What is a Face Serum? What does it do? How does it work for your skin?

What is a face serum?

A face serum is a heavenly smooth, lightweight and thin textured oil that delivers a concentrated amount of active ingredients to the skin & seals in the moisture. It is not icky and enables the ingredients to deeply penetrate the skin's surface.

The active ingredients have many active molecules that take care of the skin and offer optimum effectiveness. Due to the higher concentration of these molecules, you'll notice visible results in a shorter period. 

The active ingredients in the serum are at least seven times higher than in creams & oils. It is a revolutionary beauty staple that caters to almost all your skin woes like dryness, aging, large pores, acne etc.  

What does a face serum do?

 With regular use of facial serum, here are a few results that you'll notice:

1. Serum has a thin density & with zero fuss, it gets absorbed in the skin perfectly. The power-packed active ingredients help the skin absorb the benefits of the moisturizer.
2. It soothes the sensitive patches of your skin. Even if you have oily skin that is prone to frequent outbreaks, the serum will soothe the skin and make you feel healthy & pampered. 
3. Our skin naturally has collagen, which depletes with skin aging. Serum bucks up the collagen & makes the skin firm, plumpy and fades fine lines & wrinkles.
4. Dryness on the skin is also a sign of skin maturation. Using serum will help to smoothen the skin's texture and make it look vibrant.
5. Skin is surrounded by numerous aggressors in daily living. The serum's active ingredients protect the skin from free radicals caused by air pollution & sun damage. 
6. Small molecules of active ingredients get absorbed quickly, thereby offering fast & visible results on the face.

Types of Face Serum

There are 6 types of face serums:

1. Anti-Aging Serums

These serums are known for their potential to work against the common signs of aging along with slowing down the process. Serums are augmented with the goodness of retinol (a derivative of Vitamin A) as one of the active ingredients used in the composition of anti-ageing serum. It is generally used in the night time skincare routine as our skin naturally restores & repairs itself from the daytime damage. Some other active ingredients used in this kind of serum are hyaluronic acid, alpha hydroxy acids, vitamin C, peptides, grape seed extract, evening primrose etc. 

Nourish mantra's Youth Restoration Serum is a reviving elixir for your skin. It makes you look youthful with the effectiveness of ingredients like bakuchiol seed oil, xanthan gum, glycerin, benzyl alcohol, hyaluronic acid etc. 

What does it do?

• Slows fine lines, sagging and wrinkles while firming & plumping the skin.
• Boosts cell repair & cell renewal process to make you look fresh & young.
• Helps to rejuvenate skin & smooths the overall skin texture.
• Enhances cell turnover, collagen & elastin production.
• Recharge your body's natural repair function.

2. Skin Brightening Serum

This serum fights away all the dullness, spots & pigmentation. They are enriched with green tea, liquorice root, grapefruit, and vitamin C and E as their main ingredients. It may also contain kojic acid, ferulic acid, peptides & light reflectors or optical diffusers that give your skin an instant brightness. 

Nourish Mantra's Radiant Glow Serum waves off the dullness and reduces skin fatigue with the nourishment of hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, Kakadu plum fruit extract, vitamin E etc.

What does it do?

• Makes dull skin look radiant.
• Smoothes skin complexion.
• Fades out any age or sun spots.

• Evens out skin tone & reduces hyperpigmentation

3. Acne Fighting Serum

These kinds of serums help to banish stubborn breakouts for clear skin. This serum is formulated with a single goal to prevent breakouts before they form. These serums should have ingredients like beta-hydroxy acid (BHA), alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA), glycolic acid, citric acid, zinc & botanical extracts such as tea tree, thyme, cucumber & green tea as an active ingredient in serums. 

Nourish Mantra's Acne Clarifying Serum is formulated with the goodness of niacinamide, glycerin, salicylic acid. thyme extracts etc to banish your present & future acne from the roots. 

What does it do?

• Treats existing acne & stops acne breakouts even before they begin to form.
• Fade acne scars
• Gently removes the buildup of dead skin cells
• Tightens skin
• Unclogs & minimizes pores
• Absorbs excess oil

• Reduces any redness & irritation

4. Hydrating Face Serum

Is your skin feeling dehydrated or parched? These kinds of serums are your saviors. They work harmoniously with your moisturizer to enhance the hydrating effects. When applied, they give an extra layer of hydration. Hydrating serums should have active ingredients like argan oil, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, rosehip oil, ceramide, rosewater, sea kelp, jojoba, vitamin E etc. that increase the moisture in skin. 

What does it do? 

• Heals the parched skin
• Penetrates deep into skin pores to deliver an extra layer of hydration

5. Exfoliating Face Serum

An exfoliating serum works to smoothen, soften & tone the complexion, fade fine lines & wrinkles, and correct skin discolouration & hyperpigmentation from natural aging & sun damage. The skin may become less efficient with time to remove dead skin cells as you age, making the skin dull, dry & cracked. The skin becomes irritated and less protected & disturbs the absorption of other facial products in the skin. Key ingredients involved in these serums are alpha hydroxy acids like glycolic acid or lactic acid, retinol, enzymes from plant or fruit extracts, and beta hydroxy acid like salicylic acid & citric acid. 

Nourish Mantra's Exfoliating Serum is a rejuvenating skin potion formulated with glycerin, ascorbic acid, glycolic acid, lactic acid, benzyl alcohol etc.

What does it do?

• Smoothes skin complexion
• Reduces fine lines and wrinkles
• Corrects hyperpigmentation
• Removes dead skin cells
• Unclogs pores & prevents breakouts

6. Repairative & Renewing Face Serum

A kind of face serum that works to repair & restore skin. It turns the table & restores that youthful glow that you deserve. Seaweed, noni extract, flower water, ceramides, retinol, resveratrol, antioxidants, essential oils & omega-3 fatty acids are some of the main ingredients in these serums. 

Nourish Mantra's Bluelight Repair Serum protects your skin from the sun rays & screen lights that have a harmful effect on your skin. It offers deep care & repair with the help of glycerin, papaya juice, lemon juice, propylene glycol etc. 

What does it do?

• Repairs, restores & protects the skin from all the wear & tear.
• Reduces acne scars, sun damage, blotchy areas, skin discolouration, dryness, fine lines & wrinkles.
• Promotes collagen & elastin production.
• Makes skin hydrated, supple & smooth.

When to use a face serum?

Most of the serums are recommended to be used twice a day. Once in the morning on a cleansed face, before you put on the makeup & once at night before bed. Don't forget to read the directions written on the serum label for additional information. Like some serums are effective during the day and some work with full potential at night. So, read all directions before making a purchase decision.

How to use a face serum?

1. The facial serums are meant to be applied on your face in small tapping motions with your fingertips or your palms.
2. Do not rub your skin excessively, let the serum absorb into your skin on its own. 
3. To apply, take a pea-sized amount (about 3-4 drops) of the serum from the dropper into your palms. Spread it between your palms without rubbing too much. 
4. Dab the serum all over your face and neck using small and gentle tapping motions. Wait for a couple of minutes for the serum to completely penetrate into your skin before continuing with your skincare routine.

 

Know the reasons to incorporate face serums in the skincare routine

 

Here are the few benefits of face serum that give you a push to indulge them in your skincare routine:

1. Reduces signs of aging

A hectic lifestyle and lack of sleep can take a nasty toll on your skin. It makes the skin complexion dull & tired. Using an effective serum can promote cellular regeneration & repair. Skin will not lose its charm & radiance even if your sleeping pattern gets disturbed.

2. Refines skin pores

Large skin pores are tough to treat. But the face serum is made up of thin consistency and lightweight; pores are kept oil-free & clean, which diminishes their appearance & refines the skin's texture. 

3. Smoothes skin surface

It is a fact that small molecules of the facial serum are not blocked by any additives, which means that they can probe deep into the pores, and smoothes out the surface of the skin for a visibly softer texture.

4. Reduces the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles

Serums are backed with an advanced & powerful formula of active ingredients that helps to achieve younger-looking skin by speeding up the regeneration process that results in cellular vitality.

5. Retains moisture

The blockbuster facial serums help in retaining the moisture in the skin. It has the ability to seal in the moisture, thereby improving the moisture content of the skin and strengthening the skin barrier for hydrated & healthy-looking skin. 

FAQ's

Which ingredients to look for in a face serum?

Retinol, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C and AHA are some potent ingredients to look for in a face serum.

Does a face serum work precisely like a moisturizer?

Not exactly. It relies on the ingredients of a serum. The serum formula is concentrated, so it's best to put them on freshly cleaned skin before applying moisturizer. But don't forget to apply moisturizer after face serum as the heavier oils will seal it in. 

Can a skin bear two different serums at once?

Yes, you can use two serums simultaneously. Our skin absorbs whatever we put in but avoids using more than two serums at one.

Which areas on the face should be avoided while applying face serum?

Don't apply face serum around the eyes and lashes as the ingredients indulged in its formation may not suit that area.

Do face serums from Nourish Mantra work best for every skin type?

Yes, the range of face serums by Nourish Mantra suits every skin type. However, they all are formulated for a particular skin concern and show incredible results for it.