Serum or cream: do I need both?

You don't always need both. The cream is the base: it hydrates, provides comfort, and helps prevent the skin from losing water, which is why almost all skin types need it. The serum is a booster, a more fluid and concentrated formula that is added when there is a specific need: more hydration, blemishes, or wrinkles. If you are going to use only one product, let it be the cream.

What each one does

The difference lies in the texture, and the texture determines the function. A serum usually contains a lot of water or gel and very little oil. This is why it spreads in a thin layer, penetrates quickly into the superficial layers, and can carry its active ingredients in a light base. It can be a gel, a fluid, or have a milky texture.

The cream has more body because it contains emollients, which soften and fill the spaces between surface cells, and often an occlusive agent, which forms a film and slows down water evaporation. That film is what seals the routine. If you apply the serum on top, it has to pass through it.

This is how we recommend it. The Non-Stop 100h Hydrating Serum is applied morning and night to the face and neck, before the face cream. The Lifting Anti-Wrinkle Smoothing Serum is applied morning and night over the entire face, before the cream. The complete order can be found in in what order to apply cleanser, serum, cream, and sunscreen.

When a cream is enough

If your skin feels comfortable and you don't have a specific concern, a good cream for your skin type, along with cleansing and sunscreen, makes for a complete routine. Adding steps just for the sake of it doesn't improve anything.

For normal to combination skin, the Nonstop 48H Hydrating Gel Cream has an ultra-fresh and light texture; we measured +50% hydration after 48 hours in a clinical study with 22 people. For normal to dry skin, the Nonstop 48H Rich Hydrating Cream has a creamy texture that nourishes immediately.

When it's worth adding a serum

When the cream isn't enough to hydrate

This happens often in cold regions, where the dry early morning air in Bogotá or Tunja draws water from the skin, and in dehydrated skin in general. The Non-Stop 100h Hydrating Serum is an ultra-fresh gel that turns into micro-droplets upon contact with the skin, containing Edulis cellular water; it has the highest concentration of Edulis cellular water in the entire Hydra Végétal range. Use it under your cream, which acts as a lid on top. If you live in a cold climate, you may find how to care for your skin in cold mountain climates useful.

When there are blemishes

Here, serum and cream work together. The Anti-Blemish Serum combines macroalgae with 2.1% naturally derived succinic acid and is applied morning and night before the treatment. The Anti-Blemish Cream goes on after the serum and is formulated not to clog pores. The clinical results for both were measured by using them in combination with the lotion from the same line (clinical scoring in 25 cases). They are designed as a team, and the data applies to the team.

When you want to smooth out wrinkles

The Lifting Anti-Wrinkle Smoothing Serum combines 4% terrestrial anemone (ice plant) with botanical collagen and naturally derived hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is a humectant: it attracts water and retains it on the surface. We measured -32% deep wrinkles in 4 weeks, in a clinical evaluation of 15 cases, and we recommend completing the routine with a cream from the same range for greater efficacy. Another example is the Double Action Concentrated Serum, which is shaken and applied morning and night before the cream.

How to decide

1. Is your skin comfortable with the cream you use? If so, you don't need a serum.
2. Do you have a specific concern (hydration, blemishes, radiance, wrinkles)? Choose a serum for that need, not one that promises everything.
3. Will they be compatible? The simplest thing is to choose both from the same line, because they are formulated to be used together.

Start with the cream, use it for a few weeks, and if you feel like something is missing, add the serum. That way, you know what each one does.

Common mistakes

Using only serum and skipping the cream leaves the skin without the film that retains water, and on dry skin, this is noticeable immediately. Applying the serum on top of the cream wastes its light texture. Accumulating several serums does not multiply the results, and in reactive skin, it increases the possibility of discomfort; if your skin reddens easily, check how to build a gentle routine. And neither of them replaces sunscreen in the morning.

There are serum and cream options in Hydra Végétal and throughout the facial care line.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use only serum without cream?

In most cases, it is not advisable. The serum addresses a specific need, but the cream is what provides comfort and hydration to the skin. If you are going to use a single product, let it be the cream.

Does the serum go before or after the cream?

Before. The serum is more fluid and goes on clean skin; the cream goes on top. This is how we recommend it, for example with the Non-Stop 100h Hydrating Serum.

Do I have to use serum and cream from the same line?

It is not mandatory, but it is the simplest approach: they are formulated to be used together and, in some cases, their results were measured using them in combination.

How many serums can I use at the same time?

It is highly recommended to start with one, focused on your primary need. Accumulating several does not add results and can cause discomfort to reactive skin.