Why you should start taking serums seriously

No, they are not the same as a moisturiser.

There are lots of things you know you should be doing for your skin.

Like taking your makeup off when you stumble home at 3am, using a different face cream for day and night, bathing regularly (high standards, we know).

But did you know that regularly using a facial serum is one of the best things you can do for your complexion? 

Serums are gaining a lot of attention at the moment as people are becoming more aware of the ingredients and associated benefits of their go-to products. Serums are like a super-loaded smoothie for your face. And no, they are not the same as a moisturiser.

So to help you better understand #cleaneating for your face, here are the top three reasons you need to incorporate a facial serum into your winter skincare regime stat!

Yeah science, bitch!

If you’re feeling like your skin is a little more breaking bad than breaking beautiful, then perhaps your moisturiser isn’t working as hard as you need it to. In fact, the goodies in your moisturiser aren’t really giving your skin everything it needs to be it’s best, and it all boils down to science.

The active molecules in your serum are smaller and more concentrated than those typically found in moisturiser. This means that your skin can gobble up all the goodness in a serum much more effectively than those in a moisturiser. Oils and emulsifiers in some moisturisers can also make it tricky for the active ingredients to penetrate the skin.

Custom care

You should think of your moisturiser and skin serum as a pair, like brie and quince; you can’t have one without the other (well you can but it’s not quite as good). The point is that a serum allows you to customise your skincare depending on what mood it’s in.

Ella Baché’s National Training Manager, Heather Vounnou describes a serum as “a concentrated dose of active ingredients that are designed to boost the performance of any moisturiser that it is used in conjunction with”.

If your skin is looking a little dull or patchy, use a brightening serum with toning ingredients like calendula or green tea such as Surface Organic Brightening Serum. If it’s a bit sensitive, treat yo’ self to a soothing serum like Ella Bache SensiBeautics Intensive Recovery Serum, which contains natural oils to reduce redness.

Winter brings out the worst in everyone

Cold, dry, flakey – all the lovely things our skin can become in winter without the proper care.

The transition from hot, dry heated rooms to the cold and windy elements outside can zap the moisture from deep within your skin. No sane amount of moisturiser is going to stop this drying process from happening.

However, a serum can actually help your skin retain moisture from deeper down. Look out for serums with hyaluronic acid or sea algae such as Moana Serum Jeunesse Intense for long lasting moisture.

So this winter, feed your face with some of our favourite skin serums:

Moana, Jeunesse Intense Serum ($145)        
Moana Serum is formulated with red seaweed, which helps essential oils and nutrients absorb deep into the skin. It also helps to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

Ella Bache, SensiBeautics Intensive Recovery Serum ($105)
Perfect for sensitive skin, this treatment serum helps minimise redness and strengthens the skin’s protective barrier.

Sunday Riley, Artemis Lipid Serum ($150) 
This luxurious serum contains lemon ironbark and lemon myrtle to tone, detoxify and balance the skin for all over radiance.

Surface Skincare, Citrus and Calendula Brightening Serum ($64.90)
This highly concentrated serum is made from nutrient-rich orange and lemon citrus, which helps soothe, brighten and heal dry, irritated and acne prone skin. It also smells kinda like a gin and tonic, which we’re totally down with.

Musq, Revitalize Serum ($42)

Musq Revitalize serum is designed to soften and repair stressed and damaged skin with sea buckthorn berry and pomegranate.