With summer heat and humidity at oppressive levels, there’s a temptation to forego skincare, or at least simplify one’s routine, especially for oily skin. After cleansing and toning, applying additional layers of product seems hellish and counterproductive if getting around town guarantees a good schvitz. Every morning, I make the calculation that I’d rather sacrifice moisturizer, even a light one, instead of abandoning my beloved cocktail of serums and obligatory sunscreen. While the benefits of the latter are known for all skin types and shades, serums might still need some demystifying for those new to skin care.
Serum, one of the fastest growing categories of skincare, is a serious business. The global facial serum market was valued at USD $5.84 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at reaching USD $8.58 billion by 2030. With a majority of the serums sold worldwide promising anti-aging benefits, it’s essential to know which actives to prioritize for realistic skincare goals and one’s budget. In this followup installment to Skin Care Primer With Board-Certified Dermatologist Dr. Michele Green: The Lip & Eye Care Edit, the Manhattan doctor breaks down what we need to know about this essential skin care staple.
Q&A with Dr. Michele Green
What’s the difference between a serum, an essence, and a moisturizer?
There are a few key differences between serums, essences, and moisturizers, with the main one being their formulation. A serum is a highly concentrated product designed to deliver the active ingredients to the skin, targeting specific skin concerns.
An essence is a water-based and lightweight product that contains some active ingredients and often helps in the absorption of serums and moisturizers. An essence replenishes moisture in the cells and can be used immediately after washing your face to prepare your face for serums and moisturizers.
Moisturizers can be lotions, creams, or oils, and they are the best products for hydrating the skin and fighting dryness. Moisturizers can contain active ingredients, but typically, they are less potent than other products.
Can serums and skin care reverse aging or disrupt it and its wear and tear?
Serums stand out in the realm of skincare as potent products crafted with high-performance ingredients designed to combat and rejuvenate signs of aging. These advanced formulations, particularly anti-aging serums infused with proven active components, are instrumental in minimizing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, discoloration, and uneven skin texture. Additionally, serums rich in antioxidants serve a dual purpose by not only enhancing skin vitality but also providing a protective barrier against environmental stressors that accelerate the aging process. Incorporating serums into your skincare routine can lead to a more youthful, radiant complexion.
Which types of serums are universal in that they treat a myriad of skin care concerns and should be incorporated by all skin types daily?
Two types of serums are considered universal and beneficial for nearly all skin types: Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid. Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that brightens the skin, fades dark spots, supports collagen production, and protects against environmental damage, making it ideal for daily use.
Hyaluronic Acid provides deep hydration, plumps the skin, smooths fine lines, and strengthens the skin barrier, benefiting all skin types, especially dry or sensitive ones. Together, these serums address a wide range of concerns, including dullness, aging, dehydration, and uneven texture, to provide patients of all skin types and tones with a more youthful appearance.
What are the key actives for age-disrupting (anti-aging) serums?
Some of the best ingredients for anti-aging are retinol, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid. Derived from vitamin A, retinol stimulates skin cell turnover and collagen production. It sloughs away dead and discolored skin cells to reveal healthier, even-toned skin cells. Retinol encourages the production of new collagen to provide patients with skin that is even in both tone and texture.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant commonly used in skincare. It protects the skin from sun damage by neutralizing free radicals generated by UV radiation and helps combat oxidative stress, which can lead to premature aging. Vitamin C promotes skin regeneration and collagen production, improving the skin’s texture and tone. It also aids in fading hyperpigmentation, brightening the skin, and supporting cellular repair.
Hyaluronic Acid Serums
By combining three molecular weights of hyaluronic acid, Lumene’s Aqua Serum hydrates and plumps skin on the surface and in the deepest layers with Nordic birch sap, Nordic algae, and pure Arctic spring water. Like a cold plunge for the pores, the hydration will last for days.
Hydra Repair, from MGSkinLabs, Dr. Green’s line of dermatologist-blended skin care, delivers hyaluronic acid with extracts of cucumber, green tea, and honeysuckle for optimal hydration where needed to revitalize the dermis for a smoother appearance.
For sensitized and post-procedural skin in need of soothing moisture and deep hydration, Zen Essentials Longevity Serum, formulated with glycerin by reconstructive plastic surgeon Dr. Hazen, absorbs in seconds to help skin heal and regain lost bounciness. Hydration is essential to Dr. Hazen’s commitment to clean beauty and wellness.
Vitamin C Serums
Dr. Althea, one of the latest Korean skincare brands to launch stateside with a focus on gentle, nurturing formulations to heal the skin, offers two clean, cruelty-free Vitamin C serums to aid brightness and tackle pigmentation without irritation. For beginners and those prone to fungal acne, Gentle Vitamin C Serum, in a base of 5% niacinimide, hippophae rhamnoides fruit, and green tea waters, soothes while improving skin tone. Recently reformulated to triple the Vitamin C and hippophae rhamnoides fruit water, in addition to centella asiatica, hyaluronic acid, and tranexamic acid, Vitamin C Boosting Serum RENEWED is a more comprehensive step in tacking hyperpigmentation and texture. It absorbs quickly for day or nighttime routines.
For skin in need of more potent anti-aging treatment, Kiyomi’s Vitamin C Serum, combines hyaluronic and their signature 5-ALA – 5-aminolevulinic acid that works at a deep cellular level to aid collagen and elastin genesis – to combat the effects of environmental stressors and fine lines.
Skin Moderne, known for their proprietary, fermented ingredients, optimizes Vitamin C delivery to the skin with three different types of the skincare powerhouse in C Fusion. With ultra potent Elementals C, Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate, and Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, the biotin, glutathione and licorice-boosted serum tackles redness, excess melanin production, and inflammation for a renewed complexion.
Among the four serums Intoxicated Cosmetics offers as alternatives to injectables, E.C.Dysis Serum is the highest in Vitamin C. Boasting 15% ascorbic acid, ferulic acid and its proprietary snake venom adjacent peptide, it’s the ultimate anti-aging and brightening serum in one. Like all active-rich formulations, keep these serums in the refrigerator to maintain freshness.
Retinol Serums
Retinol may be the most controversial and/or misunderstood skin ingredient. The earliest formulations of the ultra-potent form of Vitamin A caught a bad rap from the harsh side effects of dryness and flakiness. Given latest advancements in new forms of retinal and retinal-adjacent replacements, even the most sensitive skins can reap the full spectrum of brightening, resurfacing, and anti-aging benefits.
Similar to the soothing impact of the Longevity Drops, Zen Essentials Revitalizing Drops prioritizes the glow with the moisture and renewing properties of anti-oxidant rich fruit oils. Avocado, grapefruit, camellia, and ultra-nourishing superstar prickly pear oil form a base for hydroxypinacolone retinoate, a super-stable and non-irritating retinol. It’s tailor-made for beginners and sensitive skin.
Dr. Green’s best-selling Essential Antioxidant Infusion packs a potent dose of Vitamin A as retinyl palmitate, with Vitamins C & E for nighttime exfoliation and rejuvenation. In addition to geranium and soothing lavender oil, it signals overnight repair of uneven tone, texture, and fine lines.
For combo/oily skin types and those who’ve already experimented with retinol, MELUMÉ Skinscience A-mazing Retinol Retinal Emulsion combines 3 types of retinol for a complexion overhaul. 1% Granactive Retinoid, Retinal, vegan retinol alternative Bakuchiol, low molecular hyaluronic acid Oligo Hyaluron form a biomimetic formula that targets pore size, even tone, dullness, photo aging, and collagen synthesis for the ultimate age-disrupting treatment oil-serum hybrid.
