15 Face Serums that Can Fix Any Skin Issue
Let’s talk serums. If you are new to K-Beauty or just starting to expand your skincare routine, you might not be using a serum yet. Serums are a key part of the Korean multi-step routine, and there is a serum on the market for everything. Literally. Every. Single. Skin Concern.
WHAT ARE FACE SERUMS?
Also known as ‘ampoules’, face serums are highly concentrated skincare treatments that are formulated to target and correct specific skin issues.
Today we are going to talk through 15 face serums that target 15 different skin concerns and when we are done, we promise to have you starry eyed and swearing by serums!
15 Face Serums that Can Fix Any Skin Issue: Sun Damage
Meet APLB Vitamin C Ampule Serum.
If you are suffering from red marks left over from acne or sun damage, then this serum is a perfect addition to your routine.
Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant to repair, renew and give the skin a healthier look. While it’s no replacement for sunscreen it can protect you from the sun by counteracting the sun’s harmful effects and thickening the dermis layer of your skin. This is because Vitamin C works to stimulate the synthesis of collagen to give tighter, firmer, and less saggy skin.
It will improve skin tone, brighten the complexion, and improve the condition of your skin, including increasing hydration.
How do you use it? Pop this serum on directly after your double cleanse – if the PH balance of the skin isn’t right the serum won’t be absorbed properly and will ultimately be ineffective.
Pop a couple of drops on when your skin is nice and clean and then wait at least 20 – 30 minutes before applying the next step in your skin care routine.
15 Face Serums that Can Fix Any Skin Issue: Irritated Skin
It’s time to bring ISNTree Spot Saver Mugwort Ampoule to the party.
If your skin gets easily dry and itchy or you're concerned about sensitivities flaring up, then mugwort is the ingredient for you.
Luckily, this serum is made with 85% of it!
Known for its outstanding soothing effects, the mugwort in this serum works to calm your irritated skin. It also provides intense nutrition and ensures the skin stays healthy and clear.
15 Face Serums that Can Fix Any Skin Issue: Pigmentation
Whether its blemishes or freckles, a great serum to target your pigmentation is the SOME by MI Yuja Niacin 30 Days Blemish Care Serum.
Made free of artificial ingredients and fragrances, this lightweight, non-sticky serum contains 100% natural oil and organic Yuja that it is suitable for those with sensitive skin.
This Korean Beauty favourite brightens dull and uneven skin by targeting blemishes, freckles, and pigmentation to create a fresh and dewy complexion.
If you are trying to reduce your pigmentation, ensure you also have an SPF in your morning routine and avoid the sun as much as possible.
If you do love the outdoors, then SLIP, SLOP, SLAP. Always have a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, and a long sleeve shirt on when you’re outside.
Your pigmentation won’t have a chance to disappear if you are worsening the issue by more sun damage.
15 Face Serums that Can Fix Any Skin Issue: Skin becoming lacklustre and dry throughout the day
We LOVE spray serums and always have them on the go in our office and handbags. Apparently, we aren’t alone! The d’Alba Piedmont White Truffle First Spray Serum is also beloved by Korean air hostesses as it keeps their skin glowing and hydrated on the job.
This luxurious serum is made on a base of white truffles and lotus with avocado oil. SO. GOOD.
Unsurprisingly, it’s also a winner of the STYLE STORY Best of K-Beauty Awards. Keep this serum at your desk or in your handbag and spritz yourself throughout the day as needed. It will provide instant hydration and give your makeup a little refresh too. A must have to go from day to night. This is as essential as lip gloss. Seriously.
Issue: Premature Ageing
At STYLE STORY it’s really important to us how we discuss ageing. It’s not an ‘issue’ or a ‘bad thing’ and certainly not a ‘problem’. Ageing happens to every human and it’s completely natural, normal and ultimately unavoidable.
However, we totally understand that it’s nice to look and feel your best so if you are starting to see the signs of ageing or perhaps feel that you are ageing prematurely than this serum is an awesome addition to your routine - APLB Idebenone Ampoule Serum.
Antioxidants are having a big moment in beauty right now and for good reason. They help prevent and delay damage from free radicals such as pollution and sun damage which contribute to premature ageing. In this serum APLB, has combined hard-hitting antioxidant Idebenone with ingredients that assist with brightening and improving elasticity.
Issue: Flaky Skin
Whenever our skin is parched, dry and uncomfortable, whether it’s due to weather or skin damage, Dr Jart Cermidin Serum is the serum we reach for.
This K-Beauty cult favourite moisturising serum increases the skin’s ability to restore itself and improves rough skin, flakiness, tightness, dryness and soothes chronic dry skin.
Ceramides also relieve itchiness and extreme dryness while caring for damaged skin.
At STYLE STORY HQ we have all suffered from dry and flaky skin and this is one of our all-time favourite serums. We cannot recommend it enough!
Issue: Dull Skin
Tosowoong Propolis Sparkle Ampoule is a cult K-Beauty product. Rich in minerals, this by-product made by bees helps to both soothe and nourish the skin. It comes in an extremely generous 100ml size, compared to the standard 30ml serum.
Made with 80% propolis, this lightweight propolis ampoule hydrates and nourishes the skin without irritation. Firstly, skin effortlessly soaks up the formula leaving it more vibrant and radiant. Secondly, you'll notice tighter pores and a brighter skin tone. Thirdly, the formula assists with dead skin to improve radiance. In addition to star ingredient propolis, this serum also contains bergamot, lemon, and lime. These help to tighten the pores and brighten skin tone. Further, eucalyptus oil helps to gently exfoliate, removing dead skin. The result is skin that is left soft and glowing.
Issue: Breakouts
Sometimes our skin just needs a miracle. Cue SOME BY MI AHA BHA PHA 30 Days Miracle Serum.
Infused with 10,000ppm tea tree leaf water and 14.5% Centella extract this serum works to soothe, moisturise, and minimise those pores all while repairing the skin's barrier.
It's formulated with AHA/BHA/PHA, which gently exfoliates the skin without causing irritation. Tea tree leaf water soothes skin troubled by breakouts.
The rest of the ingredients in this serum are just as impressive with plant oil complex, olive oil, niacinamide, pearl powder and green tea extract.
It’s also important to look to your cleansers when experiencing breakouts and barrier damage. Ensure that you are using a gentle cleanser which a low PH. We love Subi Brightening Powder Cleanser.
Issue: Oily Skin
Andddd another K-Beauty cult classic, revered by beauty bloggers around the world! It’s the Innisfree Green Tea Seed Serum.
To give you some idea of just how popular this serum is Innisfree has released that they sell 13 bottles of it EVERY MINUTE! So, trust us or trust the stats when we say this one works. I
t’s made with 100% Jeju Organic Green Tea Water and is designed to be used as the first product after washing your face. It helps balance skin's oily and moisture, assists the skins barrier, and helps to absorb the next product in your routine.
Jeju Island is famous for its beautifully rich volcanic soil and this product contains green tea made on Jeju Island itself. That means it’s packed with antioxidants as well as having hydrating benefits.
Issue: Tired Skin
Introducing Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Ampoule 5 x. This is the fifth generation of Missha’s beloved Time Revolution.
An overnight probiotic treatment that rivals Estee Lauder's Night Repair Serum, Missha have truly perfected an already amazing formulation.
This nourishing serum is infused with 77.7% Extreme Biome and is formulated with 10 different probiotics for rapid effect. It delivers deep hydration while energizing, repairing, and restoring elasticity.
This ensures you wake up with that youthful, lively complexion you’ve been dreaming of.
Issue: Dry, Dehydrated Skin
Kick your dry, dehydrated skin to the curb with APLB Hyaluronic Acid Ampoule Serum in your daily routine.
Formulated with hyaluronic acid components, APLB’s Hyaluronic Acid serum helps with hydration, dry skin, and fine lines.
This is an ultra-pure serum which combines sodium hyaluronate with niacinamide, squalene, beta glucan and more. You'll find it offers lasting hydration and visible plumping of the skin at all levels of the dermis.
It also helps with moisture retention, allowing your skin to soak up all the goodness of your next steps and lock the moisture in place.
Issue: Dark Spots
Let’s be real - what’s not to love about a serum that improves dark spots and keeps skin tone clear and bright, while also working to revitalise tired skin?
But Neogen Real Vita C Serumdoesn’t just stop there. It also firms, plumps and protects…
But wait, there’s more. This serum is made with Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, which is a stable form of Vitamin C that produces collagen synthesis and protects the skin from oxidative damage.
Unlike L-Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin C derivatives are more stable when exposed to light and air, meaning your serum will last for longer. This serum lives up to the hype and is definitely worth a try.
For more on Vitamin C serums, tune into the Korean Beauty Show podcast:
Issue: Sensitive Skin
Whether your skin is always sensitive or just having a moment, Numbuzin No.3 Skin Softening Serum will sort it.
It is a brightening serum that uses the fermented synergy of Galactomyces-Bifida to boost your skin barrier and promote a radiant complexion.
Issue: Fragrance Allergy
We get it. Although it's rare, some people have a genuine allergy to all types of fragrance, essential oil and otherwise.
The Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Concentrate Cream was designed especially for you. Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Concentrate Cream is a great option if you’re concerned about skin sensitivities. In addition, if you are one of the 2-4% of people who suffers from a true fragrance allergy, this Illiyoon Ceramide Cream is for you!
We recommend this for anyone looking for a non-greasy formula for sensitive skin. It is free from alcohol, essential oils and fragrance.
Issue: Needing a lift
Belonging in the luxury skincare category it is ideal for that Day Spa At Home fix.
The Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum EX is a post cleanse preparatory serum which hydrates and balances the skin for a healthy glow.
Sulwhasoo is known for reviving legendary Asian medicinal herbs with advanced modern science to create beautiful skincare. Star ingredients in this formulation include JAUM Balancing Complex (which is a potent cocktail of five Korean herbs that replenishes essential moisture and nutrients), licorice root extract, walnut seed extract and ophhiopogan japonicus root extract. While it does come with a higher price tag, the efficacy and ingredients are truly next level.
TL;DR Face Serums That Can Fix Any Skin Issue
In case you somehow missed this – we love serums!
They are amazing and best of all you can swap them out as you need. Our skin is always changing, whether that’s hormonal, environmental factors or some sort of reaction. Knowing that a serum is there to target our skin concerns and help get it back on track means that you don’t need to stress and can go about your day to day.
Got Questions About Which Serum Is Best For You?
If you have any questions about serums or are still unsure which would be the perfect match for your skin, simply reach out to us.
We are always here to help and guide you along your journey!
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