Toners and Serums-Do I really need them?

May 1

Toners (or treatment essences) and serums can be a critical component of your skincare regimen, especially if you are trying to make a change in your skin.

Let’s start with toners and treatment essences, the most overlooked products. Even a very basic toner performs some important functions. If they are the kind that you apply with a cotton pad, it’s a part of the cleansing exfoliation process and will remove any residue left by your cleanser. Another function is to set the stage for your next product which could be a serum or a moisturizer. Toners and treatment essences add hydration to the skin. Skin that is moist and at the correct ph can absorb products more effectively, without having to try to penetrate dry skin cells. Ultimately this means you can use less of your serums and moisturizers which tend to be more expensive products. So, get better results and save yourself some money = win, win! Here and here are links to some great toners. If you have any questions about what to choose you can schedule a remote consultation, a product pick-up appointment or chat with me on the client portal.

Serums-this is the targeted treatment phase of your regimen. If you’re just starting to acquire your skincare products I suggest you first invest in a cleanser, then a moisturizer, then a treatment essence or toner, and then a serum. If your skin is in great shape and you are young you can probably skip a serum, as long as the other products that you’re using are supportive of your skin health. But if you are over thirty (I know, skin is considered mature at this age) or have any kind of issues that you’re dealing with (acne, age management, rosacea, melasma, etc…) a serum is needed. Think of it as a targeted booster. Here are the issues that serums can help with

sun damage
forehead lines
brightening
reduction of closed comedones as well as the reduction of new ones forming
hydration
barrier repair
balance of the skin’s microbiome
wound healing
normalizing cellular turnover
anti-bacterial and anti-fungal
soothing inflammation
scar reduction
moisture loss
hypersensitivity

diffuse redness (erythema) and angiogenesis
Most, but not all, serums are applied after your treatment essence or toner and before your moisturizer. Roccoco has two serums (Peptide Serum and Peptide Finisher) that are applied after your moisturizer but before your SPF. Serums are usually the most expensive products due to their powerhouse ingredients. They also tend to be thinner and will penetrate a bit deeper than thicker moisturizers. As we age, we are often working on multiple issues and this is another area where targeted serums can be so beneficial to really personalize your skincare routine. For example, you can work on brightening the skin with a targeted serum in the morning and focus more on age management at night. Here are the serums that I carry. Please reach out if you’d like some advice. Some serums provide multiple benefits and I can guide you as to what the primary vs secondary benefits are.