Do you follow skincare trends? Are you well-versed in skin health and feel confident in your morning and evening skincare regimen? If so, you’ve probably found your go to’s, a cleanser, exfoliator, moisturizer, toner, and maybe even a hydrator and/or face mask. However, to ensure that your beauty regimen keeps skin looking and feeling its healthiest and most beautiful, we recommend adding a face brightening serum to your skincare routine.
Face serums are excellent sources of hydration that contain high concentrations of skin-soothing ingredients like Vitamin C or Hyaluronic Acid. They are used to address multiple skincare concerns, and due to their lightweight nature, go deep into skin and work well when layered with other skincare products. Not sure how to use face serum? Our Kate Somerville Skin Health Experts put together this complete guide to using serums so you can enjoy the maximum face serum benefits.
When to Use Face Serum
To optimize the benefits of using a serum, you first need to know when to apply it for maximum absorption. Below, we’ve outlined our recommended steps for maximizing every step of your skincare regimen.
Step 1: Cleanse
Cleansing your face should be the first step in your daily skincare regimen. Think of cleanser as a full refresh for your skin. It helps rid your skin of dirt, excess oil and dead skin cells while simultaneously providing a clean slate so that the rest of your products, like your face serum, can work effectively. How often should you use a cleanser? While the proper amount of cleansing depends on the product used, our skincare experts recommend that you use a gentle cleanser like our Gentle Daily Wash to cleanse in the AM and PM. This product is great for those with sensitive skin, however, any skin type can reap similar benefits.
Step 2: Exfoliate
Once or twice a week, you’ll want to exfoliate your face with a product like our best selling ExfoliKate® Intensive. Our clinic inspired super facial helps slough away dull, dry, dead surface skin cells to reveal new, fresh skin cells that enhance skin’s radiance. By removing this top layer of skin, you allow the rest of your regimen to penetrate more deeply into skin and deliver better benefits from all ingredients that follow.
Step 3: Hydrate
While serums can be hydrating, we typically recommend you use one of our DermalQuench products to deliver instant and lasting hydration to skin. Hyaluronic Acid and Oxygen work together to pump skin full of water, visibly smoothing and plumping while giving you refreshed, dewy-looking results. Once skin is hydrated, the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles are diminished and skin is now ready to receive the deeper benefits a serum can deliver.
Step 4a: Treat With A Face Serum
Lightweight and packed with actively concentrated ingredients, serums go deep into skin to tackle and address specific concerns – from improving elasticity and firmness (courtesy of our Kx Active Concentrates Bio-Mimicking Peptides Serum) to calming irritation and visible redness (with the help of our DeliKate™ Recovery Serum). Simply apply a few drops to your palm and lightly massage into skin. Or, to make your face serum last longer, mix it in with your favorite Kate Somerville moisturizer and smooth onto skin.
Step 4b: Moisturize
After applying serum, you want to seal in all of your previous skincare steps with the right moisturizer for your skin type. If age-related issues like fine lines, wrinkles, elasticity, and bounce are your primary concerns, we recommend our Peptide K8 Power Cream. It pairs beautifully with our Bio-Mimicking Peptides Serum and both work quickly and over time to enhance the appearance of skin firmness, smoothness and bounce. If you’ve got oily skin, you can still benefit from using a daily moisturizer. We recommend our Oil Free Moisturizer.
Step 5: Sunscreen
Last but not least, we recommend ending every skincare and makeup morning routine with a broad-spectrum sunscreen like our UncompliKated SPF Soft Focus Makeup Setting Spray. Applying sunscreen daily will help protect your skin from harmful UV rays and prevent sun damage. Additionally, adding a sunscreen into your skincare routine as a preventative product can help stall the appearance of wrinkles and dark spots, and avoid an uneven skin tone.
The Benefits Of Using Face Serum
From acne scars to dry skin, a serum can help improve your skin's health in incredible ways. Below, we’ve outlined some of the top benefits you may enjoy when you start using a face serum in your skincare routine.
Use it to Fade Dark Spots
Daily exposure to sun and harsh chemicals can result in sun damage and skin discolorations like dark spots. To help even out your skin tone and shrink the appearance of these spots, we recommend using a face serum like our +Retinol Vita C Power Serum. Supercharged with active ingredients like Retinol and Vitamin C, this face serum works to boost brightness, fade dark spots, smooth an uneven skin tone, and kindle a more youthful look. Working this serum into your skincare regimen helps to refresh your skin while you sleep for more youthful and healthy-looking smooth skin.
Use it to Refresh Dull Looking (and Feeling) Skin
As we age, our skin tends to lose its youthful appearance. The radiant glow that we once had dulls as we age, and we often find ourselves reaching for brightening products like highlighters, foundations, and masks. To quickly transform tired skin into more youthful-looking skin, skip the makeup, and start treating the visible signs of aging. Applying a face brightening serum like our Kx Active Concentrates Vitamin B3 + Vitamin C Serum works to help visibly brighten and even out skin tone. Plus, it's formulated with Niacinamide, which helps improve skin tone and texture while reducing discoloration.
Use it to Help Manage Acne-Prone Skin
While face serums are formulated to help with nearly every skincare concern, one of the most common skin problems serums help with is acne. Acne-fighting serums like EradiKate® Acne Treatment provide clinical-strength acne control for different types of acne while working to unclog pores and absorb excess oils to prevent future breakouts that typically occur in oily skin. Formulated with powerhouse ingredients like Sulfur, BHA's, and Zinc oxide, this face serum treats acne's root causes, helping to achieve clearer skin.
Find Your Perfect Serum
Many people often worry about adding a new skincare product to their routine. While the face serum you choose will vary based on your skin's needs, we recommend selecting a face serum centered around your most sought after results. From a hydrating serum to a brightening serum, there are multiple serums that can help your skin achieve that youthful appearance once more. We hope that this guide has helped you better understand how to use and when to use a face serum for maximum results. Whichever serum you choose, be sure to use it consistently – and as directed - to receive all of the benefits it has to offer.
