WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SKIN SERUMS, ELIXIRS AND FACE OILS?
When it comes to skin care, one of the most important and beneficial products you can add as part of your daily routine is a skin serum or face oil. Differentiating these products can be tricky in that there are three commonly used terms to describe them - serums, elixirs and face oils. What’s the difference, and how do you know which one is right for you?
Despite the sometimes confusing naming structure, there is an easy way to differentiate between skin serums, face oils and elixirs, and the simple answer is by water content. When applying skin care products, it’s typically recommended to apply products in order from lightest to heaviest. For most people and with most products, this looks like cleanser, toner, water based skin serums, moisturizer and then finishing with treatment products like face oils.
If a serum, elixir or face oil has water listed in its ingredients, this product is typically of lower viscosity or thickness, and would be applied prior to a richer, more deeply hydrating product like moisturizer. If a skin serum or face oil is formulated without water, it was blended to provide nourishing and supportive treatment to the skin, intended as the final step in your skin care routine. The easiest way to determine where a skin serum-type product should be placed in your skin care regimen is by checking the ingredients label for the presence of water.
LEARN MORE ABOUT SKIN SERUMS AND HOW THEY CAN ENHANCE YOUR SKIN CARE ROUTINE
Skin serums, elixirs and face oils can enhance the look and feel of your skin by providing vitamins and nutrients that help improve skin’s overall appearance. These products tend to be blended with a number of plant-derived ingredients that often contain antioxidants which can help combat the ill effects of free radicals and environmental stressors, helping to keep skin looking and feeling healthy. Antioxidants help to prevent damage to the skin’s cells, improve the skin’s elasticity and plumpness and help to visibly reduce premature signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles. In short, these are the products that give you the most bang for your buck in having a positive impact on the overall health of your skin.
We’ve recently launched a brand new line of skin care products that was formulated to support different skin types, conditions and skin care goals. Below we’re introducing you to our three new face oils and some of their key ingredients.
INTRODUCING THREE NEW SKIN SERUMS
We’re excited to share more information about the face oils that have recently joined our skin care collection. These products are highly efficacious at helping target certain concerns in the skin like hydration, the appearance of even skin tone, supporting plump, supple skin as well as minimizing the appearance of certain signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles. We’ve carefully selected the carrier oils, plant derivatives and essential oils we feel best address the skin and help encourage a healthy, happy complexion.
Glow On Face Oil was formulated for normal/combination skin and is blended to have a fresh, green and herbal aroma. Some of the key ingredients included in the Glow On formula are as follows:
Plant Squalane: fermented from cane sugar, provides non-oily hydration, reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, non-comedogenic and non-clogging to the pores, helps control oil production, mimics your skin’s natural oils, excellent emollient
Raspberry Seed Oil: antioxidant-rich oil pressed from upcycled seeds diverted from food waste, nourishing, protective, helps protect against free radicals and airborne environmental stressors, boosts collagen and elastin for the appearance of firmer skin, has natural SPF/sun protectant properties
Parsley Seed Oil: high in vitamin C and antioxidants, provides support in minimizing the occurrence of blemishes and breakouts, balances oil production, decreases the appearance of agitated skin like inflammation, reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by protecting the skin against environmental stressors
Calm-O-Mile Face Oil was formulated for sensitive/irritated skin and is blended to have a mild, floral and herbal aroma that is delicate enough for those prone to sensitivities from fragrance. Some of the key ingredients in the Calm-O-Mile formula are as follows:
Camellia Seed Oil: contains high levels of fatty acids to hydrate while providing a non-oily feeling, naturally high in antioxidants and rich in vitamins A & B, anti-aging abilities like improving the skin’s elasticity and helping to reduce the formation of fine lines and wrinkles
Evening Primrose Oil: rich in gamma linolenic acid to renew the skin and provide deep hydration, high in omega-6 fatty acids to improve hydration and elasticity and decrease the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
Blue Chamomile Essential Oil: chock full of powerful antioxidants that are effective at reducing the appearance of redness, broken capillaries and inflamed skin. Known for being soothing, improving dryness and helping to calm the skin
True Dew Face Oil was formulated for dry/mature skin and is blended to have a rosy, sweet and floral aroma. Some of the key ingredients in the True Dew formula are as follows:
Pomegranate Seed Oil: antioxidant-rich oil, has anti-aging properties, is abundant in vitamin C and offers nourishing, regenerating and antioxidant rich renewing properties to promote plump, glowing skin
Prickly Pear Seed Oil: rich in vitamins E & K and antioxidants, hydrating, reduces the prevalence of skin damage by calming the appearance of inflammation, helps to restore elasticity and brightens the skin, gentle and is safe for all skin types
Rose Otto Essential Oil: promotes a youthful, toned appearance and helps skin remain plump and supple through the appearance of improved elasticity. Uplifts, rejuvenates and renews the skin for softness, smoothness and optimal hydration
All of our face oils are formulated as 100% oil based products and are intended for use as the final step in your skin care routine. We encourage you to pat and press 3-5 drops of oil into your face after cleansing and hydrating, allowing for 3-5 minutes to pass prior to applying SPF products or makeup. Because of the nature of face oils requiring time for absorption, we often recommend using a face oil as part of your nighttime routine.
FACIAL CLEANSERS TO COMPLEMENT YOUR SKIN SERUM
As the first step in any skin care routine, selecting a good quality facial cleanser with efficacious ingredients is the key to healthy looking and feeling skin. As part of our recent skin care launch, we’ve formulated four 100% natural and plant-derived cleansers to meet your skin care goals.
Glow On oil cleanser: a first of its kind at Saje, this oil cleanser was formulated to be used as a primary facial cleanser or as step one in a double cleanse skin care routine for those with normal/combination skin types. Blended with plant squalane, oat kernel extract, parsley seed oil and elemi essential oil, this cleanser is rapidly absorbed into the skin and helps to balance natural oil production.
Calm-O-Mile gel cleanser: formulated for those with sensitive/irritated skin, this fresh, mild and gentle gel cleanser is blended with jojoba oil, aloe vera juice, sunflower seed oil and blue chamomile essential oil to to purify, hydrate and nourish sensitive skin prone to dryness and redness.
True Dew cream cleanser: formulated for dry/mature skin types, this rich, nourishing and protective cream cleanser is blended with skin quenching ingredients like avocado oil, coconut oil, safflower seed oil and rose otto essential oil to cleanse and hydrate for smooth, glowing skin.
Claritea gel cleanser: formulated for oily, blemish and acne prone skin types, this refreshing and clarifying gel cleanser is blended with jojoba oil, plant squalane, sunflower seed oil and tea tree essential oil to leave the face feeling soothed, renewed and toned.
FACIAL MOISTURIZERS TO COMPLEMENT YOUR SKIN SERUM
Post-cleansing and pre-skin serum or face oil, a nutrient dense, deeply nourishing and supportive facial moisturizer is an equally important part of a good quality skin care routine. The inner layers of our skin are what’s referred to as hydrophilic, which means that they are water loving. A good quality water-based moisturizer helps pull water deep into your skin, which helps create the appearance of soft, supple and dewy skin. Moisturizers and face oils are different types of products, and are both important to your skin care routine; water based moisturizer will help treat dryness deep into the inner layers of your skin and oil based face oils will help act as a barrier protecting your skin on the outer layers, allowing moisture to be retained.
Glow On moisturizer: this 100% natural moisturizer is packed with antioxidants like raspberry seed oil, shea nut butter and petitgrain essential oil, making it perfect for giving all skin types a healthy glow.
Calm-O-Mile moisturizer: this calming, delicate moisturizer was formulated for sensitive or irritated skin. Calendula oil boosts the skin’s natural ability to heal while apricot kernel oil and both blue and roman chamomile essential oils soothe and calm redness and dryness.
True Dew moisturizer: formulated for dry or mature skin, this luxurious moisturizer contains hyaluronic acid for hydration and antioxidant-rich rosehip oil to protect against environmental stressors, hydrate, and soothe inflamed skin.
Claritea moisturizer: this lightweight, soothing moisturizer is perfect for acne/blemish prone and oily skin types looking to add moisture while clarifying and revealing clear, fresh and balanced skin.
LIFESTYLE TIPS FOR INCORPORATING SKIN SERUM INTO YOUR DAILY ROUTINE
When looking to add a skin serum, elixir or face oil to your daily skin care routine, there are certain steps that will make your transition seamless. Here are our best tips for application:
- Less is more. You can add more product to the skin, but you can’t subtract. Try applying just 3-5 drops of the product at a time and adjust as necessary. Remember that products like face oil don’t need to saturate the whole of your face, they only need to add a thin layer of coverage.
- Try tapping. Rather than rubbing face oil into the skin the way you might with cleanser or moisturizer, try applying the oil to the fingertips, emulsifying in the hands and tapping or pressing gently into the skin. This helps avoid any pulling or tearing of the skin, while allowing the product to spread and be absorbed.
- Give it time. Speaking of absorption, a best practice when applying face oil in the daytime is to allow 3-5 minutes after application prior to applying makeup or SPF products. The same rule applies to nighttime application; to avoid staining your pillowcase or bedding, try to complete your bedtime routine up to 30 minutes before you intend to drift off to dreamland.
I like my skin best when it's clean and glowy, and that comes from sleep, hydration, and happiness.
—Tracee Ellis Ross
