True Glow Ultimate Facelift Serum

What a firming serum is

A firming serum is a leave-on skincare product formulated to support a firmer-looking, lifted appearance by hydrating the skin and supporting its surface over time. It is a cosmetic, not a treatment: it works on how the skin looks and feels, and it does not change the deeper structures that a facelift, HIFU, radiofrequency or threads act on.

Firmness comes from the support layer beneath the surface. A reference study of normal skin measured that skin collagen decreases with age, and that the amount of collagen tracks dermal thickness. Ultraviolet light adds to this: a review of the mechanisms of photoageing describes how sun exposure drives the breakdown of collagen and the build-up of damaged fibres, which is why sun-exposed skin loses firmness earlier than covered skin. See why skin sags and how to firm it for the causes in detail.

So what is a firming serum designed to do? Three things: keep the surface well hydrated, which on its own makes skin look smoother and more taut; deliver plant-based actives that are designed to support the skin as it maintains itself; and give the result of a procedure a daily routine to live in. What it is not designed to do is replace a procedure. If you have noticeable laxity or jowling, a serum is the maintenance step, not the lift.

That is how the True Glow Ultimate Facelift Serum is positioned on this page: Step 2 of the ritual, for daily maintenance after the Post Laser Intensive Recovery Serum has done its work in the first days after treatment.

How to use it within the True Glow ritual

The directions on this page are short: begin 2 days after your procedure, and use twice a day for ongoing maintenance. In practice the ritual runs like this.

Days 0 to 2: Step 1 only

Immediately after a laser, HIFU, Morpheus8, extraction or cleansing facial, the skin is reactive and the aim is calm and hydration. The recovery serum after laser is applied 2 to 3 times a day on its own during this window.

From day 2: add Step 2

Once the surface has settled, the Ultimate Facelift Serum is added as Step 2, morning and evening. Apply a few drops to clean, dry skin, press and smooth outward across the cheeks, jawline and neck rather than rubbing, and let it absorb before moisturiser and, in the morning, sunscreen. Keep the recovery serum going for as long as your clinic advises.

Between sessions

Lifting treatments are usually repeated, and the serum is intended to be used continuously between them, not only in the fortnight afterwards. Our guides to recovery after HIFU and maintaining a non-surgical facelift cover the timeline for each treatment.

If you have not had a procedure

The serum can also be used on its own, twice a day, as a maintenance step for skin that is starting to lose bounce. Judge it over weeks of consistent use, not days.

What to look for, and what to avoid

These are general points, whichever product you choose.

Look for

• Plain language about what it does. "Supports a firmer-looking appearance" is a cosmetic claim a serum can stand behind. A product that describes itself in the language of surgery is overpromising.
• A texture you will use twice a day. Consistency matters more than any single application. A light, fast-absorbing serum that sits well under moisturiser and sunscreen is easier to keep up than a rich one.
• Fragrance-free and steroid-free. The skin that benefits from a firming serum is often skin that has just had a procedure, so the formula should be as uncomplicated as possible. The True Glow range is plant-based and free from steroids and hydroquinone.
• A sunscreen beside it. No firming serum will keep up with daily unprotected sun. A review of anti-ageing strategies lists sun protection among the main ways to slow skin ageing; the serum works alongside it.

Avoid

• Expecting an instant lift. Products that tighten visibly within minutes are usually giving a temporary surface effect. Judge a serum at one to three months.
• Starting too early after a procedure. Keep to Step 1 only for the first 2 days, or longer if your clinic says so.
• Stacking strong actives on reactive skin. Add exfoliating acids or other treatment products one at a time, and only once your doctor has cleared them.
• Using it as a substitute for assessment. If laxity is bothering you, a consultation will tell you whether a procedure, a serum or both is the sensible route.

How Dr Sin Yong uses it

For his own patients, Dr Sin Yong chooses the RAI True Glow Post Laser Intensive Recovery Serum and Ultimate Facelift Serum for recovery and lifting. After a non-surgical lifting treatment he uses the Intensive Recovery Serum first, and the Ultimate Facelift Serum is then used twice daily for maintenance. For patients having HIFU or skin-tightening sessions, he recommends the Ultimate Facelift Serum to maintain firmness between sessions.