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Known for their concentrated formulas and potent actives, face serums play an important role in any skin care regimen. “Skin care companies are always innovating when it comes to serums, which makes it an exciting category to keep up with,” says board-certified dermatologist and LovelySkin CEO Dr. Joel Schlessinger. If you’re starting to add them to your daily skin care routine, you might be wondering how to layer serums, or whether you can mix face serums together. With the help of Dr. Schlessinger, we’ll navigate all of your serum-related questions, including:
If you’re pressed for time, you might be wondering if you can speed up your skin care routine by mixing one or more serums together and applying them at once. You might have seen the practice of “serum cocktailing”—which involves mixing drops of multiple serums together in the palm of your hand—on social media and are wondering whether it’s a good idea.
“Mixing serums might seem like a time-saver, but I’m not necessarily a huge proponent of it, mostly for practical reasons,” Dr. Schlessinger says. “Skin care manufacturers take great care to formulate their products in a specific manner and mixing serums together has the potential to affect how each serum works. Even if two serums are OK to mix, having multiple dropper bottles uncapped on your counter at the same time is risky. It can expose the delicate formulas to air for longer than necessary, which can degrade some active ingredients. There’s also a greater chance of breaking a glass dropper or spilling, which is unfortunate because serums aren’t inexpensive, and no one wants to see their favorite serum go down the drain.”
Yes, absolutely! If you want to use more than one facial serum in your skin care routine, you can layer one after the other. When it comes to how to layer serums, a good rule of thumb is to start with the thinnest formula first. After waiting a few minutes for the first serum to absorb, you can move onto the next.
However, not all serums play well together when it comes to layering. “I wouldn’t suggest layering two serums with strong exfoliating ingredients, such as glycolic acid and retinol, because you may overdo it on the exfoliation and end up irritating your skin,” Dr. Schlessinger says. “Instead, you might try using those serums on alternating days.”
When it comes to how to layer serums, we have a few favorite match-ups to consider from SkinCeuticals, Vichy and La Roche-Posay. If you’re looking to double up on benefits in your routine and wondering which serums can be used together, these pairs are safe and beneficial to layer one after another during a single skin care session.
In the morning after you’ve cleansed your face and waited a few minutes for your skin to dry, it’s time to apply this anti-aging serum with 0.5% ferulic acid, 15% vitamin C and 1% vitamin E. This antioxidant-rich formula helps neutralize free radicals in the upper layer of your skin to help prevent signs of visible aging from sun exposure and environmental aggressors. It also helps brighten skin and diminish fine lines and wrinkles over time.
This hydrating serum from SkinCeuticals has a unique gel texture, just right for applying after C E Ferulic has fully absorbed. It helps visibly firm and hydrate the surface of your skin with hyaluronic acid, licorice root and Proxylane to create a smooth canvas for makeup application.
Bonus: Another option for a vitamin C/hyaluronic acid pairing is Vichy Mineral 89 Hydration & Radiance Set, which pairs Vichy LiftActiv Vitamin C and Vichy Mineral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum in one convenient set.
At night after cleansing and toning, apply three to four drops of this hydrating serum to your face and neck. A combination of pure hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5 helps improve loss of volume by leaving your skin looking more plump and smooth.
After your application of Hyalu has had a few moments to absorb, it’s time to layer on this retinol serum. This formula includes pure retinol and time-released retinol to help reduce the appearance of premature sun damage, including discoloration, dull texture and fine lines.
To help improve the appearance of dark spots and dull texture, you can use this facial serum once daily as part of your morning or evening skin care routine. It combines two powerful alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), glycolic acid and kojic acid, with vitamin B5 to help promote cellular turnover and prevent melanin production and improve the appearance of dark spots over time.
The second step in a one-two punch against dark spots, this serum relies on 10% niacinamide to help fade existing dark spots and help prevent new ones from forming. In a clinical study, users noticed a 35% improvement in the size, shape and color of dark spots after eight weeks of using the serum followed by a three-week break.
The first step in a two-pronged defense against discoloration, this antioxidant-packed anti-aging serum helps target uneven skin tone, fine lines and wrinkles with 10% vitamin C, 2% phloretin and 0.5% ferulic acid. In addition to applying this serum to your face, you can also dab it in your neck, chest and backs of your hands.
Created to layer with Phloretin CF, this face serum helps improve the appearance of discoloration types that can be notoriously hard to treat, such as post-acne marks and stubborn brown patches. A combination of niacinamide, kojic acid, tranexamic acid and HEPES work together to help reduce discoloration and promote a more even skin tone.
Bonus: The SkinCeuticals Discoloration Prevent & Correct Set includes these two facial serums along with a daily facial sunscreen, SkinCeuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense Sunscreen.
Now that you know which serums can be used together from SkinCeuticals, Vichy and La Roche-Posay, take some time to check out the best tinted sunscreens from these three brands.
Aaron serves as Editor at LovelySkin. Since graduating from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2016 with degrees in Creative Writing and English, he has immersed himself in the beauty industry. When he’s not writing about the latest beauty trends, he spends time cuddling his dogs, scouring antique stores, playing tennis and hiking.
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