Essence vs Serum: What’s the Difference & How to Layer Them for Glowing Skin

What is an Essence Serum and what is a serum essence

More and more beauty bloggers and publications are talking about facial essences. You are a well-versed skintellectual, “facial essences” but they feel unfamiliar to you?

Let’s explore the differences and similarities between essences and serums. Allowing you to make informed decisions based on your skin need.

What Is an Essence?

They originates from the Korean beauty industry. The term essence derived from the word Essential. While it might be similar with products you are familiar with, it is actually its own distinct skin care step in your routine. 

It has a watery texture. It contains botanicals designed to help hydrate, prime, and nourish your skin texture.

It can get a little confusing when to use an essence, toner, serum.

When to apply the Essence

Your essence serum should come before your serum and other skin care products. The essence serum can act as a primer. It supports your skin to improve absorption rate and the benefits of your serums and moisturisers. You also want to layer products from lightest to heaviest, which is why essences comes before serums.

Essences use ingredients like hydrating sodium hyaluron, vitamins and minerals. They can offer a wide range of antioxidant benefits. These are all crucial nutrients when balancing your skin need and supporting your skin barrier.

The advantages of Essence

An essence objective is to improve efficacy and absorption of your other skin care products. And it helps the skin to rebalance faster after the cleansing step. If formulated well and avoiding certain ingredients.

Cleansing the skin is stressful for the skin. The reason because the microbiome on the skin gets confused.

A healthy skin can rebalance itself (its natural bacterias) and its natural ph.

A skin with an impaired skin barrier will struggle. And that's when an essence can improve the skin health and become part of repairing an unhealthy skin barrier.

Essences are different from toners.

What Is a Serum?

If you have an established skincare routine, you probably already use a serum!

Serums are formulated with a high concentration of active ingredients to improve skin conditions and meet your skin need. This high concentration of ingredients listed can help the product work more efficiently.

This means it can deliver more significant results much faster — which is why you want it in your skincare routine!

At NAYA, we love serums and formulate them meticulously to address your skin concern. Our serums are suitable for every skin type. And you can find a serum in our skin care portfolio for sensitive skin, dry skin, combination skin or mature skin.

What’s the Difference Between an Essence Serum and a Serum Essence

Most question we get: Do you need both?

Let’s be honest: this can be really confusing. Brands often use the terms interchangeably, the packaging looks the same, and everyone tells you to apply both right after cleansing and toning. But do you actually need both? And what’s the real difference?

Here’s how we look at it at NAYA:

After cleansing, your skin needs to be rebalanced and rehydrated — that’s where an essence comes in. It’s designed to flood your skin with hydration and essential nutrients, making it the perfect step to prep your skin for whatever comes next. Think of it as your skin’s first drink of water after cleansing.

A serum, on the other hand, is where you go in with targeted support — whether it’s for firmness, dullness, redness, or pigmentation. Serums tend to be slightly thicker in texture and are designed to deliver high-performance actives deeper into the skin.

So where does something like a simple hyaluronic acid serum fit in?

In our opinion — it often doesn’t. Many hyaluronic serums are expensive water-based products that don’t offer much more than hydration. You’ll find them on the market anywhere from €49 to €130 — often without added benefits beyond moisture. We believe that kind of hydration boost should come from your essence, where it can hydrate and prep your skin right after cleansing.

That way, your serum can focus on more meaningful results. If dehydration is your main concern, you’ll get more value using a generously sized, high-quality essence that hydrates deeply — rather than spending on a tiny bottle of basic hyaluronic serum.

At NAYA, we don’t draw strict lines between essence and serum based on texture or marketing trends. We focus on what your skin needs at each stage of your routine — and formulate accordingly.

 

When Should You Use an Essence and a Serum?

You might hear that if you have to pick one, go with the serum — because it’s supposedly more potent. But honestly? That’s not quite right.

It’s not about choosing one over the other — it’s about understanding the role each one plays.

A well-formulated essence helps your skin recover quickly after cleansing. It rebalances your skin’s pH and replenishes hydration, which is essential to prepare your skin for the next step.

A serum is designed to actively address a specific skin concern — like fine lines, uneven tone, or sensitivity — with targeted ingredients.

So ideally, you use both:

First your essence to hydrate and prep.

Then your serum to treat and transform.

But if neither product seems to be working for your skin, the issue might not be you — it might be the product. It could be that what you’re using isn’t aligned with your skin’s current condition or needs.

If you’re unsure, we’re here to help. Book a free skin consultation with our founder Sarah — and we’ll help you figure out what your skin actually needs, step by step.

 

Why is Aura Essence Serum called an Essence Serum?

You might be wondering: What exactly is an essence serum — and how does it differ from a serum essence?

While the terms are often used interchangeably in skincare, they actually serve different functions.

A serum essence typically refers to a serum-like product with some hydrating qualities, while an essence serum like our Aura Essence Serum focuses primarily on deep hydration, barrier support, and prepping the skin after cleansing — but before your treatment serum.

We call it an “essence serum” because it delivers the light, fast-absorbing hydration of an essence combined with the concentrated actives you’d expect from a serum. It’s designed to rebalance your skin post-cleanse, restore hydration, and enhance the absorption of everything you apply afterwards.

If you’re looking to strengthen your moisture barrier, boost glow, and maximise your serum’s performance, Aura Essence Serum is the essential first step in your skincare routine — right after cleansing, and just before your treatment serum.

 

How to Layer the Products in Your Routine

(And Why You Don’t Have to Choose Between Essence or Serum)

Luckily, you don’t need to choose between an essence and a serum — in fact, using both can dramatically improve your skin’s hydration, elasticity, and firmness, while reducing water loss throughout the day. Why? Because each one serves a distinct purpose and addresses a different skin need.

So, if you’re looking to optimise your routine and take your glow to the next level, here’s how to layer them — using our NAYA essentials.

Step 1: Cleanse

Start with a gentle yet effective cleanser like our Everyday Cleansing Oil.

This nourishing oil cleanser removes dirt, sunscreen, and even waterproof mascara — without stripping your skin. With makeup-melting Rapeseed Oil and soothing botanicals like Pomegranate and Hemp Seed Oil, it cleanses deeply while leaving your skin soft, calm, and hydrated.

Unlike harsh foaming cleansers that can disrupt your barrier, our formula supports your skin’s natural moisture levels and prepares it for what comes next.

Step 2: Essence

After cleansing, apply your essence — in our case, the Aura Essence.

This is your hydration-first step. It replenishes moisture, rebalances the microbiome, and prepares your skin to absorb whatever you apply next. Think of it as a primer for your skincare routine: it softens and preps your skin, making your serum work even harder for you.

Step 3: Serum

Now that your skin is hydrated and primed, it’s time for your targeted treatment.

Whether your concern is sensitivity, dullness, fine lines, or uneven tone, this is where your serum steps in. It’s typically thicker and designed to deliver concentrated actives exactly where your skin needs them most. And when layered after an essence, it penetrates better and performs more effectively.

Step 4: Face Oil or Cream Moisturiser

Finish with a nourishing oil or cream to lock everything in.

Choose our Everyday Face Oil if you love a lightweight, glow-enhancing finish. With Meadowfoam, Grapeseed, Cacay, and seven organic oils, it supports your skin barrier and delivers a smooth, plump appearance — without feeling greasy.

Or go for the Everyday Day Cream — a silky moisturiser powered by our exclusive blend of biocompatible actives, including five types of Hyaluronic Acid, antioxidant complexes, and barrier-supporting hydrators. It firms, smooths, and brightens — all without the pore-clogging waxes found in most moisturisers.

The Takeaway:

Each step in your skincare routine serves a purpose. When used together, these products don’t compete — they complement each other. And when layered correctly, they make every product work harder for your skin.

Still unsure? Book a free consultation with our founder Sarah — and we’ll help you personalise your routine.