Autumn rescue remedy
AS the cold starts to creep slowly into my bones, suddenly, the light moisturiser that I’ve been using all summer doesn’t seem to cut it anymore. My skin feels in desperate need of something more comforting and more hydrating. This is where a serum steps in.
I only started using a serum a few years ago. They’re not products you need in your 20s, when it’s easy to overload your skin. But as your skin starts to age, and needs a little extra care, serums really start to come into their own, and now I never go out without one.
A few drops in the morning and evening can make a difference — while a moisturiser sits on top of the skin, the finer texture of a serum allows the ingredients to penetrate deeper. Also, the cocktail of vitamins and antioxidants means that you’re getting more bang for your buck.
Serums are problem-solvers, or at least they aspire to be. These days you can find one to combat everything from dark spots and open pores, to fine lines, spots and dull-looking skin. I use them for deeper hydration and radiance — and now that I’ve re-started using my Trilogy CoQ10 Booster Serum, €29.95, after a break for the summer, I notice a difference in the condition of my skin. Just two or three drops of the liquid gold oil, packed with richly scented essential oils, and you’ve got an instant soother, body and soul.
Of course, while you have to take the miracle claims of some serums with a large pinch of salt, there are some whose promises you can trust.
The Boots Protect & Perfect Intense Beauty Serum, €25, has been clinically proven to reduce lines and wrinkles by up to 50% over four weeks. (Note: the use of the word “up to”, not everyone will see those kinds of results.)
Still, if you’re looking for a serum to reduce wrinkles — Boots’s cult product is the only one I would recommend.
Pitched as an anti-ageing formula, Voya’s My Little Hero Face Serum, €55, delivered more in terms of radianceboosting than wrinkle reducing when I tested it. While it is expensive, the scent of this alone is really gorgeous, and your skin feels boosted and nourished, thanks to the rich blend of organic natural oils.
For problem-solving serums, Clinique is the company to look to. Its Turnaround Concentrate Radiance Renewer, €45, won the Red magazine’s Best of Beauty Award 2012, and is perfect for getting rid of that dull-skin look.
Need something to minimise your pores? Look to Clinique’s Pore Refining Solutions Correcting Serum, €25 — one of the few pore-minimising products that does work. It’s perfect for oily skin and tightens things up effectively, with results visible after about two to three weeks of use.
Don’t forget that overnight is the most effective time to use a beauty product, and there are lots of top-notch serums around specifically created for after dark.
Estee Lauder’s excellent Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex, €50.50, is probably the best known, but there are a good number that effectively focus on skin-problem issues, such as acne.
For treating problems with excess serum and dead-skin cells build-up, Ren Clearcalm 3 Replenishing Night Serum, €25, and StriVectin Overnight Facial Resurfacing Serum, €50.10, are both gentle and effective options.
This organic-certified, all-natural serum uses the bumper antioxidant, acai berry, to give the skin a potent boost of antioxidants. It’s designed to fight the first sign of ageing, as well as restore sun-damaged and environmentstressed skin. Great texture and nice scent.
It’s been around for a long time, and that’s a good thing. It means people are buying it and it works. Okay, so it’s not a miracle worker, but a few drops of this very silky serum at night will make your skin feel and look a lot better in the morning. It’s one of my favourites.
You’re not going to see instant results with this one — it takes at least four weeks of use to make a difference. But the likelihood is that you will see results on skin showing signs of UV damage and ageing — you can’t really argue with that.
High concentrations of vitamin C, released slowly over time on the skin, fight two enemies: ageing and dullness. The very light, satiny serum is instantly absorbed, hydrating and protecting the skin effectively.
There aren’t many serums around the mid-range of the market, but Olay’s 3 Point has been making big waves since its launch. Designed to tackle the three points, the face, neck and decollatage, the serum has “amino-peptides” and claims to deliver firmer looking skin in five days.
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