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 suits one's skin tone can prove to 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, conversely, give the complexion 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 it tends to tan differently.
To accurately select your shade, we advise you to consider the complexion of your skin at the jawline. This way, you can choose a shade that truly matches your facial skin colour. Moreover, this will help to 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 when applied can turn out to be the right shade after a few minutes. Lastly, it can sometimes be useful to mix two tinted serums to get as close as possible to your skin colour.
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 summer.
Identifying the undertone of one's skin.
In order to accurately determine the shade of tinted serum that suits your skin, it's crucial 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 colour 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 sheet of white paper up to your chin and identify whether your complexion appears more yellow-gold (warm undertone) or pink-blue (cool undertone). Finally, here's a last tip: if you notice that silver jewellery generally suits you better, you likely have cool undertones, and conversely for gold jewellery.
Consider your skin type.
It is crucial to take into account one's skin type when choosing a tinted serum. Indeed, a product that is not suitable could harm your skin. If you have oily skin, it is advised against using a serum that is too rich, as this could make your skin appear shiny and potentially lead to blemishes. Conversely, if you have dry skin, a product that is not very rich 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 advise you to turn 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 moisturised without being shiny, you are lucky, your skin is of the "normal" type. To maintain this balance, do not hesitate to choose a lightly moisturising 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 characterised 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 skincare products 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, designed according to the FITZPATRICK phototype scale, a system developed 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 colour 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 viewed 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 valued 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 moisturising 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 types.
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