Can I leave face serum on overnight? Do you apply moisturiser first or serum? Should I apply Vitamin C serum in the morning or at night? Many people have questions about face serums, and we are here to help.
What does serum do & who should use a facial serum?
Serums are water-based skin care products that are significantly lighter than moisturisers. If you have dry, mature or irritated skin that needs a little extra help holding onto moisture, serums are your hydration hero.
Why? Well, Serums typically contain high levels of humectants such as water-binding Hyaluronic Acid. Highly effective at helping your skin retain hydration, their light texture absorbs fast and sinks deep, perfect for keeping skin soft and plumping out those pesky fine lines!
While Hyaluronic Acid serums are ideal for anti-ageing skin care routines, younger skin types can benefit from serums, too.
How so? Well, the penetrative power of serums isn’t just good for hydration. Some serums also contain anti-blemish actives, such as the Willow Bark used in our Oy! Clear Skin Purifying Serum, which is perfect for teens.
Others, like our Firming Face & Neck Serum, harness the power of prebiotics and postbiotics to encourage soft, bouncy, balanced skin in your 20s and 30s.
The versatility of serums is one reason why it's such a popular skin care product. Another reason skin serums are so hyped is that they are ideal for layering – but more about that in the next section.
Do you apply face serum or moisturiser first?
Are you unsure whether you apply serum first or moisturiser? Do you even need both serum and moisturiser?
While you can apply the serum on its own or skip the serum altogether and just use moisturiser, we think you get the best results when you use both serum and moisturiser as part of a layered skin care routine.
However, you should always apply your serum before your moisturiser. By applying serum first, it allows the goodness of your moisturiser to penetrate more deeply into your skin.
If you use a facial oil rather than a moisturiser, you should always apply serum before your facial oil. This way the facial oil locks in the hydration of your serum. This is a great combination for dry and mature skin!
How to use a hydrating facial serum
For intense skin hydration, choose a face serum containing Hyaluronic Acid. This moisture-binding active is found naturally on the skin and keeps it soft and supple, but its levels decline as we age, leaving skin prone to dryness.
Nordic Roots Hyaluronic Booster Serum 28ml
This scent-free Hyaluronic Acid serum is pure hydration in a bottle
£32.00
Here’s how to use a hydrating facial serum in your beauty routine.
STEP 1: SERUM
Serum sinks deepest, so it should always be applied first by tapping the product into your skin. Allow 30 seconds for to fully absorb before applying your next layer.
STEP 2: MOISTURISER
Designed to keep skin soft and supple, moisturisers typically contain humectants and emollients. These are ingredients like Squalane, which is responsible for keeping your skin smooth. Moisturisers as serum, don’t sink quite as deep, which is why they are applied after your serum.
STEP 3: FACIAL OIL
A little bit of facial oil goes a long way and seals the moisturising goodness of your moisturising products into your skin. It's not a moisturiser but conditions your skin using rejuvenating plant oils that give a soft, dewy skin glow.
Here we have curated our favourite routine for normal-dry skin:
Pro tip: Did you know you can combine serum with facial oil and use it as a primer under make-up? It gives a gorgeous glow and forms the best base for mineral make-up!
How to use Vitamin C serum
Vitamin C serums are great for the skin-dulling winter months and give all skin types a beautiful brightness boost. You can use a Vitamin C serum during the day and at night, but be aware that some can be very strong. These Vitamin C serums are best applied at night and may not be suitable for sensitive skin.
But you don’t have to worry about that with our Vitamin C serum for sensitive skin. The perfect partner to our Age Defy+ Daily SPF30 Moisturiser, this blends Hyaluronic Acid with a slow-release form of Vitamin C, called Ascorbyl Glucoside. We love it because it is gentler on sensitive skin and is a natural vitamin C serum that can be applied day or night, every day.
Age Defy+ Collagen Boost Vitamin C Serum 30ml
Discover the difference collagen-boosting Vitamin C makes to your skin
£45.00
The best way to apply our natural and organic Vitamin C serum is not to rub it onto the skin but to tap it onto clean, dry skin just before you apply your SPF moisturiser.
If you prefer a potent Vitamin C serum, such as those made with L-ascorbic Acid, be mindful that these can be photosensitising. For this reason, you avoid using harsh exfoliants, such as Retinol, and protect your skin with a good SPF day cream.
New to Vitamin C skin care? Not sure if it's right for your skin type? Try our silky Vitamin C serum before you buy with our tester-size tube.
Age Defy+ Collagen Boost Vitamin C Serum 10ml
See the difference Vitamin C makes to your skin with our ‘try me’ size tube
£17.00
Find the best face serum for your skin type
Browse our collection of natural and organic serums.
Would you prefer to talk to us? No problem. Our UK customer care team is happy to help with questions about how to use natural facial serums. Please call us on 01403 740350 or drop us a note at @GreenPeopleUK.
Reviewed by:
This blog post has been reviewed by Charlotte Vøhtz, founder of Green People, who has 25+ years of experience in the natural and organic beauty industry. A recognised leader in the field of organic beauty, Charlotte helped inform the UK's first organic beauty standards and was voted the People’s Choice in the 2023 list of Who’s Who in Natural Beauty. A published author, she wrote the organic beauty bible ‘Naturally Gorgeous’. Previously, she qualified as a nurse and spent over 10 years working in pharmaceuticals.
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