Serums are typically thinner and lighter while moisturizers are thicker and creamier. Serums are manufactured to treat skin problems created deep inside your skin while moisturizers hold the moisture in the skin.

Usage: Skincare Serums Vs Moisturizers

The serums are better used at night due to the negative effect of Ultra Violet Light from the sunlight on skin. They are also better applied at night to allow their penetration through the skin in order to be more effective. They contain fewer thickeners and lubricating agents. Serums are mainly used to repair the skin damaged by the sun, reducing wrinkles, skin tightening among others.

Different Between How Serums Vs Moisturizers Work

Moisturizers are designed to work on the top layer of skin. They are meant to retain the moisture inside the skin by having the ingredients which stop dehydration like petroleum and mineral oil which prevents moisture from evaporating. This makes the skin smooth and hydrated thereby retaining the youthful look. Although some moisturizer manufacturers add some anti-aging ingredients to them, they must be mixed with a serum to work effectively on difficult skin problems.

Due to the problems, they solve and the ingredients used in manufacturing them, serums tend to be more expensive than moisturizers. However, the serums are used in low quantity making them last longer as compared to moisturizers.

Do I Need Both Serum and Moisturizer at the Same Time?

When using both serum and moisturizer at the same time, you apply the serum first. Moisturizers are designed to condition the top layers of skin part, apply a small amount of the serum directly on your skin. Once it is absorbed into the skin then you can apply the moisturizer. This is because serums are manufactured to penetrate deep into the skin in order to deal with the problem.

Can I Skip Serum and Use Moisturizers?

The moisturizers are applied after the serum because they can push blood into the inner part of the skin through the capillary contraction, therefore, hastening the absorption of the serum’s agents hence making it more effective.

Mixing Serum with Moisturizers – How to Get the Best from Your Serum or Moisturizer Cream

Some skin problems can be very tricky for example the dry skin. While anti-aging products can be very useful, we should not forget other things we can do for the nourishment of our skin. Drinking enough water, working on the nutrition, getting enough rest, avoid staying on direct heat or Ultra Violet Light for a long time, and getting your blood pumping well through exercise. Such habits also play a very big part in the betterment of our skin health.

Serums are mainly used to repair the skin damaged by the sun through its ultraviolet rays, reducing wrinkles, skin tightening among others

Bottom Line

If you have a skin problem especially aging signs like fine lines and wrinkles or even other problems like dark spots, then adding serum and moisturizer to your daily routine can help in skincare. If your skin is very oily then you will not need to use moisturizer, but for those with dry skin then combining serum and moisturizer will have a very good effect on their skin.

During the cold season, it’s very advisable to use a moisturizer over the serum for extra hydration, to help your skin cope with changing temperature and dryness during that time.

If you put the moisturizer under very cold temperature, the coldness of the cream when applied on top of your serum pushes the blood into the inner parts of the skin through the capillary contraction, boosting the penetration of the ingredients serum thus increasing effectiveness.

Reference;

• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0041008X03004952?via%3Dihub
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2014387/
• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7498985_The_clinical_benefit_of_moisturizers