| Serum | Face oil | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical form | Light liquid that can be oil based or water based. | Oil used as a moisturising product. |
| Usual role | Deliver selected ingredients for a skin concern. | Soften skin and, when it acts as an occlusive, help reduce water loss. |
| What matters most | The active ingredients and the formula. | Whether its moisturising feel and richness suit your skin. |
| Routine position | After cleansing and before moisturiser. | As a moisturising step, usually after serum. |
Serums are not all alike: their effects depend on the active ingredients, formula, vehicle and stability. The dropper is packaging; the ingredient list carries the plot. Check what a serum contains rather than choosing by the word serum alone.1
Face oil is most straightforward when your goal is to soften or moisturise dry skin. For vitamin E oil specifically, people with dry, flaky skin are more likely to see a benefit. If your skin is oily and acne prone, extra vitamin E is not needed; rich occlusive products can also aggravate acne, so do not assume every face oil will suit you.23
Choose a serum when you want particular ingredients aimed at a concern, such as discoloration or signs of aging. The ingredient list matters more than the price, and a serum is not automatically useful just because it is concentrated. If you have sensitive skin, test a small area before applying it widely; powerful ingredients can irritate.1
How to use face oil and serum together
Cleanse, apply serum, then use face oil as your moisturising step. Serums are typically applied after cleansing and before moisturising, and oils are one form of moisturiser. The oil can do its moisturising job without auditioning for a serum title. Use products according to their own directions, since the name of a product does not tell you its exact formula.12
Should face oil go before or after serum?
Apply serum first and face oil afterward if you are using the oil as your moisturising step. Serum goes before moisturiser in the usual order, and face oils are one moisturiser option.12
Can face oil replace serum?
It can fill the moisturising role, but it does not automatically replace a serum chosen for specific active ingredients. If your aim is to soften dry skin, an oil may be enough for that step; if you want ingredients aimed at a particular concern, choose a serum with those ingredients.1
Can you use face oil and serum together?
Yes. Apply serum before face oil, treating the oil as moisturiser. Keep the rest of the routine simple if products irritate your skin: using too many products, especially multiple antiaging products, can cause irritation.14
Where this answer comes from
- 1Skin serum: What it can and can’t dohealth.harvard.edu
- 2Emollients and Moisturizers (Moisturisers)dermnetnz.org
- 3What Vitamin E Does for Your Skin's Healthhealth.clevelandclinic.org
- 4Should I apply my skin care products in a certain order?aad.org
