Some of you might already be a PRO in your CTM routine. Facial Cleanser, sunscreen, moisturizer, exfoliator etc pretty much sums up everything that you need for your CTM to work. But, there are still a lot of people who never really use a face serum. In this post, I will be detailing on why it’s required to use a face serum and how a face serum works. I am also featuring three different face serums from Dot & Key Skincare that you can incorporate to your skincare routine.

What is a serum?

It’s not a big deal. A serum is a concentrate of active ingredients, which targets one’s specific skincare concerns, and the ingredients are made up of smaller molecules, yet powerful. The level of active ingredients in a face serum is higher than what it’s in a usual face cream.

Adding serums to your regular skincare routine can make a big difference to the way your face look and feel. Unlike your moisturizer, serum has no fillers, containing the highest concentration of active ingredients. If yoiu compare—cleansers and moisturizer contain between 5 and 10% active ingredient, whereas serums can contain up to 80%. Whether you’re looking to even your skintone, fade away those fine lines or wrinkles, brighten your complexion by fading the dark spots, firm your skin — A serum does wonders.

In consistency, Serums are much lighter and penetrates deep into the skin layers faster than a moisturizer, thereby keeping your skin hydrated without any greasiness.

Choosing the right Serum for Your Face & When to use a Face Serum

How well formulated a serum is, if its not right for your skin type – It’s of little use. if it isn’t a match for your skin type. If you’re looking for a face serum for oily or combination skin, look for a fluid or lightweight lotion serum which goes weightless on skin. For dry skin, you’ll likely love a serum packed with emollients and antioxidant-rich

Depending on your skin type and concerns, a serum can be used either once or twice per day. During the day, you would apply before your daytime moisturizer with SPF; at night, it can either be used on its own or applied right before your night time moisturizer and eye cream.

Designed to meet every skin concerns and skin type, Dot & Key’s range of face serums penetrates deeply, rejuvenating the skin and maintaining the healthy glow. They recently launched 4 different face serums and in this post I am featuring three which they kindly sent over to me. I have been mixing and matching these with other products in my skincare routine since few weeks now.

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  • GLOW REVEALING VITAMIN C SERUM CONCENTRATE
  • WATER DRENCH HYDRATING HYALURONIC SERUM CONCENTRATE
  • COLLAGEN RESTORATIVE TIME REVERSE RETINOL SERUM
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Glow Revealing Vitamin C Serum Concentrate – INR 975

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Busy lifestyle and exposure to daily environmental aggressors can lead to several skin issues like pigmentation or melasma, dull skin and these damages often accelerate signs of ageing. Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals, which are generated by our bodies when exposed to certain conditions, including pollution and UV rays.

Supercharged with antioxidants and vitamin C from superfruits like kakadu plum and acerola cherry, Dot & Key’s Vitamin C Serum aims to both prevent and correct the damage caused by these skin stressors. 


Dot & Key Glow Revealing Vitamin C Serum Concentrate has a light weight water base formula that absorbs quickly to skin, this serum actively illuminates the complexion, and eliminates dullness and dark spots by neutralizing free radicals.

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This serum is infused with hyaluronic acid, and provides intense hydration restoring skin’s plumpness. Add it to your beauty routine to make skin less fatigued and more luminous.

Key Ingredients

Malpighia glabra (Acerola Cherry) fruit extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerin [and] Water [and] Kakadu Plum [Terminalia Ferdinandiana] fruit extract, Acrostaphylos Uva Ursi [Bearberry] Leaf Extract, Saxifraga Sarmentosa Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa [Peonyl Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Vitamin E

Full ingredient list is not mentioned anywhere. Also concentration of Ingredients. In general, On the labels, ingredients are listed in descending order of concentration

I like the feel of this serum. It’s very lightweight and has a pleasant fragrance. The packaging with the dispenser is convenient. It’s all beautiful and reminds me a lot of K Beauty products. This Vitamin C serum is for all skin types and you get 30 ml of product. If used everyday. One bottle lasts for about a month. It’s non irritating on skin. I didn’t notice any redness etc on my sensitive skin.

  • texture is weightless, fast absorbing water base formula
  • Contains kakadu plum, acerola cherry extracts
  • Vitamin C + Hyaluronic acid that corrects damage caused by environmental aggressors.
  • hydrates and plumps skin.
  • Neutralises free radicals leading to ageing

How to use

After cleansing and toning ; Pump 3-4 drops of the face serum onto your palm. Massage in upward circular motions until serum is absorbed into skin. Follow up with your moisturizer and never skip your sunscreen. I like this serum. Though I didn’t notice any immediate improvement on my skin. It’s a good serum for everyday use for all skin types. However, I don’t think it could replace my favorite Murad Vitamin C range. In general, using Vitamin C serums in daily skincare routine helps boost collagen production, giving your skin a youthful glow. If used daily, It’d even help with uneven skin tone as well as pigmentation on face.

Very important thing to keep in mind when using Vitamin C Serums

Another important pointer to remember while selecting Vitamin C serum. Serum should be colorless—and it should be stored in a dark place in a dark bottle. When it’s exposed to light, it becomes unstable. If the color of the product turn yellow from colorless. It should be discarded. If you continue to use a unstable product, It might darken your skin rather than lightening any pigmentation issues. Another important point to be noted – Always let the product absorb into your skin before you step out into the sun and never forget sunscreen. This product can be used AM as well as PM

Water Drench Hydrating Hyaluronic Serum Concentrate – INR 895

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Dehydrated skin is one of the major problems that every women face. A dehydrated skin can often appear dull, and can make look the overall skintone and complexion uneven, making fine lines more noticeable etc.

No skin routine is complete without a good hydrating serum. Dot & Key Water Drench Hyaluronic Acid Serum contains Vitamin C and antioxidants from acai berries, which fight free radicals and daily environmental damage.

Formulated with ceramides and botanicals elements like soothing bulgarian rose, this brilliant hydrator improves skin’s barrier function restoring plump dewy complexion. Ultra concentrated, yet easily absorbable, this face serum can be used alone or along with your favourite moisturising cream for long-lasting hydration.

How to use

There are several ways to use a Hyaluronic acid. You can mix it with your regular moisturizer and apply post cleanse and tone routine. You can also apply hyaluronic acid directly on your clean, damp face. It acts as a excellent base for your makeup. If you have dry skin. You might want to add an additional layer of moisturizer before you put on your makeup. You may also use hyaluronic acid as your daily night serum. Apply it, leave it on overnight, and wake up with baby soft and plumped skin.

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Water Drench Hydrating Hyaluronic Serum Concentrate has a rose talc kind of a fragrance. Might feel overpowering for some. Smell fades off within minutes of application. Regular use of hyaluronic acid in your AM as well as PM CTM routine really change the way your skin appears. My skin feels plumped, soft and more hydrated when I apply this.

Key Ingredients

Hyaluronic Acid [and] Silanetriol [and] Water [and] Butylene Glycol, Milk Lipids, Ceramide 3, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Provitamin B5, Bulgarian Rose [Rose Damascena] Oil, Acai Berry [Euterpe Oleracea] Fruit Oil

If you don’t like fragrance in your skincare products. Then you might not like this. The Bulgarian Rose fragrance is not something that I am very keen about. Formula is lightweight and hydrating, absorbs quickly. Goes non-greasy as well. If you don’t like fragrance in your skincare products. Then you might not like this. The Bulgarian Rose fragrance is not something that I am very keen about.

Collagen Restorative Time Reverse Retinol Serum – INR 1195

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As you enter your 20s, early signs of sun-damage and aging show on the skin. Cell turnover starts to slow down gradually, and your skin starts to lose its elasticity thereby becoming prone to discoloration and wrinkles. Sun damage trigger the degradation of skin that desperately needs repair. You don’t want to start too early and that’s why it’s best to start the retinol skincare regimen in your late 20s.

This is when you want to add retinol based products to your skincare routine. Basically, retinol is a type of Vitamin A that is found in over-the-counter, non-prescriptive creams and serums that stimulates the metabolism of skin cells and encourages collagen production.

Dot & Key Collagen Restorative Retinol Serum promises a three-pronged action on the key signs of cellular slowdown – reducing fine lines, fading dark spots and enhancing skin’s elasticity.

Dot & Key Collagen Restorative Retinol Serum is a concentrated formula of potent antioxidants and anti-ageing elements like Tripeptides and Retinol, it slows down skin ageing by capturing free radicals and promoting collagen regeneration and cell growth. It’s infused with a botanical blend of Rosehip, Ylang Ylang & Geranium Oils, and highly moisturizing vitamin E & A.

I am not mentioning anything about my experience on this one. I haven’t really used this one yet. I am yet to finish my Murad Retinol Range.

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Key Ingredients

Palmitoyl tripeptide -5, Vitamin E, Vitamin A Palmitate [Retinol], Rose Canina [ Rosehip ] Seed oil, Geranium [Pelargonium graveolens] flower oil, Helichrysum italicum [immortelle] Oil

Enriched with With Rosehip oil, Ylang Ylang, Geranium Oils, and highly moisturizing vitamin E & A.

However, I have few pointers for those who plan to incorporate retinol products in their skincare routine.

Retinoids perform best when included within a skincare regimen that includes daily use of broad spectrum SPF 30 or higher sunscreen on all exposed skin.

You might want to use retinol less frequently in the winter months. During winters, our skin tend to be more drier and often more sensitive. So, retinol products are best suited during summer months. You might want to bring down the frequency of usage to less than a few times per week in the winter month.

For best product results, one should not mix retinol products with AHAs, BHAs. Also, you don’t need retinol products every night. Limit the usage to less than 3 times per week. Initial Skin Purging will be there when introducing Retinol for the first time. As your skin starts getting accustomed to the retinol, in the first two to four weeks of use, your cell turnover will increase and and you might experience breakouts. Start your topical retinoids slowly and intermittently rather than all at once, so your skin has a chance to adjust at its own pace. 

Layering the retinol over a gentle moisturizer will help temper the harshness of the retinol. Look for a moisturizer with hyaluronic acid. or layer hyaluronic acid first after cleanse and tone before you go ahead with Retinol Serum.

Always always remember – Retinol is best applied at night before bed to avoid sun sensitivity.) You have to work your way up to regular use. “Start retinol slowly applying twice per week and then gradually adding another day until your skin has built up tolerance for daily use,” 

Overall, These face serums are for all skin types. And, hope you all found my review helpful. I personally think the concentration of active ingredient would have been mentioned on the ingredient list. Also, full ingredient list is not there. Only Key Ingredients are specified. Also, when it comes to Retinol Serums etc, I prefer formulas without essential oils etc.

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Do you use Face Serums in your routine ?

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Dot & Key products are available to purchase online on all leading e-commerce websites such as Amazon Nykaa etc. You may also purchase it directly from Dot & Key website

Use code RENJI20 to get a 20% OFF on all Dot & Key products

** All products above were sent to me by brand PR. However, my opinions are honest and unbiased as always.

Shop the products from Nykaa here


renjianooj

Entrepreneur, Makeup geek, Shopaholic, Dreamer, Love product photography. Passionate about makeup and living naturally. Welcome to my little world of secrets!

1 Comment

Shyma · August 5, 2019 at 7:15 pm

Thank you for such a detailed review. I personally prefer brands that mention the complete ingredients list. The hyaluronic acid serum caught my eye, but again strong fragrance is not something I like.

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