Are Serums Good for Your Face? Experts Weigh In

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Serums are good, no doubt. However, not everyone gets the rave about serums and their importance in our daily routine.

Nonetheless, there are people like you who want to know more and get as much feedback as you can before embarking on using one.

Serums are one of the core skincare products often recommended by skin specialists. They offer a lot of advantages and help you to achieve flawless skin with their many constituents.

Serums are good for the face, and if on application, it burns, it could be caused by one of many reasons.

Additionally, serums may burn the first few times of application. This doesn’t mean they are bad for your face.

Your face is only reacting to the new product and would be eased into it with time. They could also burn if you are allergic to one of the ingredients or if you have inflamed or sensitive skin.

All of these can be soothed and still don’t prove that your face serum is not suitable for your face. They are normal skin reactions to new introductions.

Need more reasons to be convinced that serums will actually do you a lot of good? Here are expert opinions on serums to guide your choice of choosing the right serum products.

What Experts Have to Say

1. Karee Hays

When consulted by TODAY style, Esthetician Karee Hays, a celebrity esthetician, explained that serums are often more potent than even face cream.

“Their molecules penetrate deep into the skin and provide the skin with thorough hydration. And although they are not moisturizers, they enhance the effect of moisturizers by providing further hydration”, she says.

2. Dr. Tsippora Shainhouse

A dermatologist at SkinSafe Dermatology and Skin Care, Dr. Tsippora Shainhouse, also further emphasized the importance of face serums and how they are quite helpful. She explained that serums are known to help bind water in the skin and make us look younger. 

“Although we all produce lots of hyaluronic acids when we are younger, we lose them along with the collagen as we grow. Therefore necessitating the introduction of both through the regular use of serum.” 

Shainhouse recommends that serums with glycolic acid are great and perfect to help the skin further. This acid in serums helps to penetrate the skin, break intercellular bonds and help to shed dulling, dead cells that may further complicate the skin’s texture.

On the perfect way to use face serum without repercussion, Shainhouse recommends serums be used once or twice daily as a base layer for all other product types. She mentioned that you should put the goal of application and skin type into consideration.

3. Ni’Kita Wilson

Even better, some cosmetic chemists like Ni’Kita Wilson chose to use serums on their faces instead of face cream. Ni’Kita Wilson, who also doubles as the vice president of research and innovation at Englewood Lab, said that she has oily skin; therefore, serums work best for her because they have all the ingredients that her skin needs.

Emphasizing the importance of serums, she said that they are the true workhorses of any product line; that because the water content is limited, the ingredients in the serum are of higher concentration and are not diluted in any form. 

She further went on to list the many advantages that come with using a face serum. A high concentration of ingredients means that the serums are potent, and their formulation makes them a good anti-aging agent.

Most importantly, she mentioned how only a few drops of serums are needed for it to be effective.

4. Dr. Abigail Waldman

An instructor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Abigail Waldman, said she would recommend serums to anyone who is concerned about aging. This is because serums are a good way to get an extra anti-aging effect and protect one’s face.

As many other dermatologists agree, she mentioned that serums are more effective than moisturizers and sunscreen. 

However, she noted that how effective each serum is depended solely on the active ingredients. So when next you’re buying a serum, concentrate more on the formulation rather than the price.

5. Jessica Wu

While we might be providing you with a guide on the many advantages of serums, they are not for everyone. This, Jessica Wu, a medical doctor, and dermatologist mentioned. She first explained that serums are great for people with oily skin and others who do not like the heavy feel of skincare products on their faces.

Then she mentioned that serums might cause irritation for people with chronic skin conditions that have weakened their skin barrier. Therefore, making it harmful for them. 

Other than this, she explained that serums have a lot of benefits that cannot be found or reproduced in other formulations. 

So far, a larger percentage of skin specialists, cosmeticians, and dermatologists have nothing against the use of serums. To them, they have lots of benefits that you cannot find in other products.

Benefits of Face Serums

1. Improves Skin Texture

Serums improve your skin’s texture; get rid of lines and even wrinkles. This effect is enacted by the presence of Vitamin C and collagen in the serum.

Improving your skin’s texture, in turn, gives your face a more firm look that will have you looking younger and make your skin sparkle. So yes! The serum is the perfect solution to that sallow skin appearing on your face.

Applying face serum is one sure way to reduce the chances of having wrinkles of any type and a good way to maintain a face with good texture.

2. Gets Rid of Redness

Don’t have a moisturizer near you? Not a problem. Serums have moisturizing properties, hence soothing the skin and keeping it looking fresh. Although they do not entirely replace your moisturizers or do the work of a moisturizer completely, they are not entirely useless.

You don’t have to worry about your face going dry and turning red with a serum around. They are the perfect trick to keep looking fresh all day.

3. Hydrates the Face

Another benefit of serums is that they keep the face hydrated. On their own, they cannot seal in moisture to the face. But together with some other products like moisturizers, they work perfectly to hydrate all skin types.

Of course, the vitamin ingredients in the serum are responsible for the moisturized, fresh look the face gets after application. If you have dry skin, though, your serum should consist of Hyaluronic acid alongside the vitamins for adequate hydrating function.

4. Lesser Blackheads

When you apply serums regularly, you can be assured that you would not be battling blackheads or whiteheads. Serums reduce pore sizes and, in turn, give your face a cleaner look and feel.

You do not get spots, scars, or lumps with serum application.

5. Protects the Skin

Other facial products such as your sunscreen are majorly for protection; however, this doesn’t limit the serum’s protective ability. Serums protect the face from ultraviolet light that may damage the skin and lead to wrinkling.

Other antioxidants are also kept away from your face by the antioxidants ingredients in the serum.

Environmental pollution and stressors that may cause your skin to age very fast do not get the chance to reach your face when you have serum on. What more could you ask for?

6. Brightens Dark Spots

Finally, serums are known to help brighten dark spots on the skin. If you have scars from previous pimples or blackheads, you can get rid of them by applying a face serum.

Serums have vitamin and retinol content that will help you to retain your complexion in no time.

Does face serum have side effects?

Face serum may have side effects based on your skin type. Generally, though, the chances of a side effect are low. So while some may not experience any form of side effects, others may feel a burning sensation on applying the serum.

You never know if you will experience irritation or burning until you try it out. Therefore it is safer to do a patch test before you apply a new serum fully.

Can face serum be used daily?

You can use face serums daily, and they should be used daily. As long as you have a goal to achieve by using it, you should apply it frequently to achieve the goal.

The daily application increases the chances of your serum working effectively to meet your goal.

Does serum make your face peel?

No, serums will not make your face red, nor will they make your face peel unless you have really sensitive skin. Instead, serums help to get rid of redness.

People with sensitive skin have to be wary of the type of serum they pick or apply. Check the ingredients and let previous experiences with particular skincare ingredients guide you.

Does serum make your face glow and shine?

Yes, they do. Serums contain vitamins and acid content that will help your skin texture, causing it to glow. They hydrate your skin too and help you to achieve a look unlike any.

FAQs

Can face serum cause breakouts?

Yes, it can. Serums cause breakouts when you use the wrong one for your face. That is why you should talk to a specialist before picking or using one.

Does face serum expire?

Yes, it does. Like many other facial products, serums expire when they are overexposed to the wrong conditions. Check the expiry date when buying too.

Does face serum work?

Yes, it does. Face serum works because of the many ingredients that they contain. They supplement the body’s natural product. You really should try out a face serum soon.

Conclusion

Serums offer many advantages to the face, and rarely would you find anyone complaining about them.

Research, ask friends, and talk to experts about serum options before you use one. It is even more advantageous that you know your skin type to determine the type of serum you need.

Applying previous knowledge on your skin you have gathered from using different products, cannot be too extreme as well.

Use a test patch when using new products so that you do not subject your face to irritation and burns.

Thanks for reading.

Find more relatable answers to simple skincare questions on Serum101.