You may have heard that “a serum” is the best beauty treatment to promote a youthful glow. Owing to their (sometimes) incredible abilities, serums are indeed a hot item in modern beauty care.. and for good reasons. Can serums benefit your skin? How can you tell which one is right for you? We’ve got all the answers!

Here are some things to consider;

What is a Serum?

The USDA’s FDA does NOT regulate terms, so as always “Buyer Beware” should be kept in mind. (If it looks too good to be true, it probably is). As such, not all serums are created equal.

However, in general, what is meant in the beauty industry, is that: A serum is a concentrated liquid treatment that delivers powerful topical ingredients to your skin, that can target up to 10 layers deep in order to target concerns like wrinkles, discoloration and uneven texture. Serums are typically thinner than a moisturizer, but thicker than a toner or essence.

Serum is a skincare product you apply to your skin after cleansing but before moisturizing with the intent of delivering a high concentration of active ingredients.

As opposed to oils and lotions, and due to the fact that they contain very little in the way of ‘occlusives’ (ie; oils) which can block absorption of nutrients and actives into the dermal cells, whereas ‘moisturizers’ (oils) help retain the imparted nutrients in the skin. This process is great for speeding up the natural skin renewal process and promoting healthy glowing skin.

At @PVO, our potent serums are made with tiny molecules of anti-aging bioactive(s). These ingredients penetrate into the deepest layer of the skin, where they nourish and repair the damaged the cells in the collagen-elastin-hyaluronic acid matrix.

Choosing a Serum for Your Skin or Dosha Type

When it comes to choosing a serum, you should take into consideration your skin type. There are three main types of skin (or in Ayurvedic terms ‘Doshas’):

Dry, fine pored, thin skin, prone to accelerated aging (Vata)
Oily, enlarged pores, blemished, thicker skin (Kapha)
Sensitive, easily irritated skin, prone to Rosacea, redness & roughness (Pitta)

Take this PuraVedaOrganics Dosha Quiz to help you determine what skin type you have and get personalized product recommendations.

Dry Skin (Vata Dosha)

If you are plagued with dry, tight feeling skin, a serum that contains Hyaluronic acid, CoQ10, and Peptides. These ingredients work on fine lines and wrinkles, and help hydrate and restore elasticity and uneven skin tone.

Puraveda Organics’s Award Winning Organic Anti-Aging Serum Bioscience Peptide Complex is formulated with both certified USDA Organic or sustainably wildcrafted (for ingredients so rare or hard to grow that they are not farmed here in the USA) with all-natural ingredients that help soften and minimize deep expression lines and tighten and brighten sagging, dull skin. Follow up by using Puraveda’s Collagen Boost Serum for more mature skin, or Rejuv Serum for younger (under 35) skin.

Sensitive Skin (Pitta Dosha)

For Sensitive skin, it’s important to look for a serum that contains ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid which draws moisture from the air and infuses it into the skin, as well as botanical actives that calm redness and irritation.

At PuraVeda Organcs, our acclaimed SBR Serum (for Sensitive, Blemished, and Rosacea skin) is one of our best selling products as it helps most of our rosacea prone customers attain clear skin that is far less sensitive. This calming serum contains 100% organic ingredients that soothe, hydrate and moisturize.

**Avoid commerical bran serums that contain concentrated glycolic acid, citric acid, lactic acid, and synthetic/ toxic chemicals.

Oily Skin (Kapha Dosha)

Natural serums made with Aloe Vera, Vitamin C, and other anti-aging botanicals are usually non-comedogenic, that is to say, they won’t block pores or interfere with the natural renewal processes in oily skin.

If you have Oily skin (Kapha), look for serums with ingredients like Salicylic acid that help keep your hyperactive sebaceous glands in equilibrium. For Kapha skin, we recommend that you use PVO’s Bioscience Peptide Complex and follow it up with Puraveda Organics’ Rejuv Serum for optimal results.

In our next week’s blog post (Part 2 of the series), we’ll be discussing which ingredients should you look for in a serum, some important things to consider, as well as how to use a serum…