What Does Face Serum Do?: Types, Benefits and Use

Meet the expert

Dr André Mahns, Head of Global Development Face Care at Beiersdorf AG. With a doctorate in biology and over 15 years of experience in skin research at Beiersdorf, Dr Mahns has an in-depth understanding of the science behind skincare and cosmetic ingredients.

What does a
facial serum do to the skin?

Face serums enhance the effectiveness of your skincare routine by addressing specific concerns with precision and can often give you visible results faster than other products.

When you incorporate a face serum into your daily regimen, it can help you achieve healthy-looking, more radiant skin.

What is a Face Serum and What is it Used For?

A face serum is a concentrated, lightweight topical product designed to penetrate skin quickly with potent active ingredients. Compared with simple moisturisers or creams, serums deliver targeted care after cleansing to help deal with discolouration, dullness, fine lines or blemishes. They sink deeper into the surface layers of your skin to provide faster and more noticeable results.

By contrast, simple moisturisers and creams primarily focus on hydrating the top of your skin and creating a protective barrier to lock in moisture, which is essential for maintaining overall skin hydration and protection.

6 Benefits of
Face Serums

1
Quick absorption:
Facial serums are formulated to promote deep penetration of ingredients into the epidermis (the top layer of your skin). Their thin consistency lets them absorb faster, delivering active ingredients where they’re needed more quickly.

2
Targeted skincare concerns:
Face serums are often designed to address specific skincare concerns such as ageing, hydration or blemishes. They contain high concentrations of active ingredients like vitamins, antioxidants, peptides or Hyaluronic Acid to tackle these concerns more effectively.

3
Lightweight texture:
Unlike heavy creams, face serums have a lightweight texture that feels comfortable on your skin. They don’t leave a greasy or sticky residue, which makes them suitable for most skin types, including oily and blemish-prone skin.

4
Enhanced efficacy:
Thanks to their special formulation and generally higher concentration of active ingredients, facial serums often deliver more visible and faster results than other skincare products. With regular use, they can help improve the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots and uneven skin tone.

5
Layering adaptability:
Face serums can be easily layered with other skincare products such as moisturisers and sunscreens. They can be an effective first step in your skincare routine without interfering too much with the absorption and effectiveness of the products you apply afterwards.

6
Protection against environmental damage:
Many face serums contain antioxidants like Vitamin C and Vitamin E, which help protect your skin from environmental aggressors such as pollution and free radicals generated by UV rays. Combined with the use of sun creams and other methods of protection, this can help prevent signs of premature ageing and maintain your skin’s health.

Overall, when you add a face serum into your daily skincare routine, it can help improve the healthy appearance of your skin by targeting specific issues and, depending on the formula, helping to provide moisture protection as well.

What Facial Serum to Choose for
Your Skin Type?

Because of their light formula and rapid penetration, serums are generally suitable for all skin types, whether dry, oily or combination. That said, some serums may be more specific to certain skin types:

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1. Dehydrated Skin

Face serums with Hyaluronic Acid or Glycerin help hydrate and plump dehydrated skin (skin lacking water). Paired with appropriate moisturisers, these serums can also be used on dry skin (skin lacking water and natural oils). Hyaluronic Acid and Glycerin draw moisture to your skin’s surface, hydrating the upper layers of the skin for longer and helping to improve its texture.

2. Oily or Blemish-prone Skin

Lightweight facial serums with ingredients like Niacinamide can help regulate oil production and reduce blemishes.

3. Combination Skin

Because serums are generally suitable for all skin types, they’re ideal for combination skin as they can care for both dry and oily areas. Formulas containing ingredients such as Green Tea Extract can help regulate sebum production, while formulas containing Glycerin can provide a moisture boost to drier areas.

4. Normal Skin

Face serums can help maintain your skin’s healthy look and provide preventative benefits against environmental damage and signs of ageing. Face serums with ingredients like Vitamin C or Hyaluronic Acid can help enhance your skin’s natural glow and keep it well-hydrated. Regular use can also help fortify your skin’s barrier, making it more resilient against pollutants and everyday stressors.

5. Face Serums for Men

Face serums can also be used by men as part of their skincare routine. Suitable for most skin types, such as dry, ageing or oily, these serums can effectively target the specific needs of men’s skin.

How to layer serums
key rules

While your routine will always be individual, there are some universal best practices when it comes to layering serums.

Rule 1: Choose the right product

Depending on your skin type, age, skin sensitivity, allergies and lots of other factors, you might choose different products to start with. Pay close attention to the active ingredients and product descriptions so you can first and foremost work out whether the product matches your skin’s needs. Without the right product, layering won’t be as effective.

Also, some ingredients shouldn’t be used together, otherwise they may cause irritation or simply cancel each other out. We’ve got a dedicated section on that later in the article.

Rule 2: Order of application – a word from our expert:

"In general, it is said that you should move in order from more fluid, lighter products to more nourishing products. This ensures optimal absorption by the skin. Otherwise, heavier serums with more nourishing properties could make it more difficult for lighter products to be absorbed." – Dr Mahns

Put simply: go from thin to thick. Start by comparing the textures of your products on your hand. The most watery serums can go first, followed by the creamier ones. If your serum contains SPF, leave it for last.

Close-up of a woman applying clear facial serum beneath her eye with a glass dropper

Rule 3: Take your time with each layer

Pause for a moment and remember skincare is meant to be fun and a great way to relax. Taking things a little slower also helps each layer properly absorb into your skin – so don’t rush it. It shouldn’t take long anyway, as serum textures are usually very light and fast absorbing.

Start with just a few drops of serum – if your product has a pipette, squeeze them directly onto the skin of your hand or face, trying not to touch the applicator to your skin. This is the most hygienic way to use pipettes, as if they come into contact with skin, there’s a chance of transferring some oils or bacteria back into the product. Gently massage or pat the serum into your skin and give it a minute to fully absorb before applying the next one.

Layering serums with
different active ingredients

We’ve already mentioned that while some ingredients complement each other, some shouldn’t be mixed. On top of that, some can be sensitive to light or even increase your skin’s sensitivity to the sun, which means they’re best used at night or require you to wear high SPF protection after use. It’s always best to research a particular ingredient so you can follow the best practice for safe use. In this article, we’ll focus on the most popular cosmetic ingredients and their key characteristics.

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Moisturising Ingredients

Hyaluronic acid is brilliant at hydrating your skin and improving water retention so it doesn’t dry out as fast. This ingredient is very safe, as it naturally exists in skin. It pairs particularly well with Niacinamide and Glycerin – other hydrating and regenerating ingredients that help strengthen their moisturising action. Niacinamide can also be a good mix with bakuchiol and retinoids, promoting antioxidation.

Golden translucent liquid flowing around a clear capsule against a pale beige background

Antioxidants and Anti-ageing Ingredients

Vitamin E, Coenzyme Q10 and Vitamin C are the first that come to mind, and it’s no coincidence they work so well together. Vitamin E is often used to stabilise Vitamin C in skincare formulas, enhancing antioxidant properties and promoting younger-looking skin with a healthy glow.

One additional note – Vitamin C is sensitive to light and breaks down easily when exposed to sun. This is why it’s recommended you apply any Vitamin C formulas as part of your night routine.

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Ingredients for skin imperfections and acne

Retinol has a strongly proven action reducing acne and pigmentation, but it can irritate skin in very high concentrations – or even low concentrations when skin is sensitive. This is why it shouldn’t be mixed with other irritants or exfoliants in concentrated form – for example AHA/BHA acids or Salicylic Acid. It also increases your skin’s photosensitivity, so during any retinol-based treatments, you need to provide your skin with high SPF50 UV protection.

Frequently asked questions
answered by our expert Dr André Mahns

There’s no single answer to this question, as it depends on lots of different factors: What are your current individual skin needs? Do you want support with more intensive moisture, anti-ageing, extra radiance? It also depends on the textures of the serums and how much you apply – go easy when you apply your serums, you don’t need an extra thick layer as these fine serums usually contain a high proportion of active ingredients.