Do I Need A Serum In My Skincare Routine?

Do I need a serum in my skincare routine? Are skincare serums, a great skincare product or an expensive burden?

The serum is undoubtedly the most exciting skincare product for girls and is simply synonymous with efficiency and prestige. There are two different views, one is that serums are purely commercial packaging and are meaningless, and the other is that they are skincare products that can't be used. If you're a rich girl, then so be it, but when you look at your limited wallet, we'd really like to ask - are serums good for skincare, or are they an expensive burden?

01What exactly is the "serum"

There is no such thing as a "serum" in dermatological/cosmetic preparations, it is more of a commercial packaging term. Depending on the active ingredients added, they are usually classified as moisturizing serums, whitening serums, anti-aging serums, etc. Of course, there are also brands that offer all-round serums, i.e. the effects can cover all the skin problems that women wish to improve

Moisturizing Serum

Moisturizing serums are the most widely used type of serum. When the skin has been cleansed, most businesses will recommend a hydrating product - a moisturizer or toner. Some of these more moisturizing products are packaged by merchants as moisturizing essences.

The moisturizing ingredients in moisturizing serums are natural moisturizing factors represented by hyaluronic acid, panthenol, allantoin/allantoin, and ceramide, and classic humectant ingredients represented by glycerin, butylene glycol, and propylene glycol, as well as high molecular protein-based water-absorbing ingredients represented by collagen, rice bran protein, wheat protein, and oat protein.

Also with a miraculous restorative effect are natural moisturizing factors such as ceramides and panthenol, which are not only highly penetrating and have an excellent moisturizing effect, but also repair the skin barrier.

Whitening Serum

When preparation is supplemented with ingredients that have the effect of inhibiting pigmentation and improving skin tone, the preparation is naturally called a "whitening serum", and the ingredients added are mainly antioxidant ingredients represented by coenzyme Q10, vitamin E tocopherol and carnosine; antioxidant ingredients represented by vitamin C and its derivatives, hydroquinone, arbutin, clotting These include vitamin C and its derivatives, hydroquinone, arbutin, agglutinin, azelaic acid and other ingredients that inhibit melanin synthesis and fever; and plant extracts such as licorice extracts, glycyrrhiza flavonoids, aloe vera bitters, vitamin C from lemons, and vitamin A acids, vitamin B3 and unsaturated fatty acids that interfere with the melanin transport process.

Anti-Aging Serum

Most of the anti-aging serums have been formulated with anti-oxidant and anti-aging ingredients and are made into a pleasant liquid that gives the impression of a nature-derived extract, which is very marketable and commercially viable.

The main anti-aging ingredients added are vitamin A acid and its derivatives, peptides, growth factors, and fruit acids. Retinoic acid was the first ingredient proven by the medical community to have an anti-aging effect, regulating cell growth and differentiation and promoting the synthesis of collagen, elastin, and their intercellular matrix.

Various growth factors have been used in several high-end anti-wrinkle and aging products, and their good repairing and cell regeneration stimulating effects make them outstanding in anti-aging. Fruit acids, organic acids derived from fruits, have been shown to promote the regeneration of elastic fibers and collagen.

02 Is it a good product or a burden?

Serums nowadays are no longer confined to the liquid form, they can be liquids or emulsions, transparent liquids without oil at all, emulsions or creams.

So " serums " are preparations with added active ingredients, which, unlike ordinary creams, may be targeted and more suitable for certain problematic skin types and are more concentrated than ordinary cosmetics, so they can treat some of the problems. However, the efficacy of these efficacious ingredients is still different from that of real medicines. Therefore, they should not be used as a therapeutic medicine but only as an adjunct to dermatological treatment.

When buying a serum, you need to ask what the ingredients are. If there are no potent ingredients, in most cases it is probably just a moisturizer for daily cosmetics; if there are potent ingredients, it makes sense to ask how to use it and whether it is suitable for your skin type.