Serums: What They Are, What They Do, And Why You Need Them

Serums have risen in popularity over the past three to four years—and now, they’re everywhere. Name any skin concern, and you can bet there’s a serum out there that can help you address it.

But if you don’t know much about serums (which is most of us, unless you’ve seen a dermatologist, skincare expert, or read a ton about skincare), you may not understand the hype. Why are they so important? What even are they? To answer all your questions about serums (and get recommendations for expert-approved products and brands), I looped in licensed esthetician and founder of Cynthia Rivas Skincare, Cynthia Rivas, as well as Heidi Brown, founder and Chief Experience Officer at Brilliance by Brown, Inc. Cynthia is my go-to expert for all things skincare, as she has decades of experience in the field and she’s helped me dramatically improve my own skin. As a woman over 50, Heidi brings a perspective of having been where women in the Pure Joy Wellness community are, and she herself has overcome issues like acne and hyperpigmentation in her adult life. In doing so, she’s surrounded herself with numerous skincare connoisseurs.  

Here’s what they had to say.

What are serums? Why should we use them? 

Cynthia Rivas: “Serums are essentially corrective treatments. They’re usually highly concentrated products and they’re usually also a smaller molecular weight. That means the delivery system is designed to penetrate an ingredient into the skin. There are so many serums out there—some help with brightening, some help with firming, some are just purely antioxidants to help protect the skin and neutralize free radicals. The most important thing to know is that a serum is a concentrated product with low molecular weight with a delivery method intended to penetrate ingredients into the skin.”

Why are serums particularly important for women over 50? 

Heidi Brown: “The cycle of menopause is the reverse of adolescence. In adolescence, you’re building a lot of components in your body, and during menopause you’re cycling those out. So when we talk about skincare in women over 50, it’s about replenishing those components that we’re losing. 

Serums are very powerful because they provide a more active ingredient than your moisturizer does. Serums are a smaller molecule in terms of how they’re compounded and made up, and they have a more active or potent ingredient, like hyaluronic acid or vitamin C, for example. And when you apply a moisturizer on top of a serum, it acts as a seal for whatever you’re applying to your skin, and also keeps moisture in. Locking in moisture is crucial for everyone, especially women who are 50 and over. A lot of the issues we run into as we age are lack of elasticity, sagging, fine lines, wrinkles, dryness, dull looking skin, and acne. At this juncture, you have to think about replenishing what your body is dropping off, but also how you’re hydrating your skin and keeping that moisture in. 

As you age, it’s about keeping your skin nourished. You’re never going to have skin like you did in your twenties, and there is no quick fix. You have to be consistent in your skincare and use it every day, whether you’re indoors or outdoors, and you have to be patient with regards to any kind of results you want. You can never stop aging, however, you can support the process as you age so that you maintain and nurture your skin in a healthy way.” 

When is the best time to use serums? Morning or night? 

CR: “I recommend using serums in the morning and at night, but not usually the same one. You sort of tailor your routine in the morning to address what your skin needs, and then at nighttime it usually switches up. For example, you could use vitamin C during the day, and then hyaluronic acid at night.”

HB: “Serums should be utilized both day and night. I say that because in terms of how we’re living today, skincare is as important as any other wellness approach that you’re taking, whether that’s what you’re eating or putting on topically. Skin health is part of overall health. Active ingredients in serums like vitamin c, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and peptides keep your skin nourished.” 

What kind of serum should I use? Which types are popular? 

CR: “Vitamin C serums are very popular right now. I feel like everyone should be on a Vitamin C serum, but it’s worth noting that Vitamin C serums aren’t usually just vitamin C, there are usually other ingredients in the bottle. Vitamin C and E are usually coupled together. It’s important to use serums with antioxidants in them—that’s beneficial for all skin types. 

I also love hyaluronic acid in serum form, as well as serums that have BHAs and AHAs. The latter can treat anything from congestion to blackheads, tone, texture, pigmentation, and also some AHAs and BHAs stimulate the production of collagen and elastin in the skin. Depending on what skin concerns or issues you have, it’s smart to ask a professional which serum or combination of serums you should use to address them.”

How do you apply and layer serums? 

CR: “The way to layer serums is to layer according to weight. So you want to apply lower weights first, and then higher weights. You can feel a product in your fingers and tell if it’s more watery or a more lotion-y and creamy serum. If you applied a lotion-cream serum on the skin first, it’s very hard for a watery serum to penetrate into the skin if you already have a thicker serum on. You want to layer depending on the weight. The best way to figure that out is to talk to a professional who’s familiar with the brands and knows how to layer them.

Also when it comes to serums, you have to be the most careful about what you mix together. Cleansers, not so much. Moisturizers, not so much either. It’s mostly serums if you’re going to layer them together. Depending on what you want to correct, what your concerns are, and what your goal is. For instance, you can totally layer a hyaluronic acid acid with an antioxidant serum. Those are the easiest two serums you could layer. Also Vitamin C, E, and A are usually fine coupled together. ”

HB: “You typically apply serums after you wash your face and use a toner—if you don’t use a toner, you’d just apply it after cleansing. When you apply serums, they have to be pressed into the skin. Moisturizers we just spread all over, but serums have powerful ingredients, so when you press it in you help it penetrate the epidermis. 

I love using serums for my eye care, because they’re more able to penetrate the epidermis than eye cream. A cream mostly sits on top of your skin and only penetrates to a certain degree. That’s why a lot of dermatologists recommend serums for under your eye as opposed to cream. You can, of course, put a cream over it to seal that active ingredient from the serum in.”

What are some higher and lower end skincare brands and serums that you recommend? 

CR: “On the higher end, I love isClinical, MBR Medical Beauty Research, and Forlle’d products. These are all brands that have a lot of science backing their products. On the lower end, my go-tos are Environ and Skin Better.” 

HB: “You can get powerful, effective price serums at lower prices from The Ordinary and Neutrogena. For higher end products, I love Timeless, Paula’s Choice, Pause Well-Aging, and Marie Veronique. A personal favorite of mine is Pause Well-Aging’s Eye Renewal Treatment.”

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Our Experts

Cynthia Rivas is a New York State licensed aesthetician and the founder of Cynthia Rivas Skin Care, based in New York City. Cynthia Rivas Skin Care was created with the belief that radiant skin is attainable by everyone and we all can “make everyday a great skin day.”

Cynthia’s affinity for skin care began at a very early age; it was her natural calling. Although her career path did not begin in skin care, it was her move to New York City that reignited her passion and inspired her to follow her dreams of taking skin care to a professional level.  After graduating from Dermalogica Academy, she worked tirelessly within the industry, gaining indispensable experience in New York spas, medical spas and dermatology.

Cynthia’s love and dedication for skin care helped her rapidly evolve in the ever-changing skin care industry. She is constantly learning and testing cutting-edge technologies, products and ingredients to provide corrective solutions for skin concerns and conditions. Cynthia is known for mixing medical technology with effective, timeless techniques — never getting caught up in trendy skin care — to address the total health and well- being of the skin.  

Heidi Brown is the Founder and Chief Experience Officer at Brilliance by Brown, Inc. Leading with a mindset of inclusion. Brilliance by Brown is a digital media company with a focus on expanding the landscape of skin wellness information for all women especially as we age.

The company offers easy access to online tips and resources, total body skin care options, advisory council insights and curated product recommendations to help all women get the answers we want about healthier skin care and total wellness.

It’s Brown TalksD entity delivers digital conversations through symposiums and workshops, and also provides online skin wellness programming for business entities.

Prior to launching Brilliance by Brown Inc. Heidi was a chief marketing officer and senior vice president in the technology sector.

For more skincare advice from top experts in the field, join our Private Pure Joy Wellness Facebook Group! All you have to do is click “Join,” and once I see your request, I’ll accept it and you’re in!

xo,

Renata