Advanced Certificate in High-Performance Serum Formulation
Learn the science of making high-performance serums that deliver visible results with our accredited course.
Formulate advanced serums for the eyes, lips, and face – the perfect way to boost your brand and grow sales.
Would you love to learn to formulate with active ingredients but aren’t sure how exactly to work with them – how much to use, how to make sure they are stable, what pH they need and which are natural?
Are you a skincare formulator ready to take your skills to the next level and expand the range of products you can make, inspired by high-end beauty brands?
Are you a natural or organic beauty brand owner looking to elevate your skincare range and boost your profits?
Introducing the Advanced Certificate in High-Performance Serum Formulation
Our most advanced on-demand online course, helping you upgrade your formulations and add innovative serums to your skincare range.
In this comprehensive program, you'll gain the skills and knowledge to:
- Work with high-performance active ingredients and expertly apply them to your serum formulations to address specific concerns, such as hyperpigmentation, and deliver visible results.
- Create specialist targeted serums for the face, eyes and lips that meet industry standards, including passing Preservation Efficacy Testing.
- Develop your skills to create a range of high-performance oil-based, gel-based, emulsion-based and bi-phase serums just like those sold by high-end brands (and even better!).
- Add exciting products to your beauty brand to drive sales, boost profit and offer customers the solutions they are looking for.
- Plus, receive expert guidance and support from experienced cosmetic scientists and chemists.
Are you ready to become an advanced skincare formulator?
Join us today!
Find out more
Working with advanced active ingredients requires specialized knowledge of their usage rates, stability, solubility, compatibility and synergy.
This course will teach you how to create advanced formulations with confidence, knowing you’re learning from the experts, including cosmetic scientists and chemists, using tried-and-tested formulations that have passed Preservation Efficacy Testing where required.
Access all the information you need in one place, with plenty of formulation examples and reference materials you’ll use for years to come.
Just imagine how good it would feel if you could:
Build on your formulating skills to create in-demand, cutting-edge products
Learn how to incorporate much-talked-about vitamins and active ingredients into your formulations to create serums that deliver incredible results. Plus, you can apply your new knowledge to the other skincare products you make, too.
Complete your beauty routine for radiant-looking skin
Formulate effective, high-performance serums for yourself, family, friends or customers, tailored to your precise needs, and target specific skin concerns, including anti-aging, firming/toning, exfoliating, brightening and pore-reduction.
Take your beauty business to new heights
Delight your customers by expanding your natural and organic skincare range to include luxurious, high-end eye, lip and facial serums using only the desired ingredients and no unwanted chemicals.
Learn to formulate a complete serum range with active ingredients:
High-performance oil-based and pressed serums
- Antioxidant Concentrate Serum with Vitamin C
- Chamomile Soothing Serum
- Barrier Support Serum with Ceramides
- Repairing Lip Serum with Vitamin C and Coenzyme Q10
- Golden Rose Pressed Serum
Gel-based serums
- Brightening Serum for Hyperpigmentation
- Moisture Boost Hyaluronic Acid Serum
- Vitamin C and E Gel Serum
Emulsion-based serums
- Balancing Gel-cream Serum with Niacinamide
- Toning Eye Serum with Caffeine
- Anti-aging Night Serum with Vitamin A
Bi-phase serums
- Anti-redness Bi-phase Serum with Gotu Kola
- Anti-pollution Bi-phase Serum
- Exfoliating AHA Serum
Discover these advanced active ingredients
Vitamins and their derivatives
- Vitamin A (including retinol and retinyl palmitate)
- Vitamin B3 (niacinamide)
- Pro-Vitamin B5 (panthenol)
- Vitamin C (including ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbyl phosphate, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, ascorbyl palmitate and ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate)
- Vitamin E
Sophisticated plant oils, natural esters and botanical extracts
- Pracaxi oil
- Cacay oil
- Watermelon seed oil
- Prickly pear oil
- Guava oil
- Perilla oil
- Buriti oil
- Tamanu oil
- Blueberry seed oil
- Natural silicone replacements and more!
Peptides and ceramides
- Matrixyl 3000
- Matrixyl Synthe’6
- Syn-ake
- Argireline NP
- Ceramide NP
Chemical exfoliants (AHAs and BHAs)
- Lactic acid
- Glycolic acid
- Malic acid
- Citric acid
- Salicylic acid
- Willow bark extract
Over 75 additional active ingredients
- Toning
- Anti-inflammatory
- Anti-aging
- Antimicrobial
- Skin brightening
- Skin barrier strengthening
Advanced functional and aesthetic ingredients
- 10+ hydrating humectants including hyaluronic acid
- 10+ antioxidants including co-enzyme Q10
- A wide range of natural emulsifiers, preservatives, gums and solubilizers
Your journey on the Advanced Certificate in High-Performance Serum Formulation
Serum types
Explore a series of high-performance serum types
Skin anatomy
Formulate for different areas, skin types and concerns
Active ingredients
Discover vitamins, botanicals, peptides, ceramides, AHAs, BHAs and more
Oil serums
Create advanced oil-based serums for the face and lips
Bi-phase serums
Discover the secrets of bi-phase serums that are shaken to activate
Emulsion serums
Create light gel-creams, thin milky emulsions and rich, creamy serums
Gel serums
Formulate light-weight gel serums with water soluble ingredients
Pressed serums
Make elegant textured semi-solid serums
Serum types
Explore a series of high-performance serum types
Skin anatomy
Formulate for different areas, skin types and concerns
Active ingredients
Discover vitamins, botanicals, peptides, ceramides, AHAs, BHAs and more
Oil serums
Create advanced oil-based serums for the face and lips
Pressed serums
Make elegant textured semi-solid serums
Gel serums
Formulate light-weight gel serums with water soluble ingredients
Emulsion serums
Create light gel-creams, thin milky emulsions and rich, creamy serums
Bi-phase serums
Discover the secrets of bi-phase serums that are shaken to activate
Meet your instructors and tutors
Learn from and be supported by cosmetic scientists and professional formulators.
Tina Svetek
Tina is a cosmetic formulator, formulation consultant and safety assessor, who leads new product development for natural skincare and wellness brands.
Dr Nicole Voster
Nicole is a cosmetic formulation consultant and senior lecturer with extensive experience teaching chemistry and cosmetic formulation at South African universities and aiding brands in new product development.
Gail Després
Gail is an award-winning entrepreneur and author of the A-Z of Natural Cosmetic Formulation. After creating her natural skincare brand, Gail moved into education, founding the School of Natural Skincare in 2010.
Gareth Després
Gareth qualified as a certified aromatherapist in 2010 and enriches the content of our online courses with his specialist knowledge of essential oils.
Is the Advanced Certificate in High-Performance Serum Formulation right for me?
This course is perfect for…
Intermediate – Advanced
Experienced formulators ready for a new challenge
Level up your advanced skincare formulation skills and gain specialist knowledge of active ingredients to add to your skillset as you create truly effective serums for you, your friends and your family.
Entrepreneur
Beauty brand owners looking for new ways to delight their customers
Add exciting, high-performance products to your existing skincare range, providing greater choice and helping customers address specific skin concerns.
Student testimonials
The course has been incredibly helpful in refining my formulations.
- Guzel Bayazitova,
- Russia
I was struggling to formulate an eye cream with the right texture, but the course taught me so much about gels, emulsions, and new ingredients. I’m passionate about creating serums and treatments with active ingredients and botanicals, and the suggested formulas provided a perfect starting point for experimenting.
- Guzel Bayazitova,
- Russia
This course has been a game-changer. I’ve benefited greatly from start to finish!
- Colette DelFrate,
- Canada
I started making natural products for family and friends, but I wanted to take my skills to a professional level. Enrolling in the School gave me a thorough understanding of preservatives and essential oils. Now, I can confidently create my own formulas. The templates, sample formulas, and videos were invaluable resources.
- Colette DelFrate,
- Canada
The course was the best way to advance my formulation skills and grow my brand.
- Karina McDonald,
- Australia
I struggled to find time for research and found your course, which condensed relevant information for quick access. I wanted to create high-performance anhydrous serums to launch my brand online quickly. The course provided targeted information and useful templates for various formulations. I appreciated the real-life formula examples and the course’s practical approach.
- Karina McDonald,
- Australia
My glowing skin is a testament to the success of these formulations.
- Helaine Coetzee,
- South Africa
When I started out I felt clueless about my own skincare but this detailed scientific course enabled me to formulate and create my own natural, targeted, and effective anti-aging skincare products. I loved the creative process of linking skincare problems with targeted solutions using available ingredients in South Africa. I absolutely love your school!
- Helaine Coetzee,
- South Africa
The advanced serum course exceeded my expectations and perfectly suited my needs.
- Oluwaseun Balogun,
- Nigeria
I struggled with understanding melanogenesis and formulating products for hyperpigmentation and spots with natural ingredients. This course provided a deeper understanding of melanin production, inhibition, and ingredient selection. It enhanced my ability to create effective skincare products and share this knowledge with others.
- Oluwaseun Balogun,
- Nigeria
Why learn to formulate with advanced active ingredients?
Make serums that offer a wide range of skin benefits including reducing the appearance of hyperpigmentation, anti-aging, antioxidant, soothing, calming, protective, hydrating, firming/toning, brightening, repairing, oil-balancing, pore-reduction, anti-pollution and more.
Avoid issues of product instability or ingredient incompatibility when you learn from experienced chemists rather than relying on questionable information sourced online.
Invest in your skills and knowledge to become a more valuable formulator who is a cut above the rest.
Sell efficacious products with higher profit margins. Serums are high-end skincare products that customers are prepared to pay a premium for.
Want to try before you buy?
Sample a selection of our course material inside our online classroom.
How does the Advanced Certificate in High-Performance Serum Formulation work?
All our training is completed through our easy-to-use online classroom. You can enroll anytime and study from anywhere in the world at your own pace.
Knowledge
You don’t need a scientific background; our courses cover everything you need to know.
Skills
We start with more straightforward products and progress to the more complex or challenging ones so you can build your skills and confidence.
Support
You can rest assured that you are learning from qualified and experienced professionals and are not misled by inaccurate, poor-quality and unsafe information often found online.
We’ll teach you to formulate by providing the following resources for each type of product:
More than just a course, our Advanced Certificate in High-Performance Serum Formulation includes the support and community you need to truly thrive in your formulating journey
You’ll receive:
7 in-depth modules accompanied by seven detailed textbooks with step-by-step instructions and beautiful photographs.
Full HD video classes including step-by-step product making demonstrations.
Advanced formulation examples to practice with and preservative efficacy test reports.
Join our supportive, vibrant community of like-minded students and graduates across the world.
Easy-to-use online classroom, quizzes, and activities.
Six downloadable, fillable workbooks.
Assignments marked personally by our cosmetic scientists and a certificate on successful completion.
An in-depth library of ingredient information featuring 200+ ingredients
Be supported by cosmetic scientists
Get your questions answered
each week in our dedicated Tutor Q&A
Join the professionals
for LIVE course sessions
Expand your understanding
with our monthly Formulators Forum, a LIVE learning and discussion session on Zoom
Have your end-of-course assignments personally marked
by our cosmetic scientists
Plus
Receive an invitation to join our private student and graduate online community.
Connect with like-minded formulators around the world inside our friendly student community. It’s the perfect place to discuss, support and inspire each other.
Student testimonials
This course has helped me create high-end products with advanced ingredients.
- Heena Bhat,
- India
I was struggling with advanced ingredients, but the course helped me improve significantly. After completing the Diplomas in Natural Skincare and Haircare Formulation, the Advanced Certificate in High-Performance Serum Formulation was the perfect next step. The in-depth ingredient knowledge and sample formulations were invaluable. Now, I’m eager to explore more industry-grade formulations.
- Heena Bhat,
- India
My confidence was low, but this well-structured course changed that.
- Jyotsna Vilas Thakare,
- India
I struggled with formulating products, from choosing a base to selecting the right emulsifiers and preservatives until I found the School and enrolled. The course content was fantastic, and the well-designed notes made studying a pleasure. The assessments kept me motivated, and now I can formulate confidently with minimal trials.
- Jyotsna Vilas Thakare,
- India
I used to struggle with choosing ingredients, but the School changed that.
- Nurhayati Nasir,
- Singapore
Now I confidently create high-performance serums, knowing exactly which herbs and oils to use. I loved making the serums myself—I’m so proud to say, ‘I MADE THIS! The research papers on ingredients were incredibly valuable, and I’m already eyeing the surfactants course next!
- Nurhayati Nasir,
- Singapore
Now, I can confidently formulate a facial line to expand my company.
- Michele Oparowski,
- USA
The course deepened my knowledge of serums, with valuable video presentations and review materials. Before enrolling, I struggled to keep my products all-natural while achieving the right consistency and using high-performance ingredients safely. It’s perfect for both novice and experienced formulators, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
- Michele Oparowski,
- USA
This course has been invaluable for developing products for my skincare line.
- Katrina Gibson,
- Australia
I used to struggle finding natural, high-performance serums, but now I can formulate them for different skin types and conditions with confidence. This course has greatly enhanced my knowledge and enabled me to formulate effective formulations. The content was easy to follow, with great example formulas and clear guidelines. It aligned perfectly and gave me exactly what I needed.
- Katrina Gibson,
- Australia
Look inside the online classroom
All our training is completed through our easy-to-use online classroom.
Study from anywhere in the world at your own pace.
Why study with the
School of Natural Skincare?
Be part of our accredited, globally acclaimed, award-winning online formulation school that’s seen over 25,000 students from 150 countries enjoy mastering the art, science, and creativity of making natural and organic skincare.
Learn from and be supported by professional cosmetic scientists.
Tried and tested formulations. Our formulas have passed Preservative Efficacy Testing.
Formulate your way – natural, organic, vegan, sustainable – and customized to your skin type, tone and concerns.