Layer your serums right, look like Song Hye Kyo
Beauty people, I’m going on the assumption that you’re already accustomed to serum application (after cleanser and softener, before emulsion and moisturiser, for the record) but what about the subtler art of layering multiple serums effectively?
Advanced-level beauty students, pens and notebooks at the ready. To decode the serum sequence, we need to figure out what goes where. This is a gross simplification, of course, but we can divvy up the skin into three sections, starting from the innermost layer: The dermis, the basal layer and finally, the epidermis.
RULE #1. ANTI-AGING BEFORE BRIGHTENING
Next, we’ll have to sort out the precise properties of the serums in question. For the purposes of this story, we’ll stick to two types: Anti-aging and brightening. Josephine Lim, Sisley Singapore’s PR and training manager, says we should always apply the former right after cleansing and softening: “Anti-aging serums come first as they usually target the dermis, which is of course the deepest part of the skin.”
Product recommendation-wise, Sisleyouth is a superb entry-level product if you’re navigating that awkward transitory phase between oily pubertal and dry aging skin. Meant for use from the age of 25, this silky salve is shot through with pea and soy peptide extracts said to sop up stress-induced free radicals and ward off early wrinkles.
Alright, so we should apply anti-aging serums first. Got it. What next? If you’re also battling blemishes and sun spots, now is the time to smooth on a brightening serum. Here’s Josephine of Sisley again: “Follow up with a whitening serum, as whitening products work on the pigment-creating melanocytes found in the basal layer, which is above the dermis.”
Translation: Let anti-aging products work their magic on the innermost layer of the skin, then top up with a spot corrector aimed at the pigment cells in the layer above. Incredibly intuitive if you think about it, yes.
That’s all fine and dandy, but because I’m an unabashedly kiasu Singaporean, I like to take it several steps further and apply two brightening serums at once. Try warming up two droplets each of Laneige’s White Plus Renew Original Essence and Sulwhasoo’s Snowise EX Whitening Serum, both of which are absolutely stuffed with botanical brightening boosters the likes of green tea, truffle yeast and white ginseng. Very Korean, very effective, at least for yours truly!
Bonus: Josephine also recommends bridging the gap between serum and moisturiser with an emulsion courtesy of Sisley’s Ecological Compound. Billed as a “balancing treatment for all skin types”, this comfortably creamy concoction comes with a potpourri of plant extracts to prep and prime your skin for the thicker-textured night ointments to come.
RULE #2. LIGHTER BEFORE HEAVIER TEXTURES
Not sure how to actually apply your product? To get the most bang out of your beauty buck, try this technique courtesy of Alyssa Ng, Estee Lauder Singapore’s senior field education executive: “Dispense five drops of a serum like the Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II into your hands, then trace a heart radiating from the centre of your face out towards your ears.”
“Finish by ‘closing’ the heart at your chin and sliding your fingers down the sides of your neck.” This massage method aids in draining excess fluid from your face, and makes for a seriously relaxing ritual at the end of the day.
If all of this sounds like much too much, guess what? You may be right. Alyssa says she’s of the less-is-more school of thought: “At Estee Lauder, we recommend using just one serum tailored to your specific skin concern.”
Her one concession? If you have multiple skin concerns and insist on using more than one serum, Alyssa recommends starting with the lightest textured out of the lot and working your way up.
#RULE 3. STICK TO ONE SERUM, FOR GOODNESS’ SAKE
Or really, use one do-it-all superhero serum like the ridiculously rich-sounding Re-Nutriv Ultimate Diamond Sculpting Refinishing Dual Infusion. This is a double-barrelled beauty of a contraption comprising a vial each of an anti-aging black truffle extract and a radiance-enhancing 24K gold blend, which you pump into your palm before massaging into your face. Easy-peasy, if more than a little posh.
So, to recap. Two competing approaches to follow here: First, if you must layer your serums, start with an anti-aging (or silkier) formula before proceeding to a brightening (or creamier) one. Alternatively, simply select a single serum that addresses all your needs. Not too hard, yes. Bookmark this story for future reference, and good luck. Beauty class dismissed!
Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II, $150, and Re-Nutriv Ultimate Diamond Sculpting Refinishing Dual Infusion, $720, are available at all Estee Lauder counters. For more information, visit www.esteelauder.com.sg and follow Estee Lauder Singapore on Facebook.
Laneige White Plus Renew Original Essence, $78, is available at all Laneige counters. For more information, visit www.laneige.com.sg and follow the brand on Facebook.
Sisley Sisleyouth, $240, and Ecological Compound, $275 for 125 ml and $166 for 50 ml, are available at all Sisley counters. For more information, visit www.sisley-cosmetics.com/sg-sg.
Sulwhasoo Snowise EX Whitening Serum, $268, is available at Sulwhasoo counters. For more information, visit www.sulwhasoo.com.sg and follow the brand on Facebook.