Anyone who has read the instructions on a hand serum has seen the phrase one or two pearl-sized drops and wondered which it should be. Two drops is twice as much as one. The range is not vagueness; it is room to adjust by the time of day and the state of the hands.
Morning hands and evening hands are the same hands under different conditions. In the morning they are about to work: keyboards, steering wheels, paper. In the evening they are about to rest, touching almost nothing for hours. There is little reason to apply the same amount to both. This article sets out the idea of varying the amount of hand serum between morning and night, and how to measure it in practice.
Morning: one drop, spread thin, hands ready to move
The purpose of a morning application is to lay a thin layer of moisture over the backs of the hands in place of the sebum film rinsed away by washing. What matters here is evenness rather than thickness. Take a single pearl-sized drop on the back of one hand, bring the backs of both hands together, and spread it thinly down to the spaces between the fingers.
One drop may seem too little. But morning hands will be washed again several times, and each wash is an opportunity to reapply. A little, often, keeps the hands steadier through the day than a great deal once. A hand serum that leaves no stickiness is built for exactly this pattern. Being able to touch a smartphone or a keyboard immediately afterwards is the standard by which the morning amount is judged.
On days when sunscreen goes on the hands, let the serum settle first and apply the sunscreen over it. Too much serum underneath stops sunscreen from spreading evenly, which is one more reason for the single morning drop.
Night: two drops, reaching the knuckles and the nail contours
Evening hands have time. For the few hours before sleep they touch almost nothing, and this is when the larger amount, two drops, comes into its own. Spread it over the backs of the hands, then stroke each finger lightly in turn so that the serum reaches around the joints, and finish by pressing gently at the base of each nail.
Two drops are needed because the area grows. In the morning the focus is the back of the hand; at night it widens to the sides of the fingers, the creases over the knuckles, the nail contours and the wrist. The skin over the joints has extra give to allow movement, and fine lines show there when it dries. Reaching it takes both a sufficient amount and the time spent stroking it in.
In the driest months, a hand cream can be layered on once the two drops have settled. Serum first, cream if needed. The serum moisturises on its own, so on evenings when any film feels unwelcome, the serum alone is enough.
The two evening drops have one more role: the scent. Serum applied while the hands are at rest releases its fragrance slowly with the warmth of the skin, keeping company with the half hour before sleep. What is a faint presence close to the hands in the morning lingers a little longer at night. A difference in amount is also a difference in how the fragrance stays.
Too much, too little: judging by touch
The right amount varies with the size of the hands and the season. The thing to go by is how the hands feel once the serum has been worked in.
- Too little: the spaces between the fingers and the nail contours have been missed, only the backs of the hands feel supple, and bending the knuckles still feels dry.
- Too much: a film remains on the palms after application, and picking up a sheet of paper, it clings slightly.
- Just right: an even suppleness from the back of the hand to the fingertips, with palms that feel dry and smooth.
If it feels like too much, bring the backs of the hands together once more and send the excess to the wrists, an often-forgotten area that dries easily and takes the surplus well. If too little, add half a drop. Adding when short teaches the measure faster than pressing the pump twice from the start.
Knowing the amount makes the habit easier
Varying the amount between morning and night means, seen the other way round, that the morning may be kept light. Approach it as something that must be done properly and the step disappears on busy mornings. One drop for thirty seconds in the morning; two drops for two minutes at night. Accept the asymmetry and the hand serum finds its place in the day.
Amounts, order of application and timing are collected in our hand serum guide. A 30 mL bottle lasts around a month and a half for someone who applies it several times a day; the rate at which it empties is a quiet check on whether the measure is right.
In Soie's hand serum
Soie's Enlight Hand Serum is designed to leave no stickiness whether one drop or two is used. The morning drop lays a thin layer of five ceramides and peptides (moisturising ingredients) over the backs of the hands. The two evening drops carry EGF and KGF (skin-conditioning ingredients) to the knuckles and the nail contours. The fragrance, composed by the brand's dedicated perfumer, stays close to the hands in the morning and unfolds slowly at night.
One drop or two. Ask the hands before deciding. That small habit of attention is what keeps a hand serum in use for a long time.
