Owing to changes in the season or due to extremely dry weather, our skin tends to lose moisture. There are some skin types that stay dry and dehydrated by nature. It is important to provide these types of skin with moisture from external sources as dry skin can lead to various other skin-related problems.

While looking for the right kind of product for this purpose, you might get acquainted with terms such as facial serums, moisturizers, and face oils. You may doubt whether all these products have the same functions. To answer this, you must know that though all these products help in moisturizing the skin, they differ from each other in many ways. Let us discuss the ways these products work, to determine the right product for the right skin.

1. Facial serums
Facial serums are water-based formulas and are quite effective in dealing with various issues related to skin. However, they do not offer deep hydration to the skin like moisturizers or face oils. Since they are strong in nature, application of a little amount of product goes a long way. They contain antioxidants, vitamins, and many other useful ingredients. They are made for specific skin issues such as wrinkles, fine lines, spots or dull skin. They get absorbed easily deep into the skin and nourish it from within.

2. Moisturizers
Moisturizers and face oils are used for the same purpose. Moisturizers contain water and oils and their main function is to hydrate the external layer of the skin. Regular usage of moisturizer is effective in maintaining the perfect moisture balance of the skin if a person has oily or normal or combination skin. However, they might not be effective for extremely dry skin. People with dry skin need to apply face oils too.

On a regular day, it is advised to apply moisturizer when the skin is damp as this can help in sealing the moisture into the skin. There are different types of moisturizers such as light, moderate, and heavy; one can select the type based on the requirement of their skin. Though they do not get absorbed deep into the skin, they deliver the right amount of moisture and nutrients to the skin.

3. Face oils
Just like moisturizers, face oils also help in restoring the moisture balance of the skin. Additionally, they offer many other benefits. They not only offer the required nourishment to the skin but also hydrate the skin deeply. One thing you must keep in mind is that that not every natural oil can be used as a face oil. Oils such as jojoba and argan oil that have a smaller molecular size are ideal face oils as they prevent the skin pores from getting clogged which facilitates easy absorption of oil. They contain vitamins and essential fatty acids and retain moisture of the skin for a longer period.

An understanding about the difference between serums, moisturizers, and face oils will help a person determine the requirement of their skin so that they can choose the suitable product accordingly.