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Serum, cream and facial oil help the skin in different ways. For some, particularly those who do not have dry skin, a serum alone may be enough. At other times, when your skin is dry or the environment is drying, you will find that you need a serum, cream and/or facial oil.
What Is A Serum?
Serums are typically lighter and thinner in texture than cream and designed to be absorbed more easily and quickly through the skin. Think of your serum like a vitamin for your skin. Serums have smaller molecules and are an ideal transport medium to get a high concentration of active ingredients to penetrate deeply into the skin for maximum benefit. Serums leave out the more occlusive, moisture-locking ingredients, such as petroleum derivatives and/or oils, that you find in creams - these are the ingredients that give the product its “creamy” qualities. They also contain fewer lubricating and thickening agents, like nut or seed oils. In fact, most serums are water-based, eliminating oils completely.
Serums contain a high concentration of active ingredients — like antioxidants, peptides, and skin brighteners — that you can find in nonprescription products.
Because active ingredients are more expensive than thickeners, serums can also be more costly. But when applied properly, a 1-ounce container of serum should last you months, and many serums have applicators to dispense just the tiny amount you need. Always apply a serum first after cleansing or toning and before your moisturizer and sunscreen. Don’t put your serum on after you moisturize. Creams & oils are designed to form a barrier on your skin. But they can also lock active ingredients out.
You can use your serum both morning and night. Using a serum does not necessarily replace your moisturizer but can boost the hydrating effects of your moisturizer, especially if it is formulated with hyaluronic acid such as the alpenglow Resveratrol + Hyaluronic Youth Serum. Make sure to wait for serum to dry before applying a moisturizer.
What Is A Cream?
Unlike cream, facial oils do not provide hydration, they lock moisture into the skin, helping the skin to hold onto precious hydration for longer. So where do you get this hydration? That’s where creams come in. The key difference with facial oil is that actives in the botanicals are present at a much higher concentration as they’re not diluted. This means they have a more tangible effect on the skin.
A fatty, omega-rich oil like alpenGLOW Ritual Face + Body Oil deeply conditions, nourishes and improves skin tone and elasticity. Natural ingredients are the key to a good facial oil and will leave you visibly (and deeply) glowing. For those who prefer cream or find layering a cream and oil too occlusive, the alpenGLOW Ritual Face + Body Oil works amazingly well as a standalone "slip" oil for ritual GUA SHA technique and pairs well with the Amazonite Fish-Shape Gua Sha Lifting Tool to relieve tension and improve skin tone.
If layering favial oil and cream, always apply facial oil after cream This is because oils are able to penetrate moisturizers, but not the other way around. So even if you apply a cream first, the actives and nutrients in your facial oil will still be able to get to work on your skin.
When trying to decide which ONE of these is the best choice ask yourself:
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