What do serums do?

Life means change - also for the needs of your skin. Is your skin prone to acne, irregularities, neurodermatitis, or signs of aging? Just like your lifestyle, the climate and your diet, the right care also plays an important role in the radiance of your skin. In the meantime, various products offer the right care for every skin condition and every skin need. Serums are very well suited to specifically target your skin.

What is a serum?

Today, everyone is talking about serums, and it is hard to imagine the cosmetics industry without them. They are considered the go-to tool in the field of skin care. There are now many different manufacturers and products.

But what exactly makes serums so unique? A serum is characterized by a high concentration of selected active ingredients and a light, non-greasy texture, which allows the serum to penetrate deeper into the skin quickly and without leaving any residue.

While creams tend to act on the surface of the skin and protect it against external influences, a serum can provide deep skin care. This increases the effectiveness of the care many times over. The high efficacy for various skin concerns has ensured that serums now enjoy a high status in the care routine of many people. The individual serums differ in their composition, which is adapted to different skin concerns and skin types.

What types of serums are there?

There are specially tailored serums depending on the initial situation, skin concern, and skin type. Roughly speaking, serums can be divided into different categories:

• Moisturizing serum for dry to very dry skin.

• Serum against redness for skin prone to skin irritation, redness, and rosacea.

• Serum against pigmentation spots for skin with hyperpigmentation and uneven complexion.

• Anti-aging serum for skin that already shows the first signs of aging.

• Anti-wrinkle serum specifically against fine lines and wrinkles.

• Eye serum for the sensitive area around the eyes.

So, first of all, you must know what your current skin condition is and what your skin needs. If you are not sure, it is worthwhile to seek the opinion of a cosmetician or dermatologist. Using specific active ingredients in high concentrations, a serum can provide your skin with exactly what it needs.

Serums for dry skin

Dry skin usually feels rough, brittle, or even flaky. This is because the sweat and sebaceous glands do not produce enough sebum. As a result, the skin cannot maintain its protective shield, which means that (environmental) irritants from outside can no longer be fended off. The skin becomes more sensitive, is more easily irritated, and can even react allergically. A moisturizing serum stabilizes the skin's hydration so that its protection is better again.

Serums for skin prone to redness

Skin prone to redness is characterized by recurring reddish discolorations and irritations of the facial skin. In the case of rosacea, reddening of the skin due to dilatation of the blood vessels on the nose and cheeks, papules, pustules, and nodular growths may develop in later stages. A unique serum against redness on the face strengthens the vascular walls, neutralizes red veins, and thus reduces skin redness.

Serums for signs of skin aging

If pigment spots appear on the skin, it is also called hyperpigmentation. UV rays, environmental influences, and hormonal fluctuations usually cause this at 30 years or older skin age. A serum against pigment spots accelerates cell renewal through its active ingredients and thus ensures a fresh, even complexion. Hyperpigmentation is lightened and returns to the normal skin tone. The formula niacinamide (B3) and glycolic acid 13 and exfoliating actives soften pigmentation spots and promote an even complexion.

What are pigment spots, and how do they develop? 

So-called melanocytes produce dark cells - stimulated by UV rays and hormones. The dark areas of skin gradually spread through all three layers of skin. If the number of dark cells is high, a pigment spot appears on the skin surface. This is called hyperpigmentation. Thus, the more sunlight one is exposed to over the years without protection, the more pigment spots develop on the skin surface. These are mainly found on the face, décolleté, and hands, as the sun's rays often hit these areas.

In addition to pigment spots, other signs of skin aging include wrinkles and lines. These first appear around the mouth, eye, and forehead due to a decrease in the skin's elasticity, i.e., where the face is most in motion due to facial expressions. High exposure to UV rays - especially on the face - further promotes skin damage and encourages the development of wrinkles and pigmentation spots. Over time, wrinkles can also form in other areas of the face and décolleté. An anti-aging serum or anti-wrinkle serum starts in the depth of the skin, plumps it up from the inside, and regenerates it.

How Does an Anti-Aging Serum Work?

UV rays and hormonal fluctuations are mainly responsible for signs of skin aging in the form of pigmentation spots and wrinkles. Serums penetrate deep into the lower layers of the skin, release their active ingredients there, and counteract the signs of aging, The skin texture is renewed and refined, and wrinkles are reduced. However, the serum effect is highly dependent on the active ingredients used and proper application.

Anti-Aging Serum Ingredients

There are many manufacturers and different compositions for anti-aging serums. The respective serum ingredients show great differences in their respective mode of action and occurrence. To keep an overview, the most important active ingredients are listed here:

• Retinol, or vitamin A, helps reduce the appearance of both environmental and aging-related fine lines, wrinkles, and pigmentation spots. In addition, a retinol serum or even a retinol hyaluronic serum can help reduce the size of pores while reducing skin blemishes.

• Hyaluron or hyaluronic acid is a major component of the connective tissue between the skin cells. A hyaluronic serum replenishes and thus supports the connective tissue. Especially the ability to bind large amounts of water makes a hyaluronic acid serum a moisture regulator, which visibly tightens the skin. You can find out more about hyaluronic acid and the hyaluronic acid serum effect here.

• Aloe vera contains polysaccharides, i.e., multiple sugars, which have antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory effects. In addition, aloe vera has a lot of vitamin B12, which stabilizes the skin's defenses. As an anti-aging skin care product, an aloe vera serum can smooth wrinkles, soothe irritation and signs of acne-prone skin, and moisturize.

• Vitamin C is not only a common vitamin for boosting general immunity but also plays an important role in cosmetics. A vitamin C serum protects the collagen framework located in the deep layers of the skin from free radicals that damage it. In addition, vitamin C helps the skin produce new collagen, thus ensuring a stable collagen framework. This allows it to withstand greater stresses without tearing. The formation of wrinkles is thus slowed down and your face remains wrinkle-free for longer.

• UV filters are an important component in anti-aging skin care. They prevent skin damage by converting UV rays on the skin into heat (chemical filters) or reflecting them (mineral filters). After certain serum applications such as retinol, it is also essential to apply care with a sun protection factor, as some active ingredients make the skin more sensitive to light.

Anti-Aging Care for the Whole Body

In most cases, anti-aging care focuses specifically on the face, since it is always visible to the outside world. However, other body parts should not be ignored when it comes to anti-aging, as they round off the overall appearance. In particular, your eye area, neck, hands, and scalp deserve special attention.

Anti-aging serum for the face

A serum for the face should be part of your daily care routine. Some face serums protect the keratinocytes in the skin from the harmful effects of ozone. But products with vitamin C can also make your complexion glow and ensure that the important collagen fibers that form the support structure for your skin remain firm and resistant.

Anti-aging serum for the eye area

The area around your eyes is naturally part of your face, and therefore you could assume that with the right facial care, everything necessary is done for this area. And yet, the susceptible and thin skin around the eyes needs special care. An eye serum with hyaluronic acid or vitamin is particularly suitable for caring for sensitive skin around the eyes.

Anti-aging serum for the neck

The neck should also be taken care of in your daily beauty routine. The skin in this area is also rather thin and sensitive and, just like the skin around the eyes, tends to develop fine lines and even wrinkles. Pamper this area regularly with care, so that the neck as a forwarding of the face also looks youthful and well cared for!

Anti-aging serum for the hands

Your hands are in use every day, and their skin surface is often exposed to the sun and other external influences. That's exactly why you should also pamper your hands with special anti-aging care every day. Hand creams are formulated to support the skin's barrier function so that it neither loses moisture nor allows pollutants to penetrate. They make the stressed skin on the hands supple and soft.

Anti-aging serum for the scalp

Full, shiny and floral-scented hair is another indicator of youthfulness. Make sure your scalp and hair are well cared for and moisturized to prevent hair loss, split ends, hair breakage and brittleness!

Anti-Aging Care for Every Skin Type

Not every anti-aging serum suits every skin type. It is important to assess the skin's needs and special care requirements to find optimal care. There is a distinction between normal skin, dry skin, oily skin and combination skin.

• Normal skin is the term for a balanced skin condition. The skin is neither too dry or too oily. One could think that normal skin is well cared for and does not need any special care. However, even normal skin can be treated well. A serum for normal skin provides it with all the important nutrients to protect it against external influences and maintain its balance.

• Dry skin is usually characterized by dry, brittle, or scaly areas and patches. Feelings of tightness can also indicate dry, dehydrated skin. The natural skin protection barrier is often out of balance in dry skin. Sensitive or allergic reactions to external influences and skin care products can result. A serum for dry skin should, therefore, intensively moisturize and strengthen the skin's protective barrier.

• Oily skin is caused by excessive sebum production. Diet, hereditary factors, and hormonal fluctuations are the main causes of oily skin (seborrhea). On the heavily moisturized face, skin impurities in the form of pimples and blackheads occur more frequently. To balance the overproduction of sebum, a serum for oily skin is recommended.

• Combination skin is oily in some places (often the T-zone), dry in others, and therefore a hybrid of two skin types. This peculiarity also makes combination skin unique when it comes to the requirement for the right care since oily skin needs different care than dry skin. But even in this case, the cosmetics industry, especially natural cosmetics, has a suitable answer. A special serum for combination skin addresses the needs of both skin conditions equally and provides a balance.

How to Apply Face Serums?

There are a few little things to keep in mind when applying a serum. A serum is applied to damp skin after mildly cleansing the face with a gentle cleanser and lukewarm water. Once the serum is absorbed, an additional skin care product (e.g., day or night cream, sunscreen, makeup) is applied if necessary. So the serum is always applied first. For optimal results, you can apply the serum every morning and evening (be careful with retinol!). To further enhance the serum's effectiveness, you can use a massage technique:

1. Spread one to two drops of serum briefly in your palms.

2. Now massage the serum into the skin with both hands using long, gentle, upward stroking movements from the center of the face outward!

In Special cases-Retinol 

Most serums should be applied daily in the morning and evening to supplement your usual skin care for optimal results. The situation is different with a serum containing the active ingredient retinol. In the beginning, it should be applied a maximum of twice a week to get used to it. Later, it can be applied daily. A serum with retinol must be only applied in the evening. In the morning, you should use a moisturizing serum plus a strong sun protection factor (SPF).

Your skin does a lot and makes every effort not to let the strains of the day show. You can do a lot to make it easier for your skin and support it in its tasks. In addition to a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle, you can achieve visible results with targeted care tailored to your skin needs. Serums offer you the perfect basis for this.