Korean Beauty: Serums & Ampoules

In theory an ampoule is more concentrated and used in shorter bursts, while a serum is the everyday version. In practice the two words are used loosely and plenty of brands pick whichever sounds right.

Judge it on what is in the bottle and what the product says it does, not on the word. SKIN1004 labels its whole range ampoules, while Anua uses both words across similar products.

Start from the one thing that bothers you most, not from what is trending.

• Dehydration: Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum or Anua 7 Rice Ceramide Hydrating Barrier Serum
• Redness and reactive skin: Anua Azelaic Acid 10 Hyaluron Redness Soothing Serum or SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule
• Dullness and dark marks: SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Tone Brightening Capsule Ampoule or Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum Propolis + Niacinamide
• Firmness and fine lines: Medicube EGF NAD Firming Serum or Genosys Multi Functioning Anti Wrinkle Serum
• Congestion and pores: Medicube One Day Exosome Shot Pore Ampoule 7500

One at a time. Adding three at once means you will never know which one did anything.

PDRN stands for polydeoxyribonucleotide. It is a salmon derived ingredient that became popular in Korean skincare for skin repair and hydration, and it now turns up across a lot of this range.

The clinical research behind it is mostly on injected forms used in clinics, not on creams and serums. Applied to the skin it behaves as a good hydrating and soothing ingredient. That is worth having, but it is not the same as the clinic procedure it borrowed its reputation from.

Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum and Medicube PDRN Pink Collagen Exosome Shot Serum 7500 are two of the better stocked options if you want to try it.

One or two. Three is usually where skin starts objecting and where you lose track of what is working.

If you want two, pair a hydrating one with a treatment one rather than two treatments. A hydrating serum under an active is a good combination. Two actives on the same night is how barriers get damaged.

Give any new serum six to eight weeks before deciding whether it earns its place.

Thinnest to thickest, after cleansing and toner and before moisturiser.

If two serums feel about the same, put the one you care most about first so it goes onto bare skin. Give each a moment to absorb rather than layering them wet, which is how pilling starts.

Anything in a mist or jelly format, like Medicube PDRN Pink Collagen Glow Jelly Mist Serum or Biodance Collagen Peptide Jelly Serum Mist, generally goes earlier than a thicker ampoule.

Hydration shows within days. Everything else takes months.

• Hydrating serums: skin looks plumper within a week
• Calming serums: redness settles over two to four weeks
• Brightening and dark spots: eight to twelve weeks, and only with daily SPF alongside
• Firming and fine lines: three months at minimum

If a serum promises a visible change in days for anything other than hydration, be sceptical.