What is a Serum?

When you hear the word serum what do you think of? Powerful elixirs, magic formulas, eternal youth; so many women only have to see such a small brown bottle with pipette to make a grab for their purse. Me too. Until creams became my work…. A pity, because it’s nice having something to believe in!

Because I get asked most days why I haven’t made serums, here is all the science about serums at a glance:

A serum is basically nothing. Maybe a little bit harsh, but what I mean here is that a serum is nothing more than a concentrated, often clear water based “cream”. Because I like to make comparisons; “serum” is, as it were, clear mushroom soup and “cream” is the blended version. But there are mushrooms in both. What makes it a bit more tricky is that there are also oil based serums and silicone based serums (going on; the mushroom society). So basically anything goes, as long as it is in a small bottle. According to my handbooks “Cosmetic Science and Technology” and “Cosmetic Dermatology Products and Procedures” the manufacturer is completely free to call a product a serum or not.

I really cannot believe it….

If you have your doubts about what I am saying and you surf the internet you’ll find that serums are more than necessary. According to a lot of websites serums contain smaller particles which can penetrate deeper into the skin. In addition, they contain higher concentrations of active ingredients than normal creams. The part about the small particles is really nonsense, but serums do often contain higher concentrations of active ingredients than the creams from the same brand name. This tells you more about the often unspeakably low concentrations of active ingredients in the cream version. Not so strange then that you normally pay more for a serum and receive less. But this doesn’t mean that a serum automatically contains high concentrations of active ingredients. I have examined more than enough serums where almost no active ingredients have been added. But fortunately, on the other hand, there are creams available with higher concentrations of active ingredients…

That ingredients list again!

The only sensible thing to do is read the ingredients list thoroughly. Whatever you go for; a product with high concentrations of active ingredients is a must! And this product should also then be packed so that it doesn’t come into contact with air or light. The most suitable type of cream depends on your preference and your skin condition. In simple terms; for oily skin use an aqueous product (a toner, serum or water based cream) and for a more dry skin use a more rich product (eg. an oil or silicone based serum or a more rich moisturising cream). If your skin is dry you can still use a water based serum or toner but then apply a thin layer of rich moisturiser. There needn’t be any active ingredients in this. Vaseline is even a good option! In this way you lock the moisture in and active substances can do their work more effectively.

Have a good weekend!

Jetske.

(Dr. Jetske Ultee-Research Physician Cosmetic Dermatology)

You can read more about the ingredients list in ‘The Search for Cosmetics: the Ingredients List’,
‘Ingredients to Avoid’,
‘Angel Dusting’,
‘Alcohol in Cosmetic Products; Rather Not!‘,
‘The Search for Your Wonder Cream‘,
’26 Fragrances’ and
‘Which Natural Ingredients?‘