Serum? (with drawings!)

When serums hit the market, all of us who were confidently following the old cleanse-tone-moisturize routine made popular by the Clean & Clear of our youth were thrown for a bit of a loop.

Suddenly serums were on every pharmacy shelf and beauty blog, and I was left scratching my head wondering what were they, when to use them and, was this the end of the road for moisturizer?

I’ve come up with an analogy for the two products, which helps you remember when and why to use them (spoiler alert, you need to use both) which hopefully is somewhat helpful, or at least good for a giggle at my drawings.

Imagine that your skin is going for a night out at the pub, except instead of getting hammered, your skin is hoping to repair itself in a classic case of nursing your problems at the local.

Serum is like a shot, it’s crazy concentrated and has the active ingredients only.

You take shots with the intention of putting maximum alcohol into your body, with minimum effort. Your skin uses serum to get maximum active effect to treat problem areas. For example, a serum might be designed to reduce scars and even skin-tone, work on fine lines and wrinkles, or even target acne. Popping a serum on your face first is the equivalent of taking a shot at the start of the night, it gets things off to a great start with a huge concentration of active ingredients.

After your shot, you want something less intense and enjoyable, like a mixed drink, or, in your skin’s case, a moisturizer.

The main purpose of a moisturizer is to hydrate, and protect your skin from the outside elements. A moisturizer can also contain active ingredients, but they’ll be mixed in with hydrating ingredients, so less intense, like a mixed drink. By popping a moisturizer on top of your serum, you build on the active ingredients already there, but also hydrate and protect your skin, so it feels lovely and soft.

In summary, your serum (shot) is the most potent ingredient, it goes straight on clean skin for maximum effect and you only need a tiny bit. As this is the most active element, if you’re going to spend money, spend it on a good serum. 

After your serum comes moisturizer (mixed drink) whose job is to hydrate. You can choose one with active ingredients in it, or a purely hydrating moisturizer. The active ingredients won’t be as potent, so if you’re on a budget it isn't worth spending as much as you would on a serum.  

Now, just in case you can’t get enough of my drawings, here’s the whole thing in a cute printable.

That awkward question.... (cash money)

It's always the way, you're reading about some terrific new product, reviewed by a lovely blogger, it sounds terrific, and you're just about to open your wallet and achieve the skin of your dreams when...

You want me to spend HOW much on a cleanser?

(source)

I've been there, and so, to avoid awkwardness let's talk money.

Unlike your shoes, sixpack or handbag, skin is always visible, particularly to you, and there is something quite lovely about waking up, looking in the mirror and not wincing.

HOWEVER, unlike the lovely Liz Lemon, I'm not dancing under cash, or washing my face with it.

Which means that, if I spend too much on the one product, I just won't use it.

Instead, I'll walk past it and dream of the day when I can use it. Christmas? My birthday? My wedding day? (by which time it will likely be way past use-by)

As a result of my research, I've started to group my skincare into three categories.  I'll be referring to these categories as I blog, hopefully offering options for each level. You can easily access products in a particular group by clicking on the tags at the top of the page.

Save <$30 These are pharmacy favourites, impulse buys, staples. The kind of thing you can pick up on special and use every day, guilt free, or turf if it's not working for you.

Mid-Range- $30-70 More pricy, these guys can be used daily, but you'll need them to be justifying their price and doing some serious heavy lifting, I'll be putting in some research before buying a Mid-Ranger.

Splurge >$70 This is birthday present stuff, if I splurge on something, I've got to absolutely need-it-can't-live-without-it. Serious research and window shopping will occur before a splurge is made, but sometimes, it's absolutely worth it.

(source)

That's all very interesting, but when should I splurge and when should I save?

I've got a bit of an analogy for what I expect from my skincare.

When I was younger, we used to travel a lot, and wherever we went, my mum would always order the most ambitious thing on the menu. Undoubtedly she'd be disappointed. Meanwhile, my brother had a knack for ordering well, because he didn't expect too much

He once told her, the problem, when he was eating a delicious steak and she was battling with some kind of seafood risotto/glue. She expected too much. We were in a pub, a very long way from the ocean, she should have gone with pub food.

I feel the same way about budget skincare.

If you're not paying much, don't expect too much.

I'll go budget when I'm looking for a great cleanser, moisturiser or a really decent daily SPF. That's a pretty basic requirement, clean gunk off my skin, keep hydrated. I'm happy that a good budget buy can do the job (so long as I read the ingredients etc etc)

It is very hard to find a product that will do heavy-lifting and is also cheap, for example, you're not going to be able to fade scars or deal with complex skin issues on the cheap. These things are quite expensive to research, which can translate to pricier products, for that reason I'm happy to splash out on serums or treatments.

Occasionally there is a miraculous cheap product, but it's a gamble, and just like my mum at the pub, you might be stuck with a dud.

So, if you're still with me after all that, here's the summary. Know what you want your skincare to do, and how much you think that costs, then purchase accordingly.

Does that make sense?