Serums - an expensive waste of money?

I am with Wilmaknickersfit on this.

I think the honest answer is that the potential costs of fancy products do not really work much better than a basic moisturiser.

Such as Aqueous Cream BP. No perfumes and minimal ingredients.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6498421.stm

phys.org/news/2011-02-anti-aging-skin-creams-dermatologists.html

www.health.harvard.edu/family_health_guide/moisturizers-do-they-work
Sorry to disillusion people.
I am sure belief and the price of these items might influence the perception of their effect.

Just like red placebo tablets or the bigger tablets seem to be reported as more effective than smaller plain tablets of the same product.

I use Espa cleanser, occasional face mask and moisturiser which I discovered at a spa facial last summer. They are expensive but a tiny amount goes a long way and my ageing skin has become much firmer. They send me samples of 'serum', which to me just seems like a body oil and not very effective. My use of these products is not about anyone judging me for my looks but feeling good about myself.

I am 73 and have used Boots Protect and Perfect serum range since it was first introduced. I now use the latest Advanced version which is suitable for more mature skins. I can honestly say it has worked wonders for me. I have very few lines and my skin is good and am often taken as being younger than my years. I have always moisturised my skin since my early 20s (when I used the original pink Oil of Olay) and always use a sun factor moisturiser if I am going outside, even in the winter.
I have tried other brands (often far more expensive) but always return to the Boots range that suits my skin, and it works.

I tried a few different serums in a random irregular sort of manner until I discovered one which I now couldn't live without.

I've no idea if it makes me look better but I put it on every morning after I've splashed my face and instantly feel human, energised and ready to face the day. So far as I'm concerned it's magic.

A couple of friends who I've given this to as gifts ~ have then gone on to buy it for themselves afterwards, once the one I gave them ran out. Its about £25 a go,which seems very pricey to me, but it lasts for ages as you only use a tiny amount each day. The one I use is Mon Platin DSM Black Caviar Collection, Silk serum foundation with vitamin capsules.

The Aldi cream in the red jar is quite good, but am now trying Argan oil at night (Catherine Zeta Jones) about £10 from Amazon (100 ml) and I am impressed. It can also be used on the scalp for thinning hair.

I stopped using expensive creams when I retired and I think that anything that keeps your face moisturised is good. They won't turn back time, but they might slow down more wrinkles coming! I stopped using serums, but then had a sample of the Nurture (the beauty arm of Healthspan) one and I like the way it feels on my face. I still use a moisturiser on top and my face does stay well moisturised all day and make up goes on smoothly.

i use marks and spencer's royal jelly with honey. both the day cream and night cream as well as their body moisturiser. these keep my skin lovely and soft.

i've never suffered from dry skin [apart from on my lower legs [shins] and forearms] so i have reasonably smooth and wrinkle free skin on my face - probably owing to the fact that i'm well covered in all departments!!!!

i never wash my face either - just use nivea's pure and natural facial wipes which make me feel awake and ready to start the day.

i'm almost 69 but have been told that i look as if i'm in my fourties which is nice - so perhaps what i'm doing is having some effect .............. but might also be down to the fact that i'm on hrt.

The latest is drinkable collagen for strengthening the skin, hair and nails. Very pricey. In the body it's called collagen. As a cooking substance it's called gelatine. Pretty cheap!* Both are the same protein, broken down in the body to the same amino acids. I'll stick to jelly cubes!

*I love mis/using exclamation marks so will continue. Luckily my SATs aren't imminent!

Lupatria

i never wash my face either - just use nivea's pure and natural facial wipes which make me feel awake and ready to start the day.

Ingredients: Aqua, Isopropyl Stearate, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Tocopherol, Glycerin, VP/Hexadecene Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Linalool, Limonene, Citronellol, Benzyl Alcohol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Geraniol, Parfum

Just because they are of natural origin does not mean they are not potentially harmfull.

NIVEA® Pure & Natural Facial Cleansing Wipes are enriched with specially selected Bio Argan Oil and Bio Aloe Vera:
They gently but effectively cleanse the skin, while maintaining its natural moisture balance
Thoroughly remove face and eye make-up
Provide the skin with refreshing moisture

Result
The skin is completely cleansed, feeling soft and refreshed, looking naturally radiant.

Skin Care Science Meets Nature
For the Pure & Natural range, NIVEA experts have combined 100 years of skin research with effective ingredients from nature.

Ingredients 95% of natural origin
For all skin types
Gently cleanse, remove make-up & refresh
For a clear and vitalised skin feeling
With bio argan oil & bio aloe vera
Skin compatibility dermatologically approved
Suitable for sensitive skin

My skin has definitely become more sensitive and dry these last 2-3years and I work outdoors a lot which probably has not helped.

I have been experimenting with different products and brands of moisturisers, cleaners and serums. Gave up on the latter.

Most days, I don't wear make-up. If going out I might remember the lipstick and mascara. The local parapharmacy was doing a deal on Weleda Calendula cream wash for baby skin which is now my regular face wash, followed by Body Shop's Vitamin E intense moisturiser. Make-up remover when needed is Rens Evercalm Gentle Cleansing Milk for sensitive skin. When arms and legs are very dry, Bio-oil works for me and for the heels, Body Shop's Peppermint Intensive Foot Rescue as recommended by the chiropodist. Sorted for now anyway.

I used Number 7 for a lot of years, then found myself financially compromised and now use any old cleansing wipes followed by a generous dollop of Nivea Soft, for face, body and hands, very cheap when on offer. I have gone back to using an eye cream and buy what is on offer or I use a smear of Vaseline with aloe vera.

I'm told I look younger than my years.

Thanks

Nivea Soft is what I use too. The skin on my face isn't bad, it's my neck, which nothing will save.

gettingonabit I think you might be getting serums mixed up with primers. Primers are for providing a good base for makeup. Serums are longer term treatment products aiming to improve the skin in some way. Usually we talk about serums for anti ageing (like on this thread), but serums can be for lots of things e.g. reducing redness from Roseacea or reducing the appearance of brown age spots. You don't see instant results from serums, they have to be used on an ongoing basis to see the benefits.

You're right to question how much of something 'good' like Hyaluronic Acid is in a product because often the amount is so small to not be capable of doing much at all. We no longer get a percentage amount of the 'effective' ingredients in skin care, so all we have to go on is the position in the ingredient list. The nearer the start an ingredient appears, the greater the quantity in the product. If lots of other ingredients are nearer the start, then a lot of the benefits from using the product will come from those ingredients.

There's no point in using a serum without a moisturiser. It's an additional step in your skincare routine targeted at a specific problem.

From Beautypedia.com - 4 Anti-Aging Secrets (That Actually Work). Ignore the links to the suggested products, Paula Begoun was a myth busting expert long before she developed her own skincare products. If you have the time, there's masses of information about skincare on this website and thousands of products scientifically reviewed (sadly not too many UK only brands).

I used to use Estee Lauder serum every night, and think it did make a difference to my skin. Now I rarely use any creams or washes on my face anymore, just oils. I oil wash at night and rinse my face in the morning then use oil again. Took a while to work out which oils work for me but my skin is no longer dry. I don't often use much makeup and when I do the oil cleans it off completely. I make creams at home with shea butter and oils, which I use when the weather gets extreme, either very hot or very cold and my skin dries out more but don't bother to buy products any more. Can't say it has improved my looks but my skin is certainly no worse than it was and possibly a bit better - except for the saggy jawline, which is much the same! But it's probably saved me hundreds of pounds when I think of the amount I used to spend.

I have had eczema since I was six months old and have terrible trouble with moisturisers. I used aqueous cream for years then developed an allergy to that, the same with oat-based creams and the richer emollient creams. I have been using La Roche Posay hydréane range for a couple of years now and it seems to work fine (for the moment).

Joolz1954 - so what WAS that serum you tested?!

Found this interesting article or serums and it might explain why they don't work for me and why creams and moisturisers might be a better option.

I mean the bit that reads "mature individuals tend to have drier skin and may need the heavier ingredients found in creams and moisturizers, which serums will not provide".

I usually use Boots serum but for some reason this week I didn't for a few days( I forgot!) and my skin became very dry and tight. This was resolved when I started using the serum again so I really do need to use something. I will give Aldi a go as it seems cheap and cheerful and some posters recommend it. I hold out no hopes for reducing my wrinkles though. I have resisted my dentist trying to get me to have a course of Botox. She does it as a sideline but I will stick to my prune face for now.

I always used to use serums and they cost a pretty penny over the years, but now I have changed over to Argan oil, just 4 or 5 drops massaged in
morning and evening instead of both serum and moisturiser, and ( at nearly 80) my skin is plump and without too many wrinkles. A little bottle lasts for ages and it has also repaired my flaking, splitting nails! Sorry---I sound like an advert----but I'm really delighted with the stuff.

My daughter in law swears by coconut oil and is using it everywhere at the moment - flaky skin - use coconut oil, dry hands - use coconut oil, eyebrows going awol - out comes the coconut oil - we now wonder if it would work on squeaky door hinges
I started using serums some years ago under moisturiser and have tried a fair few - I found Superdrug to be really good but then started using the one which goes with my moisturiser. Occasionally if I've forgotten to put it on I do notice a difference as I've very dry skin but it doesn't work on it's own.

DD and I have been using the Aldi serum for the last year and both of us keep getting comments about how well we look. I am constantly getting comments that people think I am 10 years younger than I am. Partly to do with genes but I do rate Aldi skin care and make up products.

SusieM01 despite everything I've said on this thread, I'm a firm believer in using simple jojoba oil for cleansing and moisturising my skin. I'll add a few drops of other oils now and again, depending on what I want. It suits my skin all year round too.

I only moisturise at night with oil though, as in the day I use the dirt cheap Boots own brand Simply Sensitive Day Moisturiser with SPF15. Costs less than £2 (and is often on offer) and doesn't make my skin break out like heavier products. Occasionally I will top up the jojoba oil at night with the night cream from the same range.

My problem is I don't want to miss out on a real break though product and have spent a fortune over the years on products that don't work as well. Should know better at my age.

Joolz1954 you don't want to let us into your secret do you?