SERUMS
"Serums have a fundamentally different function than creams. Serums are
meant to penetrate and interact with the skin where as a cream is meant
to form a protective barrier on the skin.
A true serum is thinner in viscosity, has a smaller molecule which
delivers nutrients or other active ingredients. If properly formulated
serums fulfill their intention and interact with the skin in a
fundamental way. As a general rule, most serums are water soluble. When
using serums in a daily regiment, it is important to acknowledge that
there can still be a benefit derived from the addition of a cream as a
protective barrier.
Although there are many creams that have been formulated with similar
ingredients, they cannot function as efficiently as those same
ingredients found in a serum. In short, a serum is the high impact part
of the facial regiment designed to be bio-available to the skin in an
interactive way. A cream serves as the protective barrier holding
nutrients and the moisture in while at the same time helping to protect
from environmental scavengers.
Although there are always new ingredients entering the market " Applier
Beware " many are misleading in their claims for better skin. When
looking for serums, formulation can actually be more important than the
key ingredient. In many cases, companies will add enough of a particular
ingredient to take the benefit of using that "ingredient" as a buzzword
and not give the clients the actual benefits of the ingredient. In order
to function properly, many key ingredients need to be within a certain
percentage range and coupled with the correct complimentary ingredients.
For example; vitamin C is a great topical application for the skin. It
is the only topical ingredient that is accepted by the FDA as being a
collagen stimulant as well as a free radical scavenger. It also has the
benefit of being a natural lightener. That is all great stuff but it
must be between seven to nine percent for efficacy and it is only
bio-available in a water soluble formula. As soon as you add oil for
stabilization, it is no longer bio-available to the skin. The big
challenge with a topical vitamin C is the stabilization of the actual
vitamin C itself because it oxidizes and looses its benefits.
There are some interesting products out there and you might get some
nice response for them but check the formulation because it might have
something else in there that is benefiting your skin. If it works then use
it. I am a huge believer in trying a product, getting past the claims
and relying on the results.
There are some traditional Ingredients that have worked well over the
years in serum format. Because of great leaps in the technology used in
formulations, many of these tried and true ingredients have gotten
better; collagen, actually first came out in a serum form for the
professional industry in 1984. Since then it has had many evolutions as
it waxes and wanes in popularity. We keep coming back because it still
serves several functions in an anti-aging regiment. Vitamin C because of
its water soluble nature must be applied in a serum formulation. As soon
as oil is introduced you maintain the lightening effects but you lose
the bio-availability necessary for collagen production stimulation.
Amino acids, also identified as the building blocks of life are found in
many caviar bases formulation. Their key function is as free radiacal
scavengers and relies on interactions with the dermal structures. Many
times they utilize vitamin E as a support ingredient for stabilization.
Oxygen has proven to be a great ingredient for serums. It has had a
controversial history as a topical skin care application and has gone
through many formulation evolutions. The key question being; how do you
maintain the integrity of a gas in liquid format? Since this is also a
challenge in the medical fields there have been some tremendous leaps in
technology that we in the skin care feild have been able to benefit
from. At this time the carrier that has shown the best measurable
results is proprietary synthetic hemoglobin, just now coming to the U.S.
from Europe.
Things are moving fast in every area of the technological race. In the
business of beauty, the fastest growth of technology will be in the
serum. It is simple formulation that offers the fastest and most obvious
benefits. They are easy to apply and yet maintain their place as the
cutting edge of the skin care industry."
Posted by Barbara Schumann - founder of Touché Beauty and
the Schumann Legacy Foundation.
Some of serums that we carry are:
Stem Factor by Osmosis