SERUMS: A DEEP DIVE

 

Our Serums are the products our line is most known for, and countless customer testimonials are proof they are truly second to none. They are the second half of Laurel Skin’s two-step approach to moisturizing, working in tandem with our Hydrating Elixirs. While they could technically fall into the “facial oil” category, they are unlike any facial oil we have ever encountered in the industry due to our unique production process and sourcing methods. They should be considered a skin-specific treatment serum, elemental defense oil, and moisturizer all in one.

Our most common question about them is how do you choose the right Serum for you? Their ingredients look similar, yet the subtle differences are what makes the difference when you are looking to address specific skin concerns. All of our Serums are paths to healthy skin, but they each have a different set of symptoms they focus on. Here is a guide on our four Serums and who they suit best:

BALANCE SERUM: CLARIFYING RELIEF – The lightest Serum of our line, works to restore balance to excess oil production, decongests pore build up, and keeps skin in harmony. Beneficial for oily skin, large pores, congested pores, consistent breakouts, acne, or perioral dermatitis.

Featuring: Rose Geranium, Cranberry Seed Oil, Jojoba + Sesame Seed Oil

UNBURDEN SERUM: DEEP TRANQUILITY – Our highly supportive Serum that works to lift inflammation, which is a root cause leading to secondary skin symptoms such as acne, rosacea, and premature aging. Beneficial for sensitive skin, broken capillaries, cystic or swollen painful acne, perioral dermatitis, irritations, redness, dry patches or uneven dryness, eczema, puffiness, edema, stagnation, damaged skin barrier, or hyperpigmentation.

Featuring: Evening Primrose, Baical Skullcap, Lemon Balm + German Chamomile

SUN SERUM: PHYTO DEFENSE + REPAIR – Our favorite summer Serum, works to address symptoms from overexposure to the sun and also provides elemental protection before your time in the sun. Beneficial for thin skin, rough or textured skin, lackluster skin, hyperpigmentation, dryness, sun lovers in general, uneven skin tone, loss of collagen and elasticity, or moderate inflammation.

Featuring: Sea Buckthorn, Licorice Root, Scarlet Pimpernel + Red Raspberry Seed Oil 

ANTIOXIDANT SERUM: VIBRANCY REVIVAL – The Serum our line is known for, infused with 31 powerhouse ingredients that restore vitality and focus on vibrant aging. Beneficial for fine lines, lackluster skin, rough skin texture, loss of collagen or elasticity, dryness, moderate hyperpigmentation, moderate acne, moderate inflammation, damaged skin barrier, stagnation, puffiness, or thin skin.

Featuring: Gotu Kola, Frankincense, Jasmine + White Rose

Our Antioxidant Serum can be the most confusing because it appears to be the least specific. Haven’t we already addressed all those symptoms with the other three Serums? Exactly, we have. ‘Normal’ skin can experience all of these skin symptoms within the same month! With 31 whole plants containing thousands of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and enzymes, the Antioxidant Serum is the most well-rounded form of nutrition for radiant skin health. The other Serums help your skin address a more specific set of symptoms, leading to eventually being able to use the Antioxidant Serum most frequently. It’s like your skin graduated from those symptoms as a primary focus, and now its only goal is to BE VIBRANT.

 

SERUM INSIDER INFO:

1. Our Serums are multi-process. They arrive to our Barn as whole fresh herbs directly from our farmers, and go through a proprietary 3 month maceration process that extracts both oil and water soluble nutrients.

2. Sourcing the best possible oils for our Serums is a constant journey. Fresh samples from new sources arrive constantly to our Barn. It’s not at all uncommon for me to return an oil due to quality control. If there’s a better source, we are always looking to find it!

3. The most common concern at Laurel Skin with oils is potency and freshness. Lipids are sensitive to light and heat. Protecting them from harvest to bottle is not common industry practice. Even ‘cold pressing’ involves friction induced heat, which can make even our strongest sources vulnerable if they aren’t constantly attentive or using proper cooling techniques.

4. All of our Serums are non-comedogenic. We strongly encourage those who rely on the comedogenic scale to NOT do so when it comes to Laurel Skin products. Enzyme activity, microbiome diversity, lipid freshness, and level of oil refinement play HUGE roles in whether ingredients are comedogenic, yet they are not at all addressed by other brands when discussing or relying on the comedogenic scale. It’s about the formula, each source’s chemical composition, and the skin – NOT about type of plant.

5. All the essential oils present in our Serums are there to boost treatment and are microdosed. Unburden Serum contains the lowest quantity of essential oils in order to be supportive of even the most reactive skin, while Sun Serum possesses the highest essential oil content. All our EOs are added for their medicinal properties, not to fragrance our products, and none of them have photosensitizing properties.

6. Our Serums are made fresh WEEKLY, and maintain potency for 18 months unopened. They are this stable due to our Miron UV protective glass and to the combination and network of phytonutrients that work together to support and strengthen each other.

 

WHAT DOES MY PERSONAL RITUAL LOOK LIKE WITH OUR SERUMS?

I use ANTIOXIDANT most often. Though I sometimes use SUN for extra protection in the Summer, UNBURDEN when I’m experiencing sluggish lymph, and I use BALANCE when struggling with bouts of acne. I also fell in love with our limited edition Miraval Wolfberry Chia Serum, and I use that whenever we have it in stock!

My skin enjoys the subtle change in nutrients between all of them just as our internal bodies also appreciate not eating the same meal over and over. Because of that, I like to change up my skin ritual often and intuitively.

Hydration is of equal importance to skin health as oil is. I never skip my Hydrating Elixir step. Immediately after misting I apply my Serum while my skin is still damp.

After reading this blog, if you are still having trouble finding the right Serum for you, then please reach out to us. We would love to talk about your skin and assist you further.

Xo Laurel