How much serum to use: drops and pumps

The usual amount: drops, pumps or one dropper

Brand directions vary by bottle type. Dropper bottles often say a few drops or one pipette. Pump bottles often say one pump. Auto-dropper bottles fill a set amount when you press the top. When the box gives an amount, that is the amount to use, because the formula and the dispenser were designed together.

Some examples from listings: the Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C serum listing says one pipette, morning or evening. The SK-II GenOptics UltraAura listing says to use a dropper-full, spread from the center of the face outward. The SK-II SKINPOWER Essence listing says its auto-dropper measures a set amount per use. Where a listing gives no amount, such as several of the serums in our luxury serum guide, start small.

How to tell if you are using too much or too little

Too much serum usually shows up as skin that stays wet or tacky for several minutes, or a moisturizer that pills or slides when you put it on top. Too little shows up as patches where the serum did not reach, often the sides of the face and the neck.

A simple check: after pressing serum in, your skin should feel evenly coated and should settle within a minute or two. If it is still slick, use one drop or half a pump less next time. If the forehead or jaw feel skipped, add a drop rather than a full extra dose.

How to apply serum so a small amount covers the face

Dotting first spreads a small amount further than smearing it from one spot. Slightly damp skin after an essence also helps a serum spread. For where serum sits in the order, see serum before or after moisturizer.

1. 1

   Cleanse, then apply toner or essence if you use one.

2. 2

   Put the drops or pump into the palm or fingertips, not straight onto the face, unless the box says otherwise.

3. 3

   Dot the serum on forehead, both cheeks, nose and chin.

4. 4

   Press and spread with fingertips, working from the center outward.

5. 5

   Take what is left on the hands down the neck.

6. 6

   Wait about a minute, then apply eye cream and moisturizer.

How long a 30 ml bottle lasts

The math is simple: bottle size divided by the amount per use, divided by uses per day. The tricky part is that a drop and a pump are not fixed sizes. A drop from a glass dropper is often estimated at around 0.05 ml, and pumps vary by bottle, so treat these numbers as estimates. You can measure your own dose by counting how many uses you get from the first few ml.

As a worked example: at 0.3 ml per use, twice a day, a 30 ml bottle gives 100 uses, which is 50 days, or about seven weeks. Used once a day at the same dose, it lasts about 100 days. At a full pipette, which can be closer to 0.5 ml, the same bottle lasts about a month on twice-daily use.

Note.These are estimates based on assumed dose sizes. Dropper and pump volumes vary by brand.

What that means for cost per use

Divide the bottle price by the number of uses. As an example, the Augustinus Bader The Serum listing is $380 for 30 ml, or about $12.67 per ml at that listing price. At 0.3 ml per use that is about $3.80 a use; at 0.15 ml it is about $1.90. The Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C listing is $160 for 30 ml, about $5.33 per ml. Prices change, so run your own numbers with the price per ml calculator and see how to calculate skincare price per ml.

Serums nearly always cost more per ml than creams, which is one reason to use the amount the brand gives rather than an extra pump for luck.

Compare luxury serums by size and price per ml →

Using more than one serum

If you layer two serums, you usually use a little less of each so the skin is not overloaded with liquid. Apply the thinner one first and let it settle. If a brand sells its serums to be used together, it may give its own order; for example, our page on using Dr. Barbara Sturm face cream with serums covers how that line is layered. Check each box for whether a serum is meant for morning, evening or both.

Frequently asked questions

How many drops of serum should I use? Usually 2 to 4 drops for the face, or the amount on the box. Add one more drop if you also cover the neck.

Is one pump of serum enough? For most pump bottles, yes. Many brands write one pump for the face. If your face and neck feel only half covered, try one and a half pumps.

Should I use serum morning and night? Only if the box says it is for both. Some serums are labeled for morning or evening, and some for either.

Why does my serum run out so fast? Usually the dose is bigger than intended, such as a full pipette when the brand means a few drops. Count your uses for a week to see your real amount.