What is the difference between serums vs moisturisers, and do you need both in your routine?
Our beauty editor breaks it down in the simplest possible way...
Serum and moisturiser are two of the most-used skincare products, with hundreds of options on the market aiming to tackle everything from dehydration to pigmentation - but do you know exactly what sets them apart, and where each fits in your routine?
As with a lot of beauty questions, comparing moisturisers vs serums can sound more complicated than it really is, but we're here to help break it down in the simplest possible terms. As well as the differences between the two, from texture to results, this guide will help you pin down the perfect skincare routine order - and whether you truly need to use both.
Plus, we've rounded up a selection of supercharged serums and skin-supporting moisturisers from Clarins, designed to meet the needs of your specific skin type and work towards your skin goals.
Serums vs moisturisers: what's the difference, and do you need both?
The serums vs moisturisers debate can be summed up with one key distinction: Serums are designed to treat the skin, while moisturisers are designed to protect it. This means that serum formulas tend to include active ingredients, such as antioxidants and skincare acids, to work on specific concerns. Meanwhile, moisturisers contain barrier-repairing and hydrating ingredients such as ceramides, lipids and water-holding humectants.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Serum | Moisturiser |
Designed to | Treat and improve | Protect and hydrate |
Can target | Tone, lines, texture, dullness, blemishes | Dehydration, barrier issues, sensitivity |
Feels like | Watery or slippy and viscose. Lightweight and easily absorbed | Heavier, from loose fluids to rich creams and balms |
Best applied | After cleansing and toning (AM/PM) | After serum, before SPF (AM), as your final step (PM) |
What is a serum?
Serums are the powerhouse product in your routine. Highly active and highly targeted, they usually contain a high proportion of active ingredients vs a moisturiser, and are formulated to tackle concerns. With smaller molecules than face creams, serums are designed to be easily absorbed, get deeper into the skin and layer well under other skincare products. There are as many types of serum as there are skins to treat, but these options from Clarins offer solutions for a range of concerns:
Iconic for a reason, this powerful serum has water and oil-soluble parts, and can be used day and night to target multiple signs of ageing - including lifestyle-based concerns. Its 95% naturally sourced ingredients list includes antioxidants to help ward off environmental ageing, powerful skin hydrators, and collagen-stimulating extracts to boost skin structure.
This silky bi-phase serum is all about skin texture, and includes two of the most effective glow-boosting ingredients on the market - Vitamin C and Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) Glycolic Acid. Vit C is known to help protect the skin from dullness-causing molecules called free radicals, while glycolic acid shifts dead cells from the skin's surface for a smoother, more radiant complexion.
Clarins powerful brightening serum targets age spots, pigmentation and post-inflammatory marks with purple tea extract and niacinamide. The milky fluid-like formula also works to boost overall radiance with antioxidant Vitamin C and has a nourishing feel that's perfect for drier or dehydrated skin types.
What is a moisturiser?
Just as they sound, moisturisers are designed to add moisture to the skin, make it feel comfortable, plump and help support your skin barrier. This is the skin's outermost layer that prevents water loss, as well as shielding the skin from irritation and environmental aggressors, such as smoke, pollution and UV. They range in texture from light, milky fluids to very rich balm-like creams, designed to be worn overnight.
The clue is in the name with this orange-toned cream - it's all about re-energising skin that looks or feels fatigued. The ingredient list combines several collagen-stimulating extracts to boost suppleness and structure over time, while red ginseng extract works on radiance, and nourishing, hydrating ingredients plump lines for a fresher look overall.
Designed to deeply replenish and restore, this rich and luxurious cream makes a perfect moisturising step for menopausal skin in particular. It contains nourishing squalene and hydrating hyaluronic acid as well as harungana - a natural alternative to retinol, which gently helps stimulate cell turnover for a fresher look.
![Hydra-Essentiel [ha²] Rich Cream](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/n3oH6VTKkYTV7Atd6J3dVY-1920-80.jpg.webp)
This deeply hydrating balm-textured moisturiser is ideal for anyone with very dry skin - or skin that's become dehydrated over time - as it gives an instant burst of moisture that lasts. It's formulated around hyluronic acid, a molecule that holds over 1000 times its weight in water for a visible plumping effect, but also contains leaf of life extract, which assists with the skin's own hydration function.
Do you need to use both serum and moisturiser?
In one word: yes. In a few more words: it's a good idea to use both if you want an effective routine. Serums and moisturisers not only perform different roles, but they also help each other work more effectively. As serums have smaller molecules, using one before your face cream will allow it to absorb effectively, and then be sealed in by the heavier-textured moisturiser.
If hydration is your only skincare goal, then it can be tempting to just use a moisturising cream. But skipping serum does mean missing an opportunity to improve existing concerns while maintaining hydration and protecting your barrier.
Where each fits in your skincare routine order
The order you apply your skincare products in is an important consideration - almost as important as choosing products themselves. According to many skin experts (the w&h beauty desk included), these are the ideal AM and PM skincare routines, including those all-important serum and moisturiser steps:
- Day: Cleanse, tone, eye care, serum, moisturiser, SPF
- Night: Cleanse, tone, eye care, serum, treatment, moisturiser
This checklist includes every product your skin needs to improve existing concerns and protect against new ones, while the specific order allows your skin to draw the maximum benefits from each step, ready to take on the next one.
Your moisturiser and serum FAQs, answered
- Can I skip serum and go straight to moisturiser?
If you want to tackle existing concerns and prevent new ones, it's always best to use both. - Do I have to use the same products day and night?
No, many people alternate between AM and PM serums and moisturisers, such as a protective antioxidant formula during the day and a restorative one at night. - Should I apply both in quick succession?
Ideally, wait 30-60 seconds between applying your treatment serum and moisturiser, to allow the serum's active ingredients to penetrate. - How do I apply serums vs moisturisers?
Here's one area where these two products are 100% aligned. Warm the product between your palms and press it into the skin, applying gentle pressure with your fingertips under the eyes, on the forehead and jawline.
