A facial serum guide is needed to shed light on all those questions everybody has, but nobody poses.

What is a serum? Which one should I buy? Will it burn a hole in my pocket? What happens if I don’t use one?

If your skincare routine is stressing you out, it sort of defeats the whole purpose. So, simmer down and read on for a mini crash course on facial serums.

Btw, you'll be in a better position to buy the right serum if you know your skin well. To find out just the right clean and active ingredients that your skin needs, take our free skin assessment. It takes just 3 minutes and is a game-changer! ;)

The Real Deal: What is a Facial Serum?

Pronounced as seer-uhm, and not sare-uhm, it is a skincare product that’s now recommended by most derms.

Serums are experts at permeating each and every layer of your skin. A concentrated mix of active and powerful ingredients, this lightweight moisturiser is doing what its experienced counterparts (moisturisers, oils, etc) can’t.

Mostly, face serums are gel-based, clear, and in liquid form. Since they’re light and made up of smaller molecules, they penetrate the skin and work at the deepest levels.

So, while we generally recommend our readers to follow a minimalistic skincare routine, we’d urge everybody to have serums blow their minds for once. Trust us, it’s going to be your new-found-obsession.

How Can My Skin Benefit from Serums?

By now, you know that face serums are anything but an ordinary skincare product. So, what makes them so special? A facial serum guide ought to talk about that!

• With regular usage of serum, nobody’s going to be able to guess your age right. What fun!
• Never deal with a dull, grumpy-looking skin again. Address issues of spots, scars, pimples, blackheads, dark circles, fine lines, wrinkles.
• Get rid of dry skin, flakiness, and inflammation. Instead, say hello to a fresh-looking succulent skin

Next, let’s move on to its usage, pricing, and other nitty-gritties.

But…How Are They Different from Moisturisers?

This is one of the most commonly asked questions. A lot of people assume that their moisturisers could replicate the role of a serum. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.

While both of these products might have similar ingredients, properties, and functions, there’s one key difference. Most serums are water-based, as against moisturisers that are cream or oil-laden. While moisturisers are designed to create a barrier on top of your skin, serums are made to be absorbed into the skin.

So, serums and moisturisers are anything but substitutes. In fact, they’re complementary. Read on to know more.

How to Select a Face Serum: Key Governing Factors

By the day, serums are taking more and more shelf space in supermarkets. Now, they come in all possible types, sizes, and prices. Furthermore, different serums claim to cater to different sorts of needs. How are you to not get confused amongst all these options? We’ll tell you.

There are essentially 2 factors you need to keep in mind while picking a serum:

• Your Skin Type – Do you have skin that’s perpetually oily? Or is your skin dry, flaky and devoid of natural oils? Alternatively, you might be dealing with combination skin (a mix of both oily and dry).

• The Motive – You need to ask yourself this: “what problem am I really trying to address?” Do I want to get rid of acne or do I need moisturising? You could also simply be on the quest to avoid skin problems in the future.
  Find yourself a serum that does exactly what you need.

To cut the long story short, there’s something for everybody when it comes to face serums. 

What Serum is Right for My Skin?

Before you buy any skincare product, it’s absolutely mandatory for you to know your skin type. As part of this facial serum guide, we’ll lay out some tips for you:

• Dry, Flaky Skin – Look for a serum rich in hydrating ingredients like Vitamin E (an antioxidant), hyaluronic acid (a moisture-binding agent), and panthenol (delivers moisture to the skin and prevents water loss).
• Oily, Acne-Prone Skin – Think Vitamin C (reduces acne-induced inflammation), zinc (monitors and regulates oil production), and salicylic acid (unclogs blocked pores).

If you’re still confused, you can transfer the burden on to us. We at Yours will provide you with the ideal solution – a personalised serum that’s just right for you.

How Often Should I Use a Face Serum?

Unfortunately, there’s no straightforward answer when it comes to the ideal frequency of using face serums. The best way would be to read product labels for instructions on the application. Every serum differs in terms of its ingredients and concentration, and thus its usage.

Generally, however, applying a face serum about once or twice a day should do you good.

Okay, But How Do I Apply Serum?

It’s quite simple! Let’s understand this in steps:

• Step 1: Cleanse your face (with a face cleanser, and not just with water).
• Step 2: Apply a dab of facial serum.
• Step 3: Treat yourself to a nourishing moisturiser, and you’re done!

Using serums right is anything but gruelling. Following these steps is the guide to being absolutely spellbound. Are you ready?!

But Wait, How Expensive are Serums?

There, there. The most important question: how much do I need to shell out for a good facial serum? We won’t lie. Serums are not the cheapest skincare products you could buy. However, understand why. The high concentration of ingredients and its magical affectability makes it worth every penny.

Try it, and you’ll know for yourself.

Does Everybody Need to Use Facial Serums? 

Honestly, no. There’s barely any compulsions or mandate when it comes to skincare. Why do you treat your skin to moisturisers? It’s because you want your skin to be healthy. It’s really the same with facial serums.

Just because you don’t need it, doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from it.

So, that’s all the information our facial serum guide has to spill out. We hope we have managed to shed some light on this product that's relatively new.

If you still feel muddled about it, you can take our free skin assessment. By accounting for your skin type, lifestyle, and environmental factors, it will formulate just the right facial serum for you!