness and overly-obvious pores in five days. Truly impressive.
Niod Copper Amino Isolate Serum 1.00%, £38, available at Victoria Health
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