When it comes to skincare, there are so many opinions and suggestions out there, it can be difficult to decide which is right for you. One of the confusions comes around face serum vs face moisturizer and if you need only one or the other or both. We’re here to help untangle this often confusing subject, so you can make the best choices when it comes to your skincare routine.
Face Serum vs Face Moisturizer
Simply put, they both have benefits and often work in concert with each other to bring about deeply nourished and hydrated skin. So, let’s look at the purpose of each one in your skincare routine and then compare whether or not you should be using both or just one or the other.
What is a Face Serum?
A face serum is a combination of lightweight oils meant to penetrate the skin deeply. Through this deep penetration, the cells are nourished helping prevent aging spots, wrinkles, and other skin concerns. Typically they are packed full of vitamins and antioxidants for the skin to bring about this healing effect.
When to Use Serum?
The best time to apply a face serum is immediately after cleansing the skin. Since you want the oils to penetrate deeply, you don’t want anything blocking this penetration such as a moisturizer that’s aimed to lock moisture in and act as a barrier.
You can use a serum in the morning or evening. While it won’t replace the benefits of a moisturizer, it will enhance the effects of your moisturizer.
What is a Face Moisturizer?
On the other hand, a face moisturizer is a mixture of oils and an emulsifier that helps hydrate the skin. A face moisturizer won’t provide support against aging, wrinkles, or other skin concerns. Instead, it helps seal moisture and keep it in throughout the day so your skin doesn’t dry out.
When to Use Moisturizer?
While face serums are meant to penetrate deeply, moisturizers have a simpler job. They are designed to hydrate the skin and prevent water loss throughout the day. Some may contain extra ingredients to aid in skin conditions, but many simply help keep the moisture locked in for the day.
Bringing The Two Together for A Natural Skincare Routine
So, if you’re looking to correct skin care issues and keep the skin hydrated, your best bet is to use a serum and moisturizer together for optimal benefit. This is because moisturizers are formulated to fortify the surface of the skin and keep skin cells together to lock in moisture, whereas face serum is more lightweight and made to get deep into the skin cells to help with a variety of skin conditions (wrinkles, anti-aging, brightening). Therefore, if you’re looking to heal deep-rooted skin conditions, a serum is what you should be relying on, but if you simply need to hydrate your skin, a moisturizer will get the job done with ease.
One thing to keep in mind is that if you tend to have oily skin, you may not need a moisturizer at all. But, if you tend towards dry skin, you may find benefits in using both a serum and moisturizer.
We hope this helps give you a better idea of when to choose both or not! Feel free to comment with additional questions.
