Can You Layer Different Serums?

Serums! What are they exactly and why are there SO MANY of them?! Serums are products we would consider part of ‘special treatment’ in an 8 step skincare routine. They contain highly concentrated active ingredients, such as Vitamin C or Niacinamide, to help boost your skin’s appearance and health!

Many know of the famous 8-step skincare routine, but did you know that more and more people have been increasing this to over 10 steps? But it can get confusing, especially when we start tailoring our skincare regimen to our own skin and not just following an online recommendation. Hopefully I can provide some clarity to you beauties! :)

WHY DO WE USE MULTIPLE SERUMS?

When we use multiple serums, we want to address multiple concerns in our skin, such as acne, dullness, dryness. There is no SINGLE ingredient that can address every single problem, so we mix and match serums to benefit from more products! Different ingredients will have varying effects on our skin, for example Vitamin C brightens dull skin and pigmentation, whereas Retinols will prevent signs of aging.

TIPS AND TRICKS

#1 Consistency and Formulation

Compare the serums you want to apply to your routine! You want to be applying the lightest formula first and the heaviest last. If you apply the heaviest first instead, there is a chance that the serum with a light formulation will be unable to penetrate the heavy layer of serum you have applied earlier. You want to ensure that all products reach your skin and get absorbed for the ingredients to have an effect!

#2 Know your Water and Oil Based Serums

If the consistency of the serums are similar, try looking at the type of serum. You want to apply water-based serums before any oil-based serums! This is because oil-based serums are typically more occlusive (prevent water loss). You want to apply water-based serums to absorb into the skin THEN sealing off all this product into the skin with an oil-based serum. 

https://goodalcosmetic.com  |  http://klairs.com

Both Goodal Green Tangerine Serum & the Klairs Freshly Juiced Drop contain 5% of Vitamin C, so you can customise which product you would prefer with other serums you are using!

#3 Application Wait Time

For effective use of serum, we should be allowing the serum to fully absorb in the skin before applying the next. In saying that, we don’t want to spend 1 hour doing our 10-step skincare routine! I would recommend waiting AT LEAST 1 minute before applying the next serum. To speed up the process, you can gently massage or pat in the product.

#4 How much is too much?

It is recommended to use a maximum of 2-3 serums in a routine and no more. If you use too many products, there’s a high chance your skin is not actually absorbing the products but simply sitting on top of the multiple layers you have already put on. Also, if you don’t keep track of the ingredients, you could be overloading your skin with very potent actives that can cause irritation. Listen to your skin! Be careful of using TOO many acids at once (such as AHA, Vitamin C, etc.) and make sure your skin is able to tolerate these ingredients before layering them on!

#5 Effective yet Gentle Pairs

To combat dryness but also address dullness and pigmentation in skin:

https://goodalcosmetic.com  |  https://seoulkittenglow.com

Apply the lightweight brightening Goodal Green Tangerine Vita C Darkspot Serum first then follow-up with the Mizon Hyaluronic Acid Serum for extra hydration especially in the dry and cold seasons.

For acne-prone skin beauties trying to minimize blemishes and pores while dealing with sensitivity:

http://somebymi.com  |  http://facetocurls.com

Apply the lighter SBM Niacin Blemish Care Serum for effective but natural treatment for blemishes. Follow with the Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Serum which is slightly heavier in consistency and provides simple soothing and nourishment to inflamed skin!

Layering our skincare and serums correctly is super important for if we want to fully utilise all those products that we have bought. We want our skin to soak and absorb ALL the good ingredients in our products! Hope this was helpful to you guys :)

Stay safe and well <3