Which facial serum suits your skin?
Which serum you need depends on your skin type and on what your skin is asking for. Is your skin red, sensitive or quickly unsettled? Then choose a calming serum. Is your skin lacking firmness and resilience? Then choose a strengthening serum with antioxidants. Is your skin very dry or tight? Then choose a rich, nourishing serum that limits moisture loss. Not sure? Try all three in mini size first.
| What your skin needs | This serum | Why this serum | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red, sensitive, reacts quickly | Cucumber Serum | Cucumber seed oil, rice bran oil, oat oil and bisabolol calm the skin and support the skin barrier. No essential oils or other fragrance compounds, so it can also be used around the eyes. | This is skincare, not a treatment for rosacea or eczema. Many customers do notice that their skin feels calmer. |
| Blemish-prone skin, gets shiny quickly | Cucumber Serum | The lightest of the three and calming, without water, perfume or fillers. | We prefer to address the root cause rather than the symptoms. When the skin barrier settles, many customers also see fewer blemishes. |
| Less firm, fine lines, mature skin | Pumpkin Serum | Pumpkin seed oil, borage seed oil, chia seed oil, sea buckthorn and Q10: essential fatty acids and antioxidants that support the firmness and elasticity of the skin. Feels lighter than the Avocado Serum, so it also works well under your sun protection. | It supports the skin, but it does not reverse ageing. We don't sell retinol; instead we choose carotenoids from pumpkin seed oil and sea buckthorn: a gentler route. More about natural alternatives to retinol. |
| Very dry, flaky or tight | Avocado Serum | Avocado, hemp seed, elderberry seed, oat and broccoli seed oil limit moisture loss. The richest of the three. | No product truly adds moisture to your skin: that moisture comes from within. What a product can do is prevent it from evaporating, and the Avocado Serum is good at that. Apply it to freshly cleansed, slightly damp skin. |
| You're not sure, or your skin changes with the seasons | Trial set Serums | All three serums in 10 ml (β¬29.50), enough for about three weeks per serum. That way you can compare them on your own skin. | Your skin renews itself every three to four weeks. After that time you will really see whether a serum suits you. |
Does more than one row fit your skin? These are the three doubts we hear most often:
- Dry and sensitive? Start with the Cucumber Serum. Skin that reacts quickly needs calm first. If your skin still feels dry afterwards, switch to the Avocado Serum.
- Mature and dry? Choose the Avocado Serum. For dry, mature skin, nourishment is the foundation, and the Avocado Serum also contains Q10.
- Sensitive, but also fine lines? Start with the Cucumber Serum. Strengthening only makes sense once your skin is calm. After that, you can switch to the Pumpkin Serum.
More help with choosing can be found on which skincare routine suits me.
Prefer to choose by age?
Do you have few skin concerns? Then your age is a good first indication. Your skin changes as you get older, and our serums become richer and more nourishing in the same order:
- Up to 40: Cucumber Serum
- 40 to 55: Pumpkin Serum
- 55+: Avocado Serum
This division is indicative. If your skin needs something else, for example calm for redness or extra nourishment for dryness, choose based on the table above.
Our serums
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Pumpkin Serum
View Pumpkin SerumStrengthening serum that supports the firmness and elasticity of the skin.
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Avocado Serum
View Avocado SerumRich, nourishing serum that limits moisture loss, for very dry skin.
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Trial set Serums
Try the Trial Set SerumsNot sure which serum suits you best? Then our serum trial set is for you! Try all three.
Why our serums contain no water
In many facial serums, water is the first ingredient. Water is cheap and makes a formula lighter, but it is mainly a filler. Our serums contain no water: they consist entirely of plant-based oils and extracts, rich in essential fatty acids and antioxidants. That way, they only contain what actually does something for your skin, pure and powerful. And because there is no water in them, no preservation is needed either. A few pumps are enough for your whole face and neck.
The serums are vegan, without perfume and without essential oils, of 100% natural origin and largely organic. They smell of the ingredients themselves, often described as earthy. Because they contain no fragrance compounds, you can also use them around the eyes.
How deep does a serum actually work?
Many serums promise to penetrate deep into your skin. That is only partly true. In 2000, two Amsterdam dermatologists from the AMC, Jan Bos and Marcus Meinardi, described what has since been called the 500 dalton rule. It states that a substance only passes through the stratum corneum, the outer layer of your skin, if the molecule is smaller than about 500 dalton. Vitamin C (176 dalton), niacinamide (122) and bisabolol (222) easily meet that. Collagen weighs around 300,000 dalton, and hyaluronic acid in cosmetics usually between 50,000 and two million. So they don't get through, no matter how expensive the serum is. They stay on your skin and hold moisture there. That is valuable too, but it is something different from what a label often suggests.
The same applies to our own serums. The plant-based oils and the Q10 (863 dalton) in the Pumpkin and Avocado Serum work mainly in the upper layers of your skin. There they do what is needed: they limit moisture loss, support the skin barrier and neutralise oxidative damage. The 500 dalton rule is a rule of thumb, not a law of nature. But it explains why, for every serum, we also write down what you can expect from it, and what not.
Sources: Bos JD, Meinardi MMHM. The 500 Dalton rule for the skin penetration of chemical compounds and drugs. Experimental Dermatology 2000;9(3):165-169. Ryu KA et al. Topical Delivery of Coenzyme Q10-Loaded Microemulsion for Skin Regeneration. Pharmaceutics 2020;12(4):332.
How do you use a serum in your routine?
A serum is step two of three. First cleanse your skin with the Carrot Cleanser. Then apply 1-2 pumps of serum to your face, neck and around your eyes. Finish with the Tomato Base Cream, so the moisture stays in your skin. During the day, finish with sun protection. Do this morning and evening.
Want to give your skin an extra boost? Use the serum generously twice a week in the evening, without cream on top. It then works as an overnight mask. You can also alternate two serums, for example the Avocado Serum in winter and the Cucumber Serum when your skin is unsettled. You'll find the complete routine in the 3 Step Basic Routine. Want to know more about how a serum works? Then read our blog about serums.
How long does it take before you see a difference?
Your skin renews itself about every three to four weeks. After that time you should really see and feel a difference: skin that feels calmer, firmer or better nourished, depending on the serum. Often you notice in the first days that your skin feels softer. So give a new serum at least one full cycle before you judge. If a complaint persists or gets worse, see your GP or a skin therapist.
Frequently asked questions about serums
Do you really need a serum?
For many people, the three-step routine of cleansing, serum and cream works nicely and well. The serum is the step for extra nourishment: it contains most of the plant-based oils and antioxidants. Do you notice that your skin is doing really well? Then you can also leave out the serum now and then.
Which serum is suitable for sensitive skin?
The Cucumber Serum. It contains no essential oils or other fragrance compounds, but it does contain calming oils such as cucumber seed and oat oil. Test a new product on the inside of your elbow first.
Which serum helps with very dry skin?
The Avocado Serum, the richest of the three. It limits moisture loss. Apply it to slightly damp skin and finish with the Tomato Base Cream.
Can I use two serums interchangeably?
Yes, alternating works fine. For example by season: the Avocado Serum in winter and the Cucumber Serum when your skin is unsettled. We don't recommend mixing them in your hand. Choose one serum each time.
Does a collagen serum really work?
Not the way the label often promises. Collagen is far too large to get through your skin: it weighs around 300,000 dalton, while the limit is around 500. A collagen serum holds moisture on your skin, but it does not replenish your own collagen.
Do I need a cream as well as a serum?
Yes. The serum nourishes your skin, and a cream like the Tomato Base Cream holds the moisture in. Together they work best.