A ceramide serum is a barrier-support step in the evening routine, placed between cleansing and cream. Because Love In Blue This Time also carries a vitamin C derivative in the same bottle, the serum's place in the routine, how it relates to acid products and where it goes in a week with a peel need to be planned separately.
In short: Apply 3–4 drops of Love In Blue This Time to cleansed skin in the evening; if you use a hydrating serum, Love In Blue This Time comes after Hydra Back Baby and before the cream. The formula contains 2% ceramide complex and 2% Ethyl Ascorbic Acid (3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid); copper peptide is a supporting ingredient with no stated concentration. It can be a regular evening step; it is not used on peel or acid toner evenings, or on the same evening as a pure vitamin C serum.
How to use a ceramide serum, step by step
Apply the serum in the evening, after cleansing and after a hydrating serum if you use one, and before the cream.
- Cleanse and pat dry. If you are going to use a toner, choose one without exfoliating acids that evening.
- A hydrating serum, if you like. On slightly damp skin, Hydra Back Baby Hydrating Serum goes on first; wait for it to absorb.
- 3–4 drops of Love In Blue This Time. Spread over the face and neck; keep away from the eye area and wait for it to absorb.
- Seal with a cream. Finish with your moisturiser or night cream.
- Sunscreen the next morning. The last layer of the morning routine is sunscreen.
Can Love In Blue This Time be used every evening?
Yes, it can be a regular step on evenings when you are not using an acid or a peel. The product instructions keep it apart from strong acids and from products containing pure vitamin C (ascorbic acid). The usage notes ask you to use it less often if sensitivity occurs.
When can it be used after a peel or an acid?
It is not used on a peel evening; it returns to the routine on the evenings after the skin has fully settled. The reason for this separation in the product's usage notes is the vitamin C derivative in the formula. For example, with Red Of Love AHA/BHA Peel Serum, which is used on no more than two evenings a week and rinsed off thoroughly with water after 5–10 minutes, a week is divided like this:
| Evening | Order | Love In Blue |
|---|---|---|
| Peel evening | Cleanse → peel → rinse → Hydra Back Baby → moisturiser | Not used |
| Acid toner evening | Cleanse → toner with AHA or BHA → moisturiser | Not used |
| Evenings when the skin has settled | Cleanse → Hydra Back Baby → Love In Blue This Time → cream | Used |
| If stinging or redness continues | Cleanse → hydrating serum → moisturiser | Paused |
The rule is the same after a peel performed by a practitioner: the serum is not added until the skin has settled. Red Of Love and toners containing AHAs both carry a sun sensitivity warning. AHAs can increase the skin's sensitivity to the sun: apply sunscreen every morning while using this product and for one week after you stop.
Which products can a ceramide serum be used with?
It can be layered on the same evening with a hydrating serum and a peptide cream; the evening order is Hydra Back Baby → Love In Blue This Time → Firm Baby Firm Firming Peptide Cream. The peptides in the cream (4% Argireline™ and 3% Matrixyl™ 3000) are different from copper peptide; the two products do not replace each other but are used together on the same evening, with the cream remaining the last layer.
- Fine on the same evening: hydrating serum, a toner without exfoliating acids, moisturiser or peptide cream.
- Keep for another evening: toners with AHAs or BHAs, rinse-off peels, pure vitamin C (ascorbic acid) serums.
What is in Love In Blue This Time?
Love In Blue This Time Ceramide and Copper Peptide Serum is a 30 ml serum used primarily in the evening; its main stated concentrations are those of the ceramide complex and the vitamin C derivative. Together with the eye serum and the peptide cream, it is one of the products for the look of fine lines.
| Feature | Love In Blue This Time |
|---|---|
| Key actives | 2% ceramide complex + 2% Ethyl Ascorbic Acid |
| Supporting ingredients | Copper tripeptide-1 (copper peptide), niacinamide, ceramide NP, panthenol, allantoin, magnesium aspartate, zinc and copper gluconate, hyaluronic acid derivatives |
| Skin type | Sensitive, dry, normal |
| Concern | The look of fine lines, barrier support, a fresher look |
| Timing | Evening; except on peel and acid evenings |
- 2% ceramide complex: the figure is the share of the ceramide complex (Ceracomplex Pro) raw material in the formula; it is not the concentration of a single ceramide. Ceramides are among the lipids that, together with cholesterol and free fatty acids, build the barrier against water loss in the skin's outermost layer. We cover their types and why formulation matters in what are ceramides, and the signs of a weakened barrier in what is the skin barrier.
- 2% Ethyl Ascorbic Acid: a more stable vitamin C derivative, developed as a substitute for ascorbic acid, which oxidises easily on contact with air. This is the ingredient that keeps the serum away from peel evenings.
- Copper peptide: copper tripeptide-1 is a supporting ingredient with no declared concentration; it does not carry the weight of the formula. It has been emphasised that studies in people with this peptide are few; we discuss the limits of the evidence in what is copper peptide.
- One serum with niacinamide: because niacinamide and the vitamin C derivative are in the same bottle, you do not need a separate serum for each.
What does Love In Blue This Time not do?
- It is not aimed at the look of deep, established wrinkles; its focus is the look of fine lines.
- It is not a peel; it does not exfoliate a rough surface.
- Although it carries a vitamin C derivative, it does not replace morning sunscreen.
Who should be careful?
- Sensitive skin: the AAD recommends trying a new product on a small area before applying it to the whole face; the steps are in our product patch test guide.
- Cracked, broken or irritated skin: the serum is not applied to such skin; pause until the skin has settled.
Frequently asked questions
Can Love In Blue This Time be used in the morning?
It is primarily an evening serum, and its instructions are based on the evening routine. When it comes to timing across s'hevec serums, Glow Me Like You Do is the morning vitamin C derivative serum and Love In Blue This Time is the evening serum.
Does Love In Blue This Time contain niacinamide?
Yes. Niacinamide comes second in the ingredient list, after water; this position alone says nothing about concentration, and no concentration is declared for niacinamide on the pack.
Can it be used on oily or combination skin?
The skin types the product is recommended for are sensitive, dry and normal; oily and combination skin are not on this list.
Can Love In Blue This Time be used during pregnancy?
Love In Blue This Time is a multi-ingredient serum containing 2% Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, ceramide complex, copper tripeptide-1 and niacinamide. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a skin condition, consult your doctor before use. In that conversation, show the ingredient list; if you take medication regularly, mention this too.
What should I do if it stings or causes redness?
Love In Blue This Time is not a peel and contains no exfoliating acids, so stinging after application is not an expected sensation. If redness spreads in the area where the serum was applied, or stinging does not pass within minutes, rinse the serum off with lukewarm water and do not apply it again; the AAD also recommends stopping a product that causes a reaction.
Sources
- Schild J et al. The role of ceramides in skin barrier function and the importance of their correct formulation for skincare applications. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2024.
- Iliopoulos F et al. 3-O-ethyl-l-ascorbic acid: Characterisation and investigation of single solvent systems for delivery to the skin. Int J Pharm X. 2019.
- Mortazavi SM et al. Topically applied GHK as an anti-wrinkle peptide: Advantages, problems and prospective. Bioimpacts. 2025.
- American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). How to test skin care products.
This content is for information only and does not replace medical advice. s'hevec products are cosmetic products and are not intended for medical treatment. It was prepared by the s'hevec Team on the basis of the s'hevec product data library and the sources listed above.
