Skin Care Products

Posted on September 10, 2014

A comprehensive skin care routine is one of the key factors to maintaining a healthy, glowing complexion. The basic components to having a youthful glow: 1) A cleanser that is effective enough to remove makeup and debris while gentle enough so that it does not rob your skin of naturally occurring oils, 2) a toner that refreshes and minimizes pores, and 3) a moisturizer that moisturizes your face without clogging your pores.
For many, the importance of incorporating a face serum into your morning and nightly beauty routine is another step toward minimizing the appearance of already existing lines and wrinkles while fending off any new ones.

To understand how a serum may benefit you, it is important to know how other products work on your skin. Of course, we know that cleansers work to remove makeup and debris both at a topical and superficial level. A toner further refreshes the skin by removing excess oils that may clog your pores. A toner refines pores, making them smaller and less noticeable, resulting in a smoother, softer complexion. A moisturizer works to smooth and soften the surface of the skin and to replace moisture that may have been lost during the cleansing process.

Serums Vs Moisturizers

Many confuse serums with moisturizers, but they do not actually work the same way. Moisturizers are typically creamy in consistency and contain oils. They also do not contain mineral oil or petrolatum. Mineral oil and petrolatum claim to work by keeping moisture locked in the skin, but some argue that these ingredients are only inexpensive fillers that just sit on the surface of the skin, providing no real benefit.

Serums are water-based products that contain concentrated levels of anti-aging ingredients such as peptides, antioxidants, and acids that work to brighten the complexion. Serums have molecules that are smaller than a moisturizer. A moisturizer contains ingredients that have larger molecules that only work on the surface of the skin. However, the smaller molecules of the serum allow it to penetrate through all three layers of the skin in order to give you a highly concentrated level of defense against many of the things that concern us about our skin. Lines and wrinkles are more effectively addressed, and in many cases, never have the chance to form because of the way that the serum is able to penetrate deeply into the skin layers.

For people with skin conditions such as eczema, rosacea, and excess oiliness, a serum is preferable to a moisturizer. As stated, moisturizers contain high concentrations of oils. Since moisturizers cannot penetrate the top layer of the skin, these oils collect at the surface, potentially causing an exacerbation of those conditions. Coupled with the fact that the serums do not contain oils, and they penetrate the skin layers, your chance of having a flare-up of your skin condition is greatly reduced.

If your skin care routine needs a bit of a boost, consider looking into how a facial serum can benefit you. Chances are that you will be pleasantly and quickly pleased with your results.