Ingredient glossary
Serine
On your shelf ✓What Serine does for your skin, who it suits, and what to watch for.
INCI: Serine · Also: L-Serine
In short: Serine delivers hydration and conditioning, suits most skin types, and the evidence behind it is limited.
- What it does
- Hydration, conditioning
- Best for
- Most skin types
- Evidence
- Limited
The molecule
The Glow take
Nice to have, and nothing to overthink.
Serine plays a quiet supporting role, rounding out a formula rather than being the reason you buy it.
— Maya
What it does
- hydration
- conditioning
weak evidenceDirect NMF measurement puts serine at the top of the free amino acid pool, and an NMF blend containing serine helped preserve barrier properties in skin studies, but the blend cannot be credited to serine alone. No trial tests serine by itself. CIR judged the alpha amino acids safe as used.
Who it's for, and who should skip it
Tends to suit
- dry
- dehydrated
- normal
Approach with care
No specific group flagged to avoid it.
- Clogs poresLow
- Irritation riskLow
How it fits each skin type
- DrySuits
- CombinationSuits
- OilySuits
- SensitiveSuits
Where it fits in your routine
Plays well with
- humectants
- hyaluronic acid
- glycerin
Serine, answered
Is Serine safe during pregnancy?
Yes. Serine is considered safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. As with anything, if you are unsure it is worth a quick word with your doctor or midwife.
Who should avoid Serine?
No specific group is flagged to avoid Serine. It is well tolerated by most skin. Still, introduce anything new one product at a time.
What concentration of Serine actually works?
Its concentration is rarely printed on the label, so use the ingredient list as your clue: near the top third it is likely doing real work, near the bottom it is more of a sprinkle.
This, for every label you own
One ingredient is easy. A full label is where it gets confusing. The Ingredient Decoder reads any product and tells you the honest truth, ingredient by ingredient.
Sources & how we reviewed this
- PMID 24335967abstract only, the full text is paywalled
- DOI 10.1038/s41598-019-54454-xabstract only, the full text is paywalled