The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Saturday
SERUMS FOR SUN-DRENCHED SKIN
I used to spend summers lying in the sun, tinfoil strategically placed beneath my chin, hair covered in Sun In (so many bad orange highlights; God knows why we all kept using that stuff). At some point in my 30s, I stopped sunbathing and embraced being pale.
Whatever your sunbathing modus operandi, hot weather can damage skin, leaving it feeling dry. Lightweight and containing a glorious cocktail of good-for-skin ingredients, each summer I add a serum to my beauty routine. In hot climes, I sometimes ditch moisturiser altogether, preferring instead to use serum alone. Serum is meant to sit directly beneath moisturiser, giving the skin an extra boost.
So far this summer, I’ve tried La Prairie Skin Caviar
Liquid Lift Serum. It smells of summer and leaves my skin feeling lifted, smooth and plumped. Scientifically speaking, La Prairie’s new serum is a beauty powerhouse, and when it comes to active ingredients I am not joking when, after a week of using Caviar Liquid Lift, a friend said: “You look younger”. But at that price, a facelift would make me look younger too!
I’ve also tried Dr Barbara Sturm’s Calming Serum. With niacinamide, it soothes inflammation. For a dewy glow I like Drunk Elephant’s C-Firma Day Serum, and on the more affordable end of the spectrum, I’m told by my beauty editor friends that Olay Total Effects Anti-Ageing 7in1 is a winner.
Serum: do you really need it? See the “you look younger” comment above if you want the answer.