By Dr Dirk Kremer.

It is often difficult to create the perfect skin care routine for your skin type, in fact, the stress of co-ordinating all the different types of skin care products can negate the positive effects skin cream is supposed to have on your face. That's why SkinDoc formula products are designed to work with each other effectively, taking the hassle out of coordinating your perfect skin care line-up. However, if you've been doing a particular skincare routine for a while now without seeing any results, it may be because you haven’t incorporated any serum products into your routine.

Today, I’m going to discuss why serums are must-haves for anyone desiring younger-looking skin.

What are serum products?

When people think of serums, they usually think of them as moisturisers under a different name, and while it’s true that there are serum products that have moisturising benefits, such as SkinDoc formula’s Aqualuron product, the two function in different ways.

While moisturisers create a protective barrier between the skin and outside elements to retain moisture, serums penetrate into the pores to distribute active skin care ingredients deeper into the skin, making them an effective tool for reducing the signs of ageing skin such as lines and wrinkles.

Rather than replacing moisturisers in a skin care routine, serums are used to boost the effectiveness of the other products you are applying; in the world of skin care, serums are the ultimate team player!

Serums should be applied after cleansing, but before moisturising, preferably when the skin is still slightly damp from cleansing. Daily application should be enough, and it’s worth remembering that your skin will only absorb as much product as it needs; one of the most common mistakes people who use serums for the first time make is being too liberal with their usage.

How do serum products work?

Serums have smaller molecules than moisturisers, this means that they have a higher concentration of active ingredients and skin improving nutrients than most other skin care products. It also means they can burrow deeper below the skin’s surface to provide a well-rounded coverage of the skin, repairing it from the inside out.

Serums have a higher concentration of active ingredients (such as antioxidants) because they don’t have to make room for emollients or thickeners which you would find in traditional skin care lotions. Of course, this means that serums won’t provide benefits such as sun protection, which is why serums should be considered an integral part of the skin care routine, rather than a replacement for all the products you were using previously.

The high concentration of anti-ageing ingredients means they are extremely effective at reducing wrinkles and other signs of ageing. Several of the SkinDoc formula products are incredible at reducing wrinkles and creating youthful skin because they are serums, these include Peptidique, ThymoP, Dermoreloader, and my personal favourite, Collagenique.

Why should you use serum products?

Most people turn to serums after having no luck with a standard skin care routine, usually as a last resort when they’re beginning to lose faith that skin care is actually worth the time, those people then realise that they should have been using serums from the very beginning!

Serums work from the inside out, which means that they can fight wrinkles from deep within the skin, so the reduction of lines isn’t just a temporary superficial effect. Serums have some immediate results such as soothing redness and brightening the face thanks to the inclusion of antioxidants, but by becoming a constant part of a skin care routine, in about 4 weeks you’ll be able to notice a reduction in wrinkles, and smoother and tauter skin for an overall younger looking appearance. The results are definitely not to be sniffed at!

What’s more, because your body doesn’t get used to, or grow a tolerance to, the ingredients commonly found in serums, you won’t find the effects become lessened the more you use it, this means it is perfectly acceptable (and even encouraged) to start incorporating skin care serums into your skin care routine as soon as possible.

At SkinDoc formula, the name of the game is younger-looking skin, that’s why I have refined my products so that they are perfect for combating the most common signs of ageing. If you have any questions about SkinDoc formula products, please don’t hesitate to contact us.