For best results, wash your face daily and exfoliate your skin 3-4 times a week. Do not use a manual exfoliator and a chemical exfoliator like glycolic acid in the same day.

When applying the serum, you want to push the product into your skin with gentle sweeping motions.

This way, the serum will absorb deep into your skin.

The moisturizer seals in all of the serum’s nourishing properties, so your skin will look radiant and glowing in no time. If you are doing this in the morning, you can apply your makeup after you apply the moisturizer. Just give the moisturizer another minute to dry before starting your makeup routine.

This is a great option if you don’t have any “problem areas” but still want to treat your skin to rich nourishment. It’s also a good option to help fade sun damage and acne scars. Additionally, look for serums with rose hip oil. This also reduces redness and helps hydrate the skin.

In addition, serums with these ingredients help unclog your pores. Salicylic acid can cause sunburn, so it is best to use this serum at night. Niacinamide is also good for hydrating skin that’s prone to acne. [9] X Expert Source Kaveri Karhade, MDBoard Certified Dermatologist Expert Interview. 5 January 2021.

You can also use vitamin E, rose hip oil, chia seeds, sea buckthorn, and camellia to hydrate your skin without clogging your pores.

You can also use a serum with antioxidants including vitamin C and green tea extract. These ingredients help protect your skin as well as reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

In addition, many brightening serums use green tea extract, which is another helpful antioxidant. Some brightening serums feature snail mucin, which is popular for its ability to repair scars and heal discoloration or uneven spots. [13] X Research source

Also look for serums with Vitamin C, as this is known to brighten skin. You can also choose a serum with arbutin when evening out your skin tone. Arbutin is commonly used to stop the appearance of dark spots. It also brightens your overall complexion. When choosing a serum with vitamin C, look for options with L-ascorbic acid, which is the most effective part of the vitamin. This is helpful when revitalizing an uneven skin tone.

You can use this as well as daytime and nighttime serums. Avoid applying under-the-eye serums to other areas of your face. Sometimes the ingredients are more potent to absorb under your eye, and this can cause irritation or breakouts.

Start slowly with your serums to give your skin time to adjust to new products. Start by applying your nightly serum once every other day, and gradually increase build toward nightly application over the course of a few weeks. Then, add your daily serum. Use an antioxidant serum in the morning to keep your skin protected. Apply a nighttime serum with retinol to keep a youthful appearance.