A foaming serum is certainly a strange experience but it has a very simple answer! If you’ve ever had niacinamide, hyaluronic, or retinol serums start foaming you’re not alone. Traditionally we only expect skincare products with surfactants like cleansers and soaps to foam up into a froth but this can happen with other skincare products as well.
What Causes Serums to Foam?
Many serums contain high concentrations of emulsifiers; this helps to bind together the formula and prevent separation. When strong emulsifiers are mixed, like when you’re rubbing a serum into your skin, it can mimic a surfactant and start foaming into a soapy consistency. This has an even higher chance of happening if you’ve applied the serum to wet skin. One of the main culprits for a foamy serum application is the emulsifier Isoceteth-20. This is used in countless serum formulas to stabilize and hold water and oil-soluble ingredients together.
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% serum is an immensely popular serum that can cause foaming due to that pesky ingredient Isoceteth-20. I have personally also experienced foaming with hyaluronic and retinol serums, it can happen with many products and it is no reason for concern.
In some formulations, using more than 8% of alcohols and long-chain esters in association with self-emulsifying waxes is enough to provide what we call a “foaming effect.” Formulators may face this problem while developing a product that contains a high amount of oils, as they will certainly need enough emulsifier to prevent creaming.
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Does Foaming or Turning White Mean My Serum Has Gone Bad?
A foamy or white consistency on your skin does not mean your skincare product has expired and it does not impact its efficacy. This foaming can be caused by excess massaging into the skin, using too much product, or applying it to overly moistened skin. The white cast and foaming will die down and fade quickly once you stop rubbing it in. It can be an annoying side effect to deal with but it is not a red flag.
A serum prone to foaming can also be “re-activated” when a moisturizer is applied on top. You may be tempted to keep massaging the cream to make the weird consistency disappear but this will just keep creating more foam. Be patient and leave it be for a few minutes, and you will see the foam disappear before your eyes.
How to Stop Your Serum From Foaming
- Don’t go overboard rubbing it into your skin. Excess friction will lead to more foam. Try gently patting the serum into the skin instead of massaging it.
- Allow your skin to dry before applying the next product. Wet skin can increase the chances of foaming.
- Try using a smaller amount of serum. If your serum is prone to foaming, the more that you use, the higher chance you will experience a foamy texture.
At the end of the day, a foamy serum is simply an annoyance but nothing to worry over. On the other hand, if your skincare is pilling up or flaking off, now that is a problem! If you’re skincare is also pilling up into balls or rubbing off your skin hop on over to my troubleshooting guide: Why is my skincare product pilling up?