Facial serum

As defined in the dictionary – a serum is the clear, yellowish fluid obtained upon separating whole blood into its solid and liquid components after it has been allowed to clot, so it is not surprising that the precursors of modern-day serums were based on horse blood, egg albumin, and bovine placenta. Packaging these products in sterile ampoules preserved with oxyquinoline (and later, the invention of parabens) made them available commercially. Ever notice that your most active serums come in the tiniest bottles? This is a practice that stayed with us since the early days of short product shelf life, which meant small batches had to be made and used up quickly before the product spoiled.


Serums have come quite a long way and have evolved greatly since their debut in the 1930s! Yes, believe it or not, that is when the first facial serums began being produced commercially. Of course, the shelf life was very short since they tended to be very susceptible to bacterial and fungal infections, but the principle behind these products was created.




The first serums were formulated to reduce wrinkles and tighten the appearance of the face. These serums were generally based on albumin – the tightening ingredient in egg whites, which have been used by women all over the world for ages as a facial mask. Egg whites were separated from the yolks, whisked up, and applied to the face and neck for 15 to 20 minutes, then washed off with cold water. This produced a lifted and tightened result similar to that of a serum. I vividly remember my mother doing this in the kitchen 25 years ago – her face was always pulled up so much, it meant absolutely no talking for 20 minutes!




So what is so special about serums? The wonderful thing is that they pack a powerful punch of concentrated active ingredients! A serum’s molecule is usually very small and delivers the ingredients to all skin layers without clogging the pores with any oil, glycerin, or other comedogenic fillers. A product like this is usually gel-like and water-based, so it absorbs instantly and does not sit on the surface of the skin. The benefit of this gel-like, oil-free consistency is that, unlike some creams, a serum can be used very closely around the eyes without causing the development of milia and irritation. While younger clients like the tight feeling of an oil-free product such as a serum, older clients may feel like their skin is too dry and in order to replenish, they choose to apply cream over the serum. This is a great way to provide a barrier that keeps the serum from evaporating, as well as provide a double layer of active ingredients (such as peptides and hyaluronic acid).