10 June 2024
Want to learn more about facial serums?
Speak with our Vichy Skin Experts on our online skin community, Skin Société!
What is a facial serum and what is it for?
When should you start using a serum?
How to choose the best facial serum according to your age?
Should I use a serum before or after moisturiser?
What is a facial serum and what is it for?
In the beauty world, facial serums are becoming increasingly popular. But what are they and what are they for?
"A facial serum is a cosmetic with a light texture that can be in the form of an oil solution, passing through very light emulsions and presenting rapid absorption. It is applied after cleansing and toning but before the moisturiser or anti-ageing cream."
Facial serums are characterised by containing concentrations of active ingredients within their formulations that are generally higher than in creams and more specific. Also, thanks to the lightness of their texture, serums favour a deep and rapid absorption into the epidermis, allowing you to target various concerns such as wrinkles, dark spots, and dehydration. Unlike moisturisers, which have a film-forming effect, serums have practically no film-forming effect and allow another skincare treatments to be applied later without affecting their absorption into the epidermis.
Types of facial serums
There are several types of facial serums depending on what skin concern they are addressing and the active ingredients they are formulated with:
- Antioxidant serums: One of the most popular antioxidant ingredients is vitamin C, meaning vitamin C serums are known for their anti-free radical and anti-ageing properties.
- Moisturising serums: These types of serums improve skin hydration and texture, and help retain moisture. One of the most common active ingredients in this type of serum is hyaluronic acid, since one of the properties of this ingredient is it's high water retention capacity.
- Depigmenting serums: These serums contain active ingredients with different properties to help visibly correct the appearance of dark spots of the face and even out skin tone. These ingredients may include niacinamide, known for its homogenising capacity, or glycolic acid with exfoliating properties.
- Anti-ageing serums: Another type of the most sought-after serums formulated to combat ageing, firm, densify, or illuminate the skin. Their formulas contain active ingredients such as retinol, a powerful anti-ageing ingredient; proxylane; hyaluronic acid; or peptides. To find out which type of serum is most suitable for your skin, it is best to consult a dermatologist or Speak with our Vichy Skin Experts on our online skin community, Skin Société! for personalised recommendations to get the best results. You can also find help with Skin Consult AI, our skin analysis tool developed with dermatologists that creates you a personalised skincare routine.
When should you start using a serum?
When it comes to facial care, we often wonder at what age we should start using a serum. In the case of moisturising serums, you can use it at any age since hydration is a basic part of all skincare routines. In the case of an anti-ageing serum, it is usually recommended to be used from the age of 25 or 30, when the first signs of ageing become visible on the face.
Some serums require a progressive incorporation, for example those that include retinol in their formulation. In the case using retinol, it is necessary to apply it progressively during the retinolisation process, applying it once or twice a week, and increasing the frequency after a few weeks. In addition, the active ingredients of some serums can thin the stratum corneum, the outermost layer of the epidermis formed by dead cells. By reducing the thickness, the skin becomes more vulnerable to solar radiation, so be sure to always use sunscreen.
How to choose the best facial serum according to your age?
As the skin's needs change over time, it is essential to choose a product that can respond to these changes. When selecting a serum, review its formulation and the benefits it can bring you.
Choosing the best serum for any age and skin type
The Vichy Minéral 89 range is a line of hydrating products designed to hydrate, plump and strengthen the skin barrier, and is suitable even for sensitive skin.
Enriched with Vichy Mineralising Water and hyaluronic acid, Minéral 89 Moisturising Serum is the ideal skincare product for all ages and skin types. This lightweight formula absorbs quickly into the skin, providing hydration, radiance, and leaving it feeling soft and supple. In addition, it is a minimalist, fragrance-free formula that has been tested on sensitive skin. This serum also helps to combat the effects of environmental aggressions such as pollution. Its formula contains hyaluronic acid, helping to retain moisture.
We recommend incorporating Minéral 89 Moisturising Serum into your daily skincare routine. Simply apply it to the face and neck after cleansing and toning, then apply your usual moisturiser or anti-ageing cream, and you can use it both day and night.
Minéral 89 Eyes Hyaluronic Acid Eye Fortifier
If you are also wanting to address the eye contour, Minéral 89 Eye Contour will help to improve the hydration of this area, while leaving it revitalised.
Choosing the best serums for skin noticing the first signs of ageing
The Vichy Liftactiv range is a line of anti-ageing products designed to combat the appearance of signs of ageing in the skin. This range includes several anti-ageing serums with a multitude of properties to address the different needs your skin may have.
Liftactiv Vitamin C Serum is ideal for more luminous skin. This serum contains 15% pure vitamin C, which helps improve skin luminosity, and an antioxidant cocktail combining vitamin E and pine polyphenols. This formula helps protect the skin against the harmful effects of free radicals. This serum helps reduce the visible signs of ageing, such as the appearance of fine lines.
Liftactiv 0.2% Pure Retinol Specialist Deep Wrinkles Serum 30ml
If you're looking to reduce the appearance of deeper wrinkles, Liftactil Retinol Specialist Serum may be a great option. This serum is formulated with pure retinol, which is a derivative of vitamin A. This serum helps to improve skin firmness and elasticity, and smooth the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, improving skin texture and tone.
This serum also contains probiotic-derived fractions. After using the serum, 92% of women agree that their skin feels firmer* and 88% agree that their skin looks more plumped*, making it a great choice for fighting the appearance of wrinkles, even deep wrinkles.
*Self assessment on 50 women
Liftactiv Supreme HA Epidermal Filler Serum
Liftactiv Supreme HA Epidermic Filler is another product in the range for fighting the appearance of wrinkles on the face and around the eyes. This anti-wrinkle serum includes hyaluronic acid in its formula, a key ingredient to keep the skin hydrated and supple. It helps to fill in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, combating the loss of skin firmness and giving the skin a younger and fresher appearance. In addition, this serum contains a combination of anti-ageing active ingredients such as vitamin C, recognised for its antioxidant action.
Liftactiv Specialist B3 5% Niacinamide & AHA Complex Dark Spots & Pigmentation Serum 30ml
If your goal is to provide a healthy glow to your skin, whilst also having it feel smoother, firmer and softer, then Liftactiv B3 Anti-Blemish Serum is a great ally to help reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation on the face, and help improve and even skin tone. This serum contains niacinamide and a peeling complex that includes glycolic acid along with exfoliating actives.
In conclusion, the Liftactiv range from Vichy Labatories offers a variety of products to help fight the signs of skin ageing. Find our recommendations for anti-ageing face serums in this range: Liftactiv Vitamin C Serum, Liftactiv Retinol Serum, Liftactiv Supreme HA Epidermic Filler, and Liftactiv B3 Anti-Blemish Serum, each with specific properties to address different concerns related to skin ageing.
Choosing the best serum that fights the signs of menopause
Neovadiol Meno 5 Serum for Menopausal Skin 30ml
As the menopause approaches, the skin begins to experience changes in its texture and elasticity, and we see sagging and dryness setting in during post menopause. To combat these signs of ageing, opt for Neovadiol Meno 5 Bi-serum Peri and Post Menopause. This serum is specifically designed to visibly reduce the signs of hormonal variations in the skin, with a concentrated selection of active ingredients. This serum leaves skin feeling moisturised, bouncier and firmer, and looking more refined in texture.
This serum is formulated with proxylane and cassia extract, which offset the visible effects of hormonal changes on the skin, thanks to their anti-ageing properties. It includes niacinamide, antioxidants vitamin C and E, glycolic acid, and omegas 6-9. To fight the signs of menopause in the skin, Neovadiol Meno 5 Bi-serum Peri and Post Menopause provides the perfect solution. Its combination of active ingredients reactivates five skin mechanisms: it redefines the look of the contours of the face, corrects the appearance of age spots, reduces the appearance of wrinkles, and increases radiance, providing a visibly younger-looking and smoother complexion.
Should I use a serum before or after moisturiser?
When incorporating a facial serum into your skincare routine, you may be curious about when to apply it: before or after moisturiser. It should always be applied before the cream. However, in case you use several serums, you may also be wondering which one to use first.
The answer is determined by the texture of the serum:
- Firstly, apply serums that are lighter and absorbed quickly, such as solutions or gel solutions.
- Then apply serums that are fluid.
- Finally, apply oily serums which have a more unctuous texture.
Discover the Vichy Labatories serums and find the one that best suits your skin's needs to achieve the best results.
