To choose one serum, decide when you will use it (morning or evening) and what role you want it to play, then read the exact ingredient names, the directions and warnings, and the price per ml. One serum you use consistently is more useful than three that overlap.
Step 1: Morning or evening?
Time of day narrows the field immediately.
- Morning serums go under moisturizer and sunscreen. Vitamin C derivatives and niacinamide are common here.
- Evening serums are where retinol usually belongs, because retinol labels pair it with daytime sunscreen.
In our range, 004 Vitamin C Serum is the morning serum and 003 Retinol Night Serum is the evening one, used on planned nights. They aren’t meant to be layered together in one sitting.
Step 2: Read the exact names
“Vitamin C,” “retinol” and “peptides” are categories. The ingredient list tells you which specific ingredient is in the bottle.
- Vitamin C can be ascorbic acid, ethyl ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbyl phosphate, ascorbyl glucoside and more. They behave differently. Ours uses 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid. What that means.
- Retinoids range from retinyl esters to retinol to retinal, and prescription tretinoin is a different category altogether.
- Peptides are a large family with very different names and evidence. What peptides do.
Step 3: Look at the rest of the formula
A serum’s base affects how it feels and layers. Check for anything you avoid, such as fragrance or particular botanicals. A long list isn’t automatically better, and neither is a short one. How to read an ingredient list.
Step 4: Check directions and warnings
- How many drops, how often, and where.
- Any “start slowly” instruction (common for retinol).
- Pregnancy and sun warnings.
- Anything about using it alongside other actives.
Step 5: Think about overlap
If your moisturizer already contains niacinamide, you may not need a separate niacinamide serum. If you already use a prescription retinoid, don’t add an over-the-counter retinol without asking your prescriber. More actives aren’t automatically better, and overlap is a common cause of irritation.
Step 6: Ignore the race for the biggest number
A percentage can be useful when it is verified and clearly defined. It still doesn’t describe the whole formula or guarantee a better fit, and higher often means harsher. What a percentage tells you.
Step 7: Compare size and price
Most serums come in 30 ml bottles, but not all. Work out price per ml, and look at how many drops each use takes. What you’re paying for in a serum.
Then open only one
Introduce the serum you chose on its own for a couple of weeks before adding anything else new. If you bought two, keep the second one sealed until you know how your skin gets on with the first. How to introduce a new product.
If you still can’t decide
- Want a simple morning addition? A morning serum under your moisturizer and sunscreen.
- Ready for a slower, evening-only commitment with clear warnings? A retinol serum, started twice a week.
- Not sure you need a serum at all? Cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen is a complete routine. When your routine is enough.
Further reading: FDA: Cosmetics labeling guide · American Academy of Dermatology: Retinoid or retinol? · American Academy of Dermatology: How to test skin care products
We make two serums with separate places in the day: 004 Vitamin C Serum in the morning and 003 Retinol Night Serum in the evening.
Photography: 360floralflaves / Unsplash. Editorial photograph.