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If you’re looking for healthier-looking, glowing skin, facial serums should be an essential step in your skincare routine. These lightweight, nutrient-dense formulas are designed to deliver concentrated ingredients directly to the skin, but they won’t work as well as they should if you’re not using them in the right place within your routine and among other products. Let’s talk about face serums and how to apply serum on your face correctly so your skin can reap the full rewards of this potent skincare product.
What Is Face Serum?
Facial serums are lightweight, fast-absorbing skincare products that are formulated to deliver potent concentrations of select ingredients directly to the skin. These powerful products often target a specific skin concern such as fine lines, wrinkles, acne, dark spots, or uneven texture, often utilizing just a few intentional ingredients such as peptides, vitamins, or fruit and nut oils in high concentrations to get the job done.
Serums can penetrate deeper into the skin than moisturizers and other thicker products thanks to their smaller-molecule formulation, but this means that they can also end up sitting on top of other products if they’re not used in the right order within your skincare routine.
What Does Serum Do For Your Face?
Facial serums are designed to address a variety of skin concerns with their concentrated formulas, providing visible improvements in skin texture and appearance with regular use.
Benefits will vary depending on the ingredients included in the serum, but below are some of the most common benefits you can reap:
- Improves skin texture and appearance
- Hydrates and nourishes
- Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
- Calms irritation and redness
- Brightens the appearance of dark circles
- Reduces the appearance of blemishes and scarring
How To Apply Serum On the Face Correctly: Step-by-Step
Below, we’ll go over the steps of a very basic, minimalist skincare routine that includes cleanser, serum, and moisturizer. Note that this isn’t a full routine, but if you’re looking for one, you can check out our guide on how to layer products in a full skincare routine!
Step 1: Cleanse Your Face Thoroughly
Cleansing your face is the first and most crucial step in any skincare routine. Properly cleansing can remove dirt, oil, and impurities that clog pores and prevent skincare products from being absorbed effectively. Use a gentle cleanser suited to your skin type to ensure a clean, fresh base for the application of your other products. We recommend using a hydrating cleanser that can wash the skin without stripping it of its natural beneficial oils.
Step 2: Exfoliate To Remove Dead Skin Cells
Exfoliating helps to remove dead skin cells that can accumulate on the surface of your skin, leading to a dull complexion and clogged pores. Gentle exfoliation, whether through physical scrubs or chemical exfoliants, can help enhance the absorption of serums by creating a smoother surface and sloughing away dead skin cells. This step should generally only be done once or twice a week, depending on your skin type, to maintain a radiant and healthy-looking complexion without irritating or overworking the skin.
Step 3: Pat Your Face Dry
After cleansing and exfoliating, gently pat your face dry with a clean towel. Avoid rubbing, as this can irritate the skin with unnecessary friction. Patting your face dry ensures that your skin remains just ever so slightly damp, which can help serums absorb more effectively. This simple step better prepares your skin for the next stages of your skincare routine.
Step 4: Warm the Serum in Your Hands
Warming thicker serums in your hands before application can enhance their absorption and effectiveness. Dispense a few drops of the serum onto your palms and gently rub your hands together to warm the product. This simple step helps the serum penetrate the skin more efficiently, maximizing its benefits.
Step 5: Apply the Serum Evenly
After warming the serum in your hands, gently press it into your skin, working it in with your fingertips. Start from the center of your face and work outward, ensuring that the serum covers all areas. Avoid rubbing too hard or pulling the skin.
Pay extra attention to problem areas that require targeted treatment. Whether it's fine lines around the eyes, dark spots, or areas prone to acne, gently press a bit more serum into the areas your serum is meant to target. Focusing on problem areas ensures that the active ingredients in the serum can work more intensively where they are needed most.
Step 6: Allow the Serum To Absorb
After applying the serum, give it a few minutes to fully absorb into your skin before moving on to the next step in your skincare routine. Allowing the serum to absorb ensures that the active ingredients properly penetrate into the skin and don’t simply get mixed in with your next product.
Step 7: Follow Up with a Moisturizer
Following up with a moisturizer is essential to lock in the benefits of the serum and provide additional hydration. Moisturizers create a protective barrier on the skin, preventing moisture loss and ensuring that the active ingredients in your skincare products remain effective. Look for a hydrating moisturizer with hyaluronic acid to help plump, hydrate, and promote dewy radiance!
How To Use Serums with Red Light Therapy
Most serums should be applied after your Red Light Therapy sessions since Red Light devices work best when the face is clean and dry after cleansing. That said, we’ve developed two serums specifically formulated to work synergistically with Red Light Therapy.
Our Solawave Skin Therapy Activating Serum works to provide a smooth, gliding surface for our Red Light Therapy wand while also delivering nourishing ingredients including hyaluronic acid and nona peptide-I. Start with a clean, dry face, then as standard with our 4-in-1 Skincare Wand, section your face into four separate areas that you’ll treat one at a time. Apply the serum to each section as you move through the 12-minute treatment session (3 minutes per section).
You can also opt for our Renew Complex Activating Serum, which contains a slightly different set of ingredients (hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, and blue tansy) that work to nourish skin while supporting the benefits of Red Light Therapy. Use the same way as the serum above to reap the benefits of Red Light Therapy along with the other three skincare treatments within the wand (Therapeutic Warmth, Galvanic Current, and Facial Massage!).
Best Practices for Face Serum Use
Know Your Skin Type
Understanding your skin type is essential for selecting the right facial serum and other skincare products. Skin types generally fall into categories such as dry, oily, combination, and sensitive. Knowing your skin type allows you to choose a serum with ingredients that address your specific concerns, ensuring optimal results and minimizing the risk of irritation or adverse reactions.
- For dry skin, hydrating serums with hyaluronic acid and other humectants can help to moisturize skin.
- Oily skin can benefit from lightweight, non-comedogenic serums.
- Combination skin can benefit from a variety of serums as long as the serums are applied in the right place (hydrating serums in dry spots, no heavy serums in oily spots).
- Sensitive skin responds well to clean, minimalistic formulas with just one or two main ingredients.
That said, there are also skincare products that are formulated to work well for all skin types, typically using gentle but effective ingredients to nourish, hydrate, and support the skin microbiome.
Choose the Right Serum for Your Skin Concern
As different serums can help with different skin types, there are also different serums that are formulated to target specific skin concerns. To get the results you’re looking for, you’ll want to make sure you choose the appropriate facial serum for what you want to accomplish. For example, ingredients like vitamin C can help brighten the skin, while retinol and peptides are particularly known for their anti-aging benefits. Oftentimes, ingredients are combined with one other to create a broader-ranged serum that targets multiple skin concerns instead of just one.
Our peptide serum does just this with a combination of avocado-derived peptides to help strengthen, three weights of hyaluronic acid to help hydrate, and our 5% Solabiome blend of synbiotics to support the skin barrier. The right serum can make a significant difference in your skincare routine, so keep a close eye on the ingredients being used and what concerns they’re meant to target!
Common Mistakes To Avoid
Serums aren’t difficult to use, but there are a few common mistakes to avoid if you’re just learning to incorporate them into your routine:
- Overusing serum, which can lead to skin irritation
- Skipping moisturizer, as a moisturizer is essential for locking in the serum's benefits
- Choosing a serum not suited to your skin type (such as picking a dense serum if you have oily skin)
- Using too much serum (like we mentioned earlier, just a few drops is sufficient for most formulas)
How Much Face Serum Should I Use?
When it comes to applying serum, less is often more. Typically, a few drops are sufficient to cover the entire face. You can also check the packaging for use directions specific to your product. Thankfully, the “worst” that can happen from using too much serum is typically just product wastage and mild skin irritation.
To help ensure you’re using the right amount, dispense the serum just a few drops at a time onto clean hands, and gently press it into your skin using your fingertips, ensuring even distribution without overloading any particular area. If you’re trying to target a problem area, you can feel free to add a drop or two more on that part of your face, but it shouldn’t be oversaturated, which you can identify if the serum is dripping or won’t fully absorb.
How Often Should You Apply Face Serum?
Face serums can generally be part of both your morning and nighttime skincare routine, depending on the ingredients and primary benefits of the product. Typically, day serums help protect and nourish your skin through the day, while night time serums tend to work in harmony with your skin's natural repair processes. Don’t forget that you can check your serum’s individual packaging for specific use recommendations.
How Do You Know If You’re Overusing Face Serum?
Overusing face serum can lead to several telltale signs, indicating that your skin is receiving more product than it needs:
- Increased skin irritation or redness
- Dryness, especially when using serums that are meant to absorb oils or balance oily skin
- Breakouts and blemishes, as the skin becomes overwhelmed by the excess active ingredients.
- Greasy or sticky residue on the skin, suggesting that the serum is not fully absorbing
To avoid overuse, adhere to the recommended amount, typically just a few drops, and monitor your skin's response. Adjust the frequency and quantity as needed, and don’t hesitate to consult with a skincare professional such as a dermatologist or licensed esthetician.
Should You Apply Oil Before or After Serum?
When incorporating facial oils into your skincare routine, it is essential to apply them after your facial serum. Serums are formulated to deliver concentrated active ingredients deep into the skin, and applying them first ensures maximum absorption. Oils, on the other hand, often create a barrier that locks in moisture and the benefits of the other products. By applying oil after serum, you ensure that the active ingredients in the serum penetrate effectively while the oil seals in hydration and provides an additional layer of nourishment. This layering technique optimizes the efficacy of both products, contributing to a healthier-looking, glowing complexion.
Should You Apply a Serum Before or After a Concentrate?
In a skincare routine, serums should generally be applied before concentrates. Serums are designed to deliver high concentrations of active ingredients deep into the skin, and applying them before concentrates, moisturizers, and oils ensures optimal absorption. Concentrates, which are often thicker and more potent, should be layered on top of serums but before moisturizers and oils. This order allows the serum to deliver a broader effect while the concentrate works to address specific skin concerns more intensively, with neither product blocking the other.
Conclusion
Knowing how to apply serum on the face is key for your skincare routine, and can make a big difference in achieving your skincare goals. Make sure you’re cleansing, exfoliating, and selecting the right serum for your skin type to maximize the benefits of your favorite serum. Don’t forget proper application steps and techniques, such as warming the serum in your hands and allowing it to fully absorb, to ensure that your skin reaps the full rewards. Follow up with a moisturizer to lock in the serum's benefits, and you’re set.
For more skincare guides like this one, explore our blog here!
Sources:
- How to safely exfoliate at home
- Why is topical vitamin C important for skin health?
- Skin serum: What it can and can’t do - Harvard Health
