Serum vs Moisturiser: Do You Need Both?

A serum is usually a watery liquid or a light gel. It is a thin layer left on the skin after cleansing, and many serums are built around a particular ingredient. Dermatologist Sean McGregor of Cleveland Clinic in the US advises using only one serum at a time if you use one.

A moisturiser is the step that goes on over a serum, if you use one. Cleveland Clinic explains that moisturisers lock in moisture and help reduce the water the skin loses through its surface. Textures range from lotions to creams to gel creams. A gel cream tends to feel lighter than a cream, which is why many people reach for one on hot days.

Cleveland Clinic says a skincare routine should be ordered from lightest to heaviest, or thinnest to thickest. That usually means cleanser, then serum, then moisturiser. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) gives a similar order: wash your face, apply any medicine or treatment right after cleansing, then moisturiser and/or sunscreen, then makeup if you want it.

In the morning, sunscreen is the last skincare step. The AAD says to put sunscreen on after other skin care products and beneath your makeup. A serum or a moisturiser without SPF does not stand in for sunscreen. For waiting time and amounts when layering, follow each product's directions.

Not necessarily. Cleveland Clinic says that at a minimum you want a cleanser followed by a moisturiser and sunscreen, in that order, and that the general rule is to keep your routine simple. That minimum routine has no serum in it. The AAD also suggests a simple three-step approach of cleansing, moisturising and protecting your skin as a way to keep costs down.

The AAD says limiting the number of products you use can help too, because several products add cost and can irritate the skin. It also says that for a product that does not irritate your skin, it takes at least 30 days to know whether it is working, and that you should stop using a product right away if it irritates your skin. The AAD's guidance on anti-ageing products says most of those products take at least six weeks to work, so some products may need longer. Using a few products consistently, rather than adding steps, also makes it easier to tell what suits you.

If a moisturiser on its own leaves your skin comfortable and you like how it feels, you do not need to add a serum. If a rich moisturiser feels heavy and you would rather start with a thin layer and finish lightly, a serum with a lighter moisturiser is another option. On hot, humid days, keep in mind that every extra layer adds a little weight.

Budget counts as well. The AAD says products do not need to be expensive to be effective. When you add something new, add one product at a time, and if your skin feels uncomfortable, stop that product and go back to fewer steps.

HANARI is preparing Even Days Serum and Air-Fit Gel Cream. Even Days Serum is designed to spread thin and easily, with little stickiness or shine. It combines humectants, emollients and polymers, aiming for easy layering under cream, sunscreen and makeup, and contains rice bran water, fermented ingredients, niacinamide, panthenol and sodium hyaluronate among others. Air-Fit Gel Cream is the moisturising step after the serum. Instead of adding another layer of serum, it uses a different formula structure to complement it. Emollients, silicones and texture-forming ingredients are combined, aiming for a light gel-cream finish with little stickiness or shine. On very dry skin or in very dry conditions, this gel cream alone may not be enough.

These descriptions are design goals, not proven results. Neither product is on sale yet; both are being prepared for a December 2026 launch. As this note explains, you do not need both, or all three products including the cleanser. Choose only the steps that fit the routine you already have. Key ingredients and launch news are on the products page.