People often ask me, “what is a facial serum and should I be using one?” So I thought I would share with you why I think that facial serums are so fantastic for your skin!
Oil-based facial serums contain no water content. Because they have such a high quantity of oils, a little goes a long way! They are intended primarily to moisturize, smooth and soften the skin. Oil-based facial serums are made from plant oils. These are fats and oils from nuts, seeds and fruit pulp which form the foundation of many natural skin care products. Facial serums are a blend of plant oils, specialized plant oils, essential oils, and sometimes other valuable botanical extracts.
Using plant oils are essential in facial serums because:
- they are emollient – which means they soften and smooth the skin
- they protect the skin
- they prevent moisture from evaporating from the skin
- they supply the skin with essential fatty acids and vitamins
- some are also occlusive, which means they form a thin layer on the surface of the skin to protect it, while still allowing the skin to breathe naturally.
Plant-based oils are rich in vitamins, antioxidants and essential fatty acids which help the skin to function optimally and improve its condition and appearance. These fats and oils penetrate the skin easily as they are similar to the fats we have under the surface of our skin.
I like to think of these oils as providing food for the skin.
They are absorbed by the skin and provide vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fatty acids to nourish the skin cells. They promote healthy skin functioning, better circulation and vitality – a happy, healthy glow if you like!
Emollient oils are rich in essential fatty acids (omega 3 and 6) are important for our bodies. There is an indication that many skin problems may be caused by essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiencies. They are absorbed quickly and can help to treat eczema, psoriasis, acne, dry and sensitive skin. Fatty acids penetrate the upper layer of the epidermis and help the skin to function properly. They improve the skin’s condition and appearance. They also protect from moisture loss, soften the skin and have rejuvenating effects.
Since they have no water in them they won’t be hydrating. However, oil-based serums are great for creating a barrier on the skin to prevent trans epidermal water loss, and by reducing water loss they help to keep the skin supple, soft and moisturized. When oils are applied to the skin, they fill up the small spaces between epidermal cells which will be seen and felt as smoother, softer and healthier skin.
Essential oils are ideally suited to natural skincare serums as they are readily absorbed through the skin. Essential oils are useful because they:
- have highly antiseptic properties – useful for treating acne and skin infections as well as helping the skin’s protective functions
- help speed up the removal of old skin cells and stimulate the growth of new skin cells – cytophylactic oils increase the rate at which skin cells reproduce, therefore promoting the rapid healing of wounds and burns and eliminating scarring
- improve muscle tone and blood circulation
- help eliminate waste
- reduce inflammation – useful for treating eczema and psoriasis
- regulate sebum production
- reduce the impact of emotional stress – our emotional state often affects the condition of our skin.
Essential oils can help with emotional states such as stress and anxiety which often negatively impact the condition of our skin. They heal from the inside out.
Serums are lightweight products that are designed to include high-performance active ingredients such as in my Rejuvenating Anti-Aging Facial Serum, which contains Rosehip Oil, Olive Squalane, Coenzyme Q10, and Sea Buckthorn oil, Lavender and Frankincense essential oils, all of which are amazing high-performance ingredients which you can read about here.
Serums are not designed to replace your moisturizer, but instead to be layered with your other products and to work with your moisturizer. A serum is applied after cleansing and toning, but before your moisturizer so that the active ingredients create a layer between your skin and the moisturizer.
They are made to be applied to the face and neck as well as the under-eye area where you can use my De-Puff and Repair Anti-Aging Eye Serum, which contains high-performance ingredients such as Olive Squalene, Pomegranate Seed Oil, and infused Carrot Root Oil (which is full of carotenoids for the tender under-eye area). You can read all about the ingredients here.
Facial serums are full of nourishing plant oils, high-performance oils, and essential oils that work wonders on the skin and will leave you with a radiant complexion in no time! If you’ve never used a facial oil serum on your face before, the idea might seem a bit strange but I urge you to give it a try!
If you’re looking to change up your skincare products and understand what ingredients that you are using on your skin, you may want to try Rain Natural Skincare products.
If you have any questions, send those to hello@raninnaturalskincare.com
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