Looking Good: To serum with love

It seems to be an inherent part of every beauty regimen nowadays, but what is serum and why do we need it? Experts help explain the ins and outs.

By LAURA TAUB
"Experts say it really is a blessing for your skin" (photo credit: MCT)
"Experts say it really is a blessing for your skin"
(photo credit: MCT)
Cosmetic serum is becoming more and more popular, and experts say it really is a blessing for your skin. It is a product that is typified by rapid absorption and the ability to penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin, and the formula in most serums is very intense. Serums are designed to focus on different actions, such as anti- aging, lifting, brightening, acne prevention, anti-oxidizing, moisturizing, nourishing or energizing. But because of the high concentrations of the active elements, most cosmetic serums contain only a few active ingredients. Therefore, it is very important to know what you expect of your serum and to choose the one that serves your needs.
The highly concentrated active ingredients in serums produce more visible results in less time than most other products.
The downside is that sometimes this high concentration can irritate sensitive skin. So if your skin is sensitive, choose a serum that is suitable.
You can use a serum alone or in addition to your regular skin products. Massaging the serum into the skin can help it penetrate more deeply.
Lancome Absolue Sublime Regenerating Oleo Serum, enriched with precious oils, helps rejuvenate the skin, leaving it more firm and luminous. Results can be seen after the first use. NIS 1,015.
Clarins Double Serum offers a complete anti-aging treatment that includes moisturizing, nourishing, oxygen supplementing, protecting and rejuvenating. The double formula contains oil and water-based serums that are mixed together only when the product is applied to the skin. NIS 495.
Estee Lauder’s New Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II offers help during the night. It repairs whatever damage was done during the day by utilizing the body’s natural processes that take place on the skin during the night. NIS 450.
Yves Saint Laurent has launched Forever Light Creator anti-aging serum, which helps reduce dark spots and uneven skin tone, giving the skin a smooth, glowing look from the first use. NIS 555.
If for you less is more, the Guerlain Super Aqua serum is light yet very effective, making the skin feel velvety soft and replenished.
NIS 700 to NIS 900.
French aromatherapy brand Darphin has a serum that is suitable for combination skin. The Ideal Resource Wrinkle Minimizer Perfecting Serum has a very light texture.
Just three drops are enough. NIS 455.
Nail Studio offers a special nail serum to be applied at night around the nails and on the cuticles.
And serums are now available for hair and nail treatment as well. For example, the Pantene Pro-V Split End Mender Serum helps repair damaged hair and protect it.
Vichy experts Yafit Elimelech of YE, Anat Becker of the Barbur cosmetic center, Simona Shweiki of Nail Studio and Kobi Tiripinto contributed to this article.