Serums are the part of a routine built around specific ingredients: humectants such as hyaluronic acid or glycerin for hydration, vitamin C derivatives, peptides, plant extracts. They are usually lighter than a moisturizer and applied before it.
Because a serum is defined by its featured ingredients, the front of the bottle tends to name them. The full ingredient list shows where they actually sit in the formula, and what else comes along with them.
Reading the label
- Where the headline ingredient sits
- Ingredients above 1% are generally listed in descending order of concentration. A featured ingredient near the end of a long list is likely present in a small amount, which is not always a problem, but is worth knowing.
- Water-based or oil-based
- Some products sold as serums are mostly oils. If water (aqua) is not near the top, you are looking at something closer to a face oil, and it usually goes on after water-based layers.
