Skincare - Step 4 Serum

So far I have written three posts in this series, the first about cleansing, the second about toning and the third about exfoliating.

In this post I will talk about using serums and targeted treatments.

The cleansing, toning and exfoliating steps prepare the skin perfectly for the serum step. Serums are skincare products with high concentrations of certain active ingredients. Serums are formulated to penetrate deeply into the skin to deliver key ingredients.

They are often more expensive than other products in the routine as the ingredients are concentrated.

Unfortunately, like nutrition, there is not a single skincare ingredient that will give your skin everything that it needs. Like nutrition, it's a good idea for your skin to have a variety of quality ingredients.

A well-formulated serum with antioxidants improves the skin in many ways, from reducing redness to stimulating healthy collagen production for firmer skin and fewer wrinkles.

I apply a serum morning and night. I have a serum that I prefer to use in the morning with a booster and a serum I prefer to use at night.

Here are some of the ingredients I love to feed to my skin.

Hyaluronic acid

This acid is found in abundance in young skin but disappears with age. It functions as a superior skin-identical ingredient. It has cell-communicating abilities and can boost skin's moisture content, reducing inflammation and helping prevent moisture loss. Moisture loss leads to dehydrated skin which looks grey and lacks lustre. Hyaluronic acid locks in moisture and makes the skin look more radiant.

Retinol

Retinol is another name for Vitamin A. It is a cell-communicating ingredient. Retinol improves skin-cell health and that means an improvement in the condition of sun-damaged and breakout-prone skin. Retinol can also improve pore size. Retinol works differently than the exfoliating acids. It works from the deeper layers up, helping skin cells make healthier, younger cells and enhancing the production and number of new skin cells. Some people may experience flaking when using retinol and it is important to find a concentration that works for you. For me 0.1% is fine. Regular use of retinol products can make you more prone to sunburn, so daily use of a sunscreen is essential.

Niacinamide

Also known as Vitamin B3 and nicotinic acid it is a potent cell-communicating ingredient that offers many benefits for aging skin. It can improve skin's elasticity, enhance its barrier function, help erase discolourations and revive skin's healthy tone and texture.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is another anti-aging hero. This ingredient is great for photo-damage or sun spots. I have a mole on my neck that Vitamin C has faded beautifully. Being an antioxidant it is vulnerable to deterioration in the presence of air and light. It should be purchased in an opaque or light-protected packaging that reduces or eliminates air exposure. Vitamin C protects skin cells and their support structure, improves the appearance of sun-damaged skin, strengthens the skin's barrier response, reduces inflammation, promotes collagen production, lessens hyper-pigmentation and boosts sunscreen actives. It really is a powerhouse skincare ingredient.

What I use and when

Each morning I use Paula's Choice Resist Ultra-Light Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum ($52 for 30ml) which contains Hyaluronic Acid and either add 3-4 drops of Paula's Choice Resist C15 Super Booster (Vitamin C) ($62 for 20ml) or 3-4 drops of Paula's Choice Resist 10% Niacinamide Booster ($67 for 20ml).

Each evening I use Paula's Choice Resist Intensive Wrinkle-Repair Retinol Serum ($59 for 30ml). It contains 0.1% retinol, a moderate dose, and currently stands as my single favourite skin care product but a mile. The texture of this product is sublime. It does have a slight odour that reminds me of dagwood dog batter (I hope that doesn't put you off).

I'm not a big fan of eye creams. If you are using well formulated products, just include your eye area. Don't forget to take the products down the neck and onto the chest.

Until next time xx