What is a serum?

You already use a moisturizer twice daily, but how does a serum further benefit your skin? While a moisturizer hydrates thirsty skin, serums offer targeted solutions to specific issues. A serum might be formulated to address age-related concerns, like wrinkles and fine lines. Or it could brighten dark circles if it's a serum with vitamin C.

Serums typically offer a higher concentration of active ingredients compared to creams, providing more intensive skincare benefits, explains Nkem Ugonabo M.D., M.P.H. "Both can be used though, and it is a matter of how you use them and using them in the right order."

To understand the benefits of face serums, it's essential to understand their application, as explained by dermatologist Roberta Del Campo, M.D. “I like that serums can absorb very quickly and can be spread very easily on the skin," she says. “I'm a big serum fan, and these will often have more potent ingredients while a moisturizer can provide an added layer of hydration."

Using a serum and a moisturizer that contain complementary ingredients is like a one-two punch on a skin issue: you'll see results faster. Together, they're the ideal support group for your skin.

Now that you know the answer to 'What is a face serum,' you may be wondering, 'Which do I apply first, the serum or moisturizer?' Follow this skincare rule of thumb: Go from thinnest to thickest. Serum first, moisturizer second. And always start with clean skin.

Sometimes people will layer products on in the wrong order, which can affect the absorption of the products, advises Dr. Ugonabo. Serums are going to be more effective and potent, but are thinner and should be used first, then layered with a cream afterward.

Apply a few dabs of your serum to clean skin and use your fingertips to dab the serum all over your face. Remember, a little goes a long way.

Wait one minute for the serum to settle into your pores before applying moisturizing cream.

In the morning, follow up your serum with a daytime moisturizer and SPF. Apply night cream and eye cream with more skin-loving ingredients in the evening.

When choosing a serum, it's important to consider what specific skincare issue you'd like to address. Each serum is uniquely formulated to target particular concerns, and it's important to select one that aligns with your needs to ensure you receive the full benefits. But what does a serum do for your face? They're designed for a variety of benefits, for example, to provide intensive nourishment, address specific concerns like aging, hydration, or hyperpigmentation, and enhance your skin's healthy appearance.

As you think about anti-aging treatments, “you need to consider not just your skin type with respect to how dark or melanin-rich your skin is, but also how sensitive your skin is and what the skin can tolerate," explains Dr. Ugonabo. “Everyone is going to vary, so this needs to be considered when choosing a treatment option."

Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum has been shown to produce a 32% visible reduction in stubborn lines.¹ That's one of the reasons why we think it's our best retinol serum.

“One of the things that really impressed me about Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum when looking at the data and clinical photos was that it showed people having improvement in their fine lines and wrinkles," Dr. Ugonabo says.

With key ingredients like 1% advanced retinoid, 9.5% peptides, and hyaluronic acid, this triple-threat product visibly repairs, resurfaces, and replumps.

Dr. Del Campo says she has sensitive skin and avoided retinoids for a long time because they'd irritate her skin. "I've found that I can use Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum twice a day even with my sensitive skin."

Sometimes your skin just needs extra moisture. Whether you have dry skin, very dry skin, or dry combination skin, a potent face serum, especially one with hyaluronic acid, can go a long way to helping lock in moisture.

Our Moisture Surge Hydrating Supercharged Concentrate is a face serum that's an antioxidant-infused water gel. Skin stays hydrated for 72 hours while strengthening and repairing the skin's moisture barrier, replenishing hydration and helping protect skin from environmental stressors with antioxidants.

Liquid-Sphere^TM Technology combines water-binding ingredients with encapsulated antioxidants. Hyaluronic acid helps fragments and activated aloe water plump skin with moisture.

Remember, hyaluronic acid helps with dehydrated skin that looks dull by plumping it up so it also minimizes the appearance of wrinkles and fine, dry lines. It floods your skin with hydration and helps strengthen your skin's natural moisture barrier. Replenishing your skin's reservoir helps maintain a plump, dewy, and healthy condition.

You can apply this face serum in the morning and evening after cleansing skin

Dark spots and patches are due to the skin producing extra melanin and are often referred to as hyperpigmentation.

Our solution for reducing the look of dark spots? Our best vitamin C serum, of course. When you apply a serum like Even Better Clinical Radical Dark Spot Corrector + Interrupter, the ingredients — vitamin C, yeast extract, salicylic acid, and Clinique's proprietary molecule UP302 — help reduce the look of dark spots. Gyokuro green tea extract helps quell visible irritation. In clinical testing, women using this twice a day saw face serum benefits that included a 39% visible reduction in dark spots within 12 weeks.²

Our best vitamin C serum also includes salicylic acid and glucosamine. "Salicylic acid is wonderful for promoting exfoliation," says Dr. Orentreich, M.D.

Look for a salicylic acid serum to help get breakouts and blackouts under control. The Acne Solutions Acne + Line Correcting Serum visibly improves lines while fighting acne. For those of us who are still battling breakouts and wrinkles at the same time, the powerful ingredients in this serum help skin look clearer, have a smoother texture, and appear more youthful.

Ingredients like salicylic acid help get rid of dirt and oil to reduce breakouts. It's a crucial component of any acne-prone skincare routine.

The powerful formula, with acetyl glucosamine, whey protein, and clary sage extract help scrub away pore-clogging dead skin cells, while visibly smoothing and re-plumping skin. The Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum salicylic acid serum is fragrance-free and allergy tested. Why does that matter?

“We know that in the world of irritant dermatitis or contact dermatitis, fragrances are one of the things that can cause or trigger reactions in the skin and make the product overall less tolerable in some people," says Dr. Ugonabo.

What does a serum do for your face? Serums have a wide variety of benefits, some target signs of aging like lines and wrinkles, while others help reduce the look of irritation.

Ready to build a healthy-looking skincare routine that you can stick to for the long haul?

“Sometimes less is more," says Dr. Del Campo. “If you have the right products and the right ingredients with two to three products, that's all you need. In the morning, think about the preventative side and in the evening, think about the corrective side."

When you're looking to achieve results with your skincare routine, remember the two C's. “Compliance and consistency are key," says Dr. Ugonabo. “You can have the right products but, without using them consistently, you will not achieve the same results."

¹ Upper lateral dynamic lines; clinical testing on 59 women after 16 weeks.
² Clinical testing on 52 women after using Even Better Clinical™ Serum twice daily for 12 weeks.