Layering and mixing merchandise, particularly serums, has change into a preferred skincare pattern currently. It’s typically known as a “cocktailing” since you mix serums or merchandise to create a bespoke combine in your pores and skin. At first look, it might seem to be a fantastic concept. In any case, there are such a lot of high-performance skincare elements on the market nowadays, why not add a lot of them collectively to present your pores and skin as many advantages as attainable?
Whereas I perceive the enchantment of this method, sadly, the truth is that you could be not be maximizing the advantages of your skincare routine as a lot as you assume. Hold studying to study why you would possibly need to reserve your cocktailing for a contented hour and never your pores and skin!
What Is A Pores and skin Serum?
A serum is a skincare product normally with a water, gel, or mild lotion consistency that comprises a excessive focus of efficiency elements. It positively boosts the outcomes of your pores and skin routine when used beneath a moisturizer or remedy masks. Whereas utilizing a cleanser, toner, and moisturizer remains to be the inspiration of a stable routine, serums are a tremendous addition.
Layering Skincare Serums
So let’s say that you’ve got a serum with 10% Niacinimide, (a vitamin B3 ingredient), and also you layer it on to the pores and skin after cleaning and firming. Then after that, you layer on a serum that comprises 15% vitamin C. For the reason that first serum did a lot of the penetration with some leftover residue nonetheless sitting on the pores and skin’s floor, the vitamin C serum could also be much less efficient by way of dilution from the earlier serum since you will have minimized the quantity of penetration that may be delivered. This might imply that the vitamin C is now half much less efficient or probably even a lot much less.
What’s essential to grasp is that tempting as it might be to load up on a number of skin-improving elements with totally different merchandise, do not forget that your pores and skin can solely take in a lot directly. Consider your pores and skin as a sponge; in some unspecified time in the future, a sponge has absorbed all it will probably and water begins simply pouring over it. This finally occurs together with your pores and skin as effectively. Belief me, by utilizing every part however the kitchen sink in your pores and skin directly, you’ll simply find yourself throwing your cash down the drain and this is without doubt one of the foremost issues I see with layering serums.
What’s extra, many serums embody very energetic elements. Once you apply too many robust elements to the pores and skin directly, you run the danger of irritation which is able to solely trigger harm and undo all the nice you have been making an attempt to do together with your serums.
In the event you do insist on layering, apply one product at a time, however make sure that it’s from thinnest to thickest. It’s finest to use mild, water-based merchandise first (as a result of their quick penetration and smaller molecular construction), then work your method as much as a heavier, lotion-based product.
Mixing Skincare Serums
After all, each good skincare routine consists of a number of steps and subsequently a number of merchandise. You could find numerous skincare “cocktail” recipes on-line nowadays, most of which counsel really mixing two or three several types of merchandise collectively within the palm of your hand then making use of that combination to your face.
Mixing elements collectively in your arms simply isn’t going to provide the finest outcomes both as a result of, within the case of serums, you’ll get half the outcomes from every serum due to dilution. Once more, losing your cash by not getting the absolutely supposed outcomes from the product.
Let me additionally make this level. Not all serums are created equally. Chemically talking, one system could also be designed to offer supply in a sure mechanism and one other product might not have the identical penetration enhancers. So if you’re mixing them collectively (and diluting them, too) you could be dropping efficacy. This isn’t simply by way of dilution however as a result of you will have minimized the quantity of penetration that may occur on the pores and skin which can be required, the place different elements could also be effective sitting on the pores and skin and having extra time to do their job. Finally, the combined serum is confused and simply doesn’t know what’s it’s imagined to do.
Lastly, when you’re mixing water-based merchandise with oil or emollient-based merchandise this technique isn’t environment friendly both since finally oil and water don’t combine collectively simply—actually not within the palm of your arms.
What’s the Finest Technique for Getting a Full Spectrum of Advantages from Your Skincare Serums?
Whereas it’s true that the most effective advantages come from a wide range of energetic elements, right here’s the easiest way to include them efficiently into your routine.
Use Your Serums in Rotation
As an alternative of utilizing a number of serums directly, I’ve at all times promoted utilizing serums in rotation and specializing in one particular want every night time.
I like to think about it as figuring out; you need a wide range of totally different workouts on totally different days that each one work collectively to provide the finest finish end result, which within the case of bodily health, is a match, toned physique. The identical goes in your pores and skin. It requires a wide range of elements in an effort to create constructive change to look and feels its finest.
Here’s what I counsel doing. First, use a retinol serum for 2 nights. It takes about 48 hours for that retinol to extend cell turnover from inside and push the outdated pores and skin cells to the floor. At this level, two nights later, you’ll need to use an exfoliating acid serum with lactic and glycolic acids, and perhaps salicylic acid when you’re susceptible to clogged pores. This serum will dissolve the outdated, expired pores and skin cells, even when you don’t visibly see any floor dryness. On the subsequent night time after you’ve exfoliated with the serum, I prefer to advocate a nourishing serum with elements like peptides, antioxidants, and hydrators to fortify the pores and skin. Once you use such a product, it should work actually successfully for the brand new, contemporary cells to make sure they’re getting what they should thrive.
After all, the serums you employ will rely in your pores and skin sort and its particular wants, and you’ll at all times tailor your serums to what your pores and skin requires in the intervening time. Usually, I discover that specializing in one serum an evening and letting it do its job is the most effective technique. By rotating serums that present particular advantages to the pores and skin, you may really get the most effective, most well-rounded outcomes.
Look For a Effectively-Formulated Serum With Many Useful Components
I discover loads of manufacturers currently specializing in a single “hero” ingredient, then together with that ingredient in a serum at a excessive share. We’re wired to assume that the extra of one thing we’re getting, the higher it is going to be. However on the subject of ingredient percentages, increased isn’t at all times higher. I see this pattern of excessive percentages extra as a advertising and marketing push. In any case, the skincare trade is so saturated that manufacturers should do one thing to set themselves aside from the gang from a advertising and marketing perspective.
What I counsel in search of as an alternative is a well-rounded serum that may finally profit your pores and skin in additional methods than one. For instance, these exfoliating acid serums embody elements like glycerin, allantoin, and aloe to appease and hydrate, offsetting any probably irritating results from the acids. This retinol serum consists of anti-aging peptides to reinforce the general firming impact of the system in addition to hydrators to make it simply tolerated by delicate pores and skin.
A well-formulated serum is not going to must be blended with different serums as a result of it needs to be doing a number of issues directly anyway. Notice: At all times use a moisturizer over a serum to lock it into the pores and skin.
Study extra about the most effective order to use your merchandise in for the excellent morning routine and the excellent night routine.
Sunscreen Blended with Different Components—NOT a Match Made in Heaven
I do need to make a separate notice about this as a result of it’s so essential. I’ve seen movies on Youtube of individuals mixing serums, moisturizers, and oils into their sunscreen earlier than making use of it. Usually talking, you by no means need to combine your sunscreen with some other product since you run the danger of not getting the complete SPF quantity listed on the bottle. Sunscreen is an FDA-approved drug and mixing different merchandise into it’s simply not observe. Once more, layering is the most effective method, and a beneficiant coat of sunscreen needs to be your last software within the morning.
I like to recommend in search of a facial sunscreen with a hydrating base, this manner you may keep away from layering too many heavy merchandise beneath your SPF.
Backside Line
It’s turning into a giant pattern to combine and layer merchandise right into a bespoke cocktail in your pores and skin, however this isn’t the easiest way to maximise pores and skin well being—or your pockets. First, be conscious that your pores and skin can solely take in a lot at one time. Second, do not forget that mixing elements in your toilet isn’t the identical as mixing elements in a lab. (You would possibly need to learn why I’m NOT a fan of DIY at-home recipes!) It’s essential to distinguish between reality and pattern and notice that layering on extra merchandise isn’t assured to present your pores and skin higher outcomes. That is why I at all times counsel following the producer’s instructions for utilization.
I hope you discovered this put up useful and loved my tackle the skincare cocktailing pattern! #ObeyRenee 🙂
Celeb Esthetician & Skincare Professional
As an esthetician educated in beauty chemistry, Renée Rouleau has spent 30 years researching pores and skin, educating her viewers, and constructing an award-winning line of merchandise. Trusted by celebrities, editors, bloggers, and skincare obsessives across the globe, her huge real-world data and fixed analysis are why Marie Claire calls her “essentially the most passionate pores and skin practitioner we all know.”
