Essence vs Serums vs Ampoule
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Starting a skincare routine can be a daunting task. There's a lot of steps. There is a lot to choose from. Some are expensive. Some are not. What does that mean? What does this mean? What does that do? What does this do? Is this important? Is any of this important.I get it. When I first started slapping these things on my face, I was confused. My main refrain was "THIS ALL SOUNDS LIKE THE SAME THING!" And it is. KINDA.Today's post is going to be short and sweet and it wasn't until a friend of mine asked that I realized we should probably get some definitions out here. We're taking it back to the basics. What are essences? What are serums? What are ampoules? Does it matter? Does it really matter?
What Are Essences?
All an essence does and supposed to do is help your skin get and remain hydrated, help it keep it looking healthy, smooth, and bright. It's supposed to help you look like you drink water and get enough sleep. Essences typically contain an active ingredient that further helps your skin's cell turn-over cycle. Old, dull, dead skin cells out, new, vibrant, smooth skin cells in. My favorite essence, for example, the Missha Time Revolution First Treatment Essence comes formulated with yeast that helps plump out and improve skin texture.Most of the essences I've seen are watery in texture. Many people prefer putting their essences in a spray bottle and misting it on their face. You typically put on essence morning and night after your toner and before your moisturizers and pat it in to absorb.But that's really it! Essences are a treatment for your face and you can really target a problem area for your skin depending on the active ingredient in your essence.
What Is a Serum? What is an Ampoule?
A serum essentially is a more concentrated form of an essence. If you really have a skin problem you want to target, serums can help with that. Compared to essences, serums have a higher concentration of their active ingredients and are more suited to get down to the nitty-gritty.Similarly, ampoules are an EVEN MORE concentrated form of serums. These usually come in smaller bottles with droppers.From my experiences, there are three main differences that set serums and ampoules apart from essences. One, serums and ampoules are thicker and more viscous than essences which are largely watery in texture. Two, serums and ampoules have a higher concentration of their active ingredients. Three, while some consider essences to be an essential part of their morning or nighttime routine, some serums and ampoules can be either part of a timed treatment or a regular routine or not used at all.Here is the main takeaway. Essences are a facial treatment that has active ingredients to help your skin look healthy and vibrant. Serums are thicker and more concentrated than essences. Ampoules are more concentrated than serums.
How do you use these? Does it matter?
If you are using only an essence or only a serum or only an ampoule, the order for this is simple. These go after toning and before moisturizing.HOWEVER, if you are using a combination of the three, the best way to use these is to apply the least viscous and work your way up to the most viscous. Follow this rule regardless of the name. If your serum is more liquidy than your essence, pat it on your skin first. Starting with the least viscous product goes a long way in helping your skin absorb the product.Aside from the names of these, I find that the order you apply these products (from least to most viscous) to be the most important. Many companies have puzzling naming conventions anyway. So something can be marked as a serum but the texture is really more of an essence. I would rely less on the names of the product and focus on the texture. Least liquidy to most liquidy is one of my hard and fast rules when it comes to skincare.Also, remember that you don't HAVE to apply serums and ampoules all over your face. Read your bottle if the product has specific instructions on the matter.
What does this all mean?
If you have a skin issue you want to target. Try an essence. You REALLY want to get in the trenches and target that issue particularly, try a serum or an ampoule. If you're just plain curious, try all three.Essences, serums, and ampoules are treatments for your skin. Some people are blessed enough to not need them. When I do use them, I just make sure that I use the most watery product first and the most viscous last to promote better absorption.And that's really it! I hope at least some of that was useful. Some of these naming conventions are a little confusing but take what you need, leave what you don't, and go forth and conquer.