Face serums are like the tabloid stars of Hollywood. They are pre-packaged all fancy like, but in the end are they worth all the trouble of court dates and rehab under protest? In some cases, yes, aka Robert Downey Jr. And in other cases involving former Disney film stars”¦the jury is still out. (Literally? Has anyone checked TMZ.com today?) Serums claim to moisturize, balance and tone. But do they really?
Serums by construction are more concentrated than other products. So in other words, while your organic face cream might contain active chamomile, a serum would be at least 70 percent active chamomile. In fact, up to 70 percent of all serums are packed with active ingredients. This is a big boost from your daily products, which may contain only around 5 percent active goods. So they are a great choice if you want to dose your skin in a lot of ingredients.
Some serums are designed to be moisturizing agents. They often claim to give your skin a healthy glow – and many do, as they are packed with essential oils. Consider Sea Chi Organics Facial Serum ($69.00). This product contains organic golden jojoba seed oil, and organic sea buckthorn berry extract. It’s designed to replenish and moisturize your skin – and it does. It has a nice, almost floral scent and certainly leaves your skin glowing. The product itself is orange and gives your skin a bit of an instant tan. Place a few drops on your neck and drier parts in the morning and at night. And yes, I found it to be a highly – moisturizing product. Score one for serums.
Other serums are designed to tone and balance the skin. Another serum to consider is Strawberry Hedgehog’s Balancing Lotus Face Treatment Oil ($20.00). It claims to “restore balance to combination skin prone to break outs and promote a youthful, radiant complexion.” It certainly moisturizes without leaving your skin feeling slicked out. It is wonderfully fragrant and a great pick for a cheaper, at-home facial. Does it tone? Certainly. Balance? Definitely my mood.
So are serums the saviors of our skins or a complete waste of cash? I’m going with “all hail skin saviors” – but only if they are made with purer ingredients. After all, if you’re going to put a concentration of active ingredients on your epidermis, don’t you want them to be greener? And with such a high concentration of good ingredients, you’re going to get your money’s worth.