A tinted serum oscillates between a foundation, a BB cream, and a classic serum. This treatment offers an alternative for lightly covering one's complexion, while concealing imperfections and nourishing the skin. However, when faced with several tinted serums, the following question arises: how to choose the right one, the one suited to your skin? Here are the criteria to consider.
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The criteria for choosing the right tinted serum.
Summary
- Pay attention to your skin tone
- Identifying the undertone of one's skin
- Consider your skin type
- Discover the various versions of Typology's tinted serum
Published February 22, 2024,
by
Pauline, Head of Scientific Communication
—
8 min read
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Pay attention to your skin tone.
Selecting the shade that best matches one's skin tone can be a tricky task. Indeed, a shade that is too light could result in a pallid complexion, while a shade that is too dark could give the skin an orange hue. When testing a tinted serum shade, the instinctive reaction is often to apply the product on our hand or wrist. However, this is not the most relevant area to test as the skin there is thicker than on the face, and therefore tends to tan differently.
To accurately choose your shade, we advise you to consider the complexion of your skin at the jawline. This way, you can select a shade that truly matches your face's skin color. Moreover, this will help reduce the risk of noticeable lines that sometimes appear between the neck and the face. We also recommend testing the product after exfoliating and on clean skin, free from pollution and dust traces. This will give you an optimal idea of your skin's tone.
When applying your tinted serum, let it dry to ensure that the shade truly matches your skin tone. Indeed, it can happen that a shade that seems too light or too dark upon application turns out to be the right hue after a few minutes of setting. Lastly, it can sometimes be helpful to mix two tinted serums to get as close as possible to your skin color.
Tip : It may be wise to change your complexion serum according to the season, as the skin is generally darker, due to being more tanned, in the summer.
Identifying the undertone of one's skin.
In order to accurately determine the shade of tinted serum that suits your skin, it's important to pay attention to its undertone. There are three main categories: warm, cool, and neutral. Warm undertones are associated with yellow or golden skin shades, cool undertones with pink or bluish shades, and neutral undertones with a mix of the previous two. Unlike skin color, which can vary depending on sun exposure, the undertone is embedded in the epidermis and does not change.
How to identify your skin's undertone?
There are several tricks to determine the undertone of your skin. The first technique involves observing the veins on your wrists. If they appear more blue-green, you have a warm undertone. If they are more blue-purple, your undertone is cool. Finally, if you can't decide, it's likely that your skin has a neutral undertone.
To determine your skin's undertone, you can also try to hold a white sheet of paper up to your chin and identify whether your complexion appears more yellow-gold (warm undertone) or pink-blue (cool undertone). Finally, here's one last tip: if you notice that silver jewelry generally suits you better, you likely have cool undertones, and the opposite is true for gold jewelry.
Consider your skin type.
It is important to take into account one's skin type when choosing a tinted serum. Indeed, a non-suitable product could harm your skin. If you have oily skin, it is not recommended to use a serum that is too rich, as it may cause your skin to shine and potentially develop blemishes. Conversely, if you have dry skin, a product that is not rich enough or even mattifying could further dry it out and cause tightness. Here are all our recommendations according to skin types.
For dry skin : If you have dry skin, your sebum production is insufficient. This phenomenon sometimes creates a feeling of tightness, discomfort, redness, and skin flaking. To soothe your skin and not further aggravate it, we recommend turning to a tinted serum rich in nourishing active ingredients such as vegetable oils (avocado, sweet almond...), ceramides, or squalane.
For normal skin : if your skin does not feel tight, has a sufficient sebum production without being excessive, and is moisturized without being shiny, you are lucky, your skin is of the "normal" type. To maintain this balance, do not hesitate to choose a lightly moisturizing tinted serum, containing for example hyaluronic acid, collagen or aloe vera.
For combination skin : if the skin in the T-zone (forehead, nose, chin) is oily while the skin on your cheeks, temples, and jawline is normal (without tightness or shine), your skin is combination. We advise you to opt for a tinted serum with fairly light coverage so as not to create additional shine in your T-zone.
For oily skin : due to an overproduction of sebum, oily skin is characterized by a shiny appearance throughout the day. To mitigate this phenomenon and not amplify it, it is recommended to choose a fluid, lightweight, and if possible, mattifying tinted serum. Tinted treatments based on green tea extract or zinc are, for example, ideal.
Discover the various versions of Typology's tinted serum.
At Typology, we have developed tinted serums available in six shades, developed according to the FITZPATRICK phototype scale, a system created by an American dermatologist from Harvard. This scale is based on the skin's reaction to sun exposure: the more melanin the skin secretes, the darker it is and the better it is protected from the sun. To help you choose the shade that best suits your skin tone, we have created a color chart with several photos. As for skin undertones, our tinted serums have been developed to match each one of them.
These tinted treatments can be considered as hybrid products, providing both light, natural coverage and skincare benefits due to the active ingredients they contain. They are notably enriched with a derivative of the vitamin C (INCI: Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate), an antioxidant appreciated for its ability to brighten the complexion and protect the skin from oxidative stress, and with aloe vera (INCI: Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice), a natural ingredient with hydrating properties. These serums also contain squalane, which has a high nourishing power, making them allies for dry skin. Their light texture and non-greasy finish also make them suitable for combination to oily skin.
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