Nourishing, lightweight and fast-absorbing, hydrating serums have obvious appeal on sweaty summer days. But experts say the best hydrating serums should be staples in your skincare routine year-round. “High-quality hydrating serums provide a long-lasting, deep moisturisation of the skin, resulting in a complexion that’s softer, plumper and more radiant overall,” says Professor Dr Michael Detmar, MD at IRÄYE .

What’s more, hydrating serums can actually make your subsequent skincare more effective. “Another important and lesser known action of hydrating serums is that they enhance the delivery of other active ingredients deep into the skin.” adds aesthetic facialist and clinic founder Kate Kerr .

She likens their moisturising benefits to “filling the canals before the gondolas can sail on through, carrying the all-important active ingredients into the desired layers of skin.” Read more: 2024's Best New Serums , According To An Expert Is a hydrating serum worth it? You might be inclined to skip over serums as an optional skincare step, but in doing so, you would be missing a trick. According to Dr.

Detmar, hydrating serums are an essential prelude to moisturiser for all skin types, because they are made with water-binding ingredients that boost moisture retention in the skin. As for Kerr, she belongs to a sect of skin experts who think serums are actually preferable to moisturisers in terms of conditioning the complexion. “They can encourage hydration without.