Do you: need a serum?

With the end of summer time over the weekend, it’s increasingly hard to evade seasonal changes in our procession to winter.  As outside temperatures turn chillier and the central heating goes on, you may find your skin acting a bit differently.  Generally, the easiest way to deal with the cold is by using a richer night cream to help you combat dryness. 
 
But sometimes this doesn’t solve your problems.  Perhaps you’re seeing other changes in your skin. Are you noticing a few fine lines or maybe a lack of brightness or even some breakouts?  Any of these or other concerns could be an indication that your skin needs a little extra TLC and this is where a serum can prove invaluable.
 
Serums draw upon a variety of ingredients to boost your skin’s appearance and activity.  These ingredients include peptides or amino acids to help combat ageing, antioxidants to help eliminate environmental free radicals that attack your skin and hydralators or extra hydration to plump your skin. 

While your moisturiser may be providing some of these ingredients, the joy of a serum is that it focuses solely on specialty skin concerns.  Because it is not tasked with moisturising, it can pack in more targeted elements to help restore your glow.
 
The other thing to love about serum is how easy it is to apply.  While it can be applied on its own under moisturiser, to save time, I usually mix it with my moisturiser in my hands and then apply them together.  Two steps combined into one?  Brilliant!  Plus studies show that the skin is well capable of taking in ingredients from multiple products simultaneously. 
 
While I have long known and loved using serum in my routine (particularly at night when the skin is most receptive to active ingredients), I inexplicably dropped its daily application a while back.  As summer began to fade, my skin seemed in need of a boost and so I restarted with my serum and am delighted with the results.  Within just a couple weeks of use, my skin is smoother and more illuminated and my make-up applies more evenly.
 
With these improvements realised, you may wonder if I will end serum usage.  To this I say, not again.  I definitely don’t want to lose the improvements I have seen and using serum daily is the best way to keep the gains on track. 

Think of serum application like drinking a green smoothie: incredibly good for you and best when done daily.  Consider this for a moment.  Don’t you feel great when you start your day with your specially created concoction?   To keep that healthy feeling, your body requires regular consumption because it puts the nutrients to immediate use, rather than storing them for a rainy day.  Same goes for serum.  Your skin will make use of it immediately, so daily application ensures that you will see and feel the aftereffects.
 
Ready to give it a try and need a serum to add to your routine?  One of the best-loved and highly recommended is Advanced Night Repair from Estee Lauder.  Their counters are usually very generous with samples of this product if you want to give it a try before you buy.  I’ve also used and enjoyed offerings from Indeed Labs, Hylamide and Super Facialist.  They can be found on the high street and each have a few options available, so you can choose a serum that’s perfect for your specific needs.