Noun
ampoule (plural ampoules) borrowed from French, earlier, "vial, flask," going back to Old French ampule, ampoule, borrowed from Latin ampulla
1. A small hermetically sealed vial. (Usually sealed by open flame that protects the contents from airborne contaminants developed in the 1890s)

Serums

“A serum is the clear, yellowish fluid obtained upon separating whole blood into its solid and liquid components after it has been allowed to clot, so it is not surprising that the precursors of modern-day serums were based on horse blood, egg albumin, and bovine placenta. (In the 1930s) Packaging these products in sterile ampoules preserved with oxyquinoline (and later, the invention of parabens) made them available commercially. Ever notice that your most active serums come in the tiniest bottles? This is a practice that stayed with us since the early days of short product shelf life, which meant small batches had to be made and used up quickly before the product spoiled.” - Dermascope article Facial Serums written by Dasha Saian 24 October 2014 

Whats the difference?

There are various types of serums available for difference skin concerns e.g. ageing skin, hyperpigmentation, dehydration, etc They typically have a smaller molecular weight than your moisturiser to work slightly deeper into the epidermis.

Ampoules are like a supercharged serum that tend to have higher concentrations of active ingredients, traditionally used for a finite amount of time to address a skin issue.

Now there are many different types available on the shelf for everyones skincare needs with different user experiences. 

Which one do you prefer? Have you ever purchased a course of ampoule treatments before? What skin concern does yours address?

Recommendations coming soon! Follow me on Instagram for the drop 🎤

References:
reagent.co.uk
pharmaceutical-technology.com
Dermascope Magazine

SERUM VS AMPOULE - what’s the difference?

One thing that I learnt and love about clay masks is that there’s one for everyone! Calamine can be soothing and hydrating for the more sensitive and dehydrated skin, and you can make it more moisturising by the medium you mix it with! 

These are mixed bespoke during a facial but there are loads of commercial ones available off a shelf. What’s your favourite?

Clay masks

My current obsession is Zelens power D facial mist, you heard it here first! 

I’ve tried the facial oil drops before and as I have combination acne prone skin, it wasn’t the most comfortable to put oil on my skin but I noticed a subtle difference of my skin health whilst I was using it.

Now I’ve purchased the mist, it’s a lot lighter! Mine is in the old packaging and the spray nozzle is a little less sophisticated than I hoped but it does have a luxe feel with the glass. I use it after cleansing, before my serums and my skin feels a lot more resilient, blemishes are a lot smaller and go faster and I have a lovely healthy glow 😊 I’d recommend it for dry and sensitised skin types! It’s on the pricey side but I got mine half price in a sale. 

Have you tried this before? Would you give it a go?

Zelens Power D

It’s not the cheapest cleanser but for what I need in a cleanser I try to catch it during the sales which are in abundance!

I picked up a small sized of this cleanser to use after I was looking for something gentle to use whilst I went through my course of tretinoin for my breakouts, and came across this as one of the most recommended throughout the skincare community. It’s now become a staple with it being so gentle, non fragranced and hydrating. I’d highly recommend it for sensitised skin and as a first cleanse to lift any make up, without stripping your skin 🌟 I’ve since repurchased it in the bigger pump bottle and use around 1 x half pump for a light cleanse or double cleanse with half a pump for a more thorough cleanse (teaming it with an eye make up remover prior!)

I definitely need longer to try this product as it’s so gentle!

I definitely think centella helped when my skin was sensitised from using tret, it helped repair my skin barrier and it gave me my glow back! I was pleasantly surprised by the texture of the Skin 1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule, as I initially thought it would be quite thick, but it just sunk straight into my skin! It’s a new firm favourite of mine to keep my skin health at 100%

The size is too small! But I saw they’re doing bigger sizes now 🤩

Love this versitile product! It helps me manage my breakouts.

Honestly, I can’t find any faults other than it’s not avilable from my local drugstore!

Obsessed! I tried the whole CICA range and settled on the serum 💚 I love how it fits into my routine and helps rank my skin barrier right up!

It’s on the pricer side as if you calculate it 2mg&#47;cm2 for each application, it works out to be quite expensive. But with all of the offers available and sales, I love stocking up on this when I can and it all definitly gets used before they need to be binned! 100% worth the splurge if you can afford it for the sophisticated formulation.

My holy grail facial sunscreen! It’s lightweight and buildable for reapplication throught the day without pilling on the face. It boasts water, sand and sweat resistance - which means it clings to the skin a lot better (but you still need to reapply every 2-3 hours in direct sunlight!) I’ve tried a few different sunscreens and they always feel a bit greasy, but with Anthelios Shaka, it’s barely noticable! Nothing else quite compares.

RachaelYeungSkincare