Serum vs Moisturizer
It’s common to feel confused about the various personal care products available in the market, especially when it comes to understanding the difference between serum and moisturizer. People around the world use numerous cosmetic products to care for their facial skin, such as cleansers, toners, serums, and moisturizers. Cleansing and moisturizing the skin daily is essential to prevent skin pores from becoming clogged with dust and other particles. However, many believe that serums and moisturizers serve similar purposes, and using just one of them is enough for skincare. Despite their similarities, there are differences between facial serums and moisturizers that necessitate using both in conjunction with each other on our facial skin. This article will examine these differences more closely.
What is Serum?
Serum is a thick liquid face care product containing vitamins and other ingredients designed to address problem areas of the facial skin. It has antioxidants, and its small molecular structure allows it to penetrate deep into the skin to remedy issues such as dark spots, redness, wrinkles, acne, and dark circles. These liquid skincare products also include moisturizers. Serums are popular because they can reach the layer of skin called the dermis, healing the skin from within.
What is Moisturizer?
As the name suggests, a moisturizer contains ingredients to remove skin dryness. It is a cosmetic product applied to the skin to replenish moisture lost when facing external elements and sunlight. Moisturizers contain natural oils and creams to make the skin soft and smooth. A moisturizer’s molecular structure is too large to penetrate the outer skin, providing skincare from the outside only. A moisturizer hydrates the skin from the outside.
What is the difference between Moisturizer and Serum?
- Serum is a facial skincare product with a small molecular structure, allowing it to penetrate the second layer of the skin, the dermis.
- Moisturizer is a product with a large molecular structure that prevents it from penetrating the skin. It works at the level of the epidermis only.
- Serum provides skincare, reaching under the epidermis.
- Serum is like providing vitamins to the inside skin, while moisturizer is providing hydration and moisturization to the outer skin.
- Moisturizer is used to prevent skin dryness and hydrate it from the outside, while serum moisturizes the skin from the inside.
- Moisturizer is like outer clothes, while serum is like undergarments.
- Serum should be applied first, followed by moisturizer a few minutes later.
- Both are complementary to each other, though for people with oily skin, serum alone may be enough.
- Serums are needed to treat underlying skin problems as they contain vitamins and other skin nutrients.
- Moisturizer cannot penetrate the skin, whereas serum can.
