The key difference between serum and lotion is their composition. Lotions contain petroleum and mineral oil, as well as a high content of lubricating and thickening agents, but serums do not contain petroleum or mineral oil and only have a fewer content of lubricating and thickening agents.
Serums and lotions are important products for skin treatments and skin routines. There is always a way of applying a serum and a lotion to get its maximum benefit. Moreover, a serum is always applied before a lotion.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is a Serum
3. What is a Lotion
4. Serum vs Lotion in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Serum vs Lotion
What is a Serum?
A serum is a light, easily absorbed oil-based or water-based liquid that we can spread on the skin. Typically, a serum comes in a small bottle with a dropper. We can use a few drops of serum to treat the whole face. It is not a moisturizer but a highly concentrated formulation that is designed to sink into the skin quickly. This delivers an intensive dose of the ingredients into the skin.
Generally, we apply a serum on the skin after cleansing but before moisturizing. Some types of serums have a single ingredient, while other types have combinations of ingredients. The most recommended serums by dermatologists include combinations of vitamin C, vitamin E, and ferulic acid. Vitamin C can prevent brown spots, reverse the damage from UV rays, and stimulate the growth of new collagen. Ferulic acid is important in fighting off free radicals that tend to play a role in age-related skin issues such as age spots and wrinkles. In addition, some skin serums mainly target wrinkles on the skin. These serums contain antioxidants such as tea polyphenols and resveratrol.
However, all the serums in the market do not work the same way. They are different from each other according to the active ingredient, the formulation, the stability of the serum, etc. Therefore, the prices of these liquids also differ from each other.
What is a Lotion?
A lotion is a low-viscosity topically applying preparation that can be used on the skin. It is not a cream or a gel because creams and gels have high viscosities. This is usually due to the low water content. Moreover, we can apply a lotion to external skin with bare hands. Sometimes, we can use a brush, clean clothing, or cotton wool as well.
Furthermore, we can use a lotion as a medicine delivery system. For example, some hand lotions and body lotions are made as a lotion for allergies or peeling of the skin. A lotion can smooth, moisturize, soften, and perfume the skin. Some common products such as sunscreen and moisturizer are available as creams, lotions, gels, or sprays.
According to some dermatologists, lotions can be prescribed to treat or prevent skin diseases. The same drug can be formulated into a lotion, cream, and ointment. Among these products, creams are the most efficient form of medicinal delivery, but it is inappropriate to be used for hairy skin. Therefore, we need a lotion for this type of skin. This is because a lotion is less viscous and can make a very thin layer of the product on the skin. We can use lotions to deliver antibiotics, antiseptics, antifungals, corticosteroids, anti-acne agents, etc.
What is the Difference Between Serum and Lotion?
In skincare routines, serums and lotions take a special place due to their effectiveness. The key difference between serum and lotion is that serum does not contain petroleum or mineral oil and only contains a fewer content of lubricating and thickening agents, whereas lotion contains petroleum, mineral oil, high content of lubricating and thickening agents.
The below infographic presents the differences between serum and lotion in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Serum vs Lotion
A serum is a light, easily absorbed oil-based or water-based liquid that we can spread on the skin, while a lotion is a low-viscosity topically applying preparation that can be used on the skin. The key difference between serum and lotion is their content. A serum does not contain petroleum or mineral oil, while lotion does. In addition, lotions have a high content of lubricating and thickening agents than serums.
Reference:
1. Bilodeau, Kelly. “Skin Serum: What It Can and Can’t Do.” Harvard Health, 12 June 2018.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Set of bottles with face serum on pink surface” (CC0) via Pexels
2. “Person Pouring Plastic Tube Bottle” (CC0) via Pexels