If you own a nano infusion pen, the serums you choose matter as much as the treatment itself. As a licensed esthetician who developed the CellRenew protocol around the Art of Skin Care Nano Infusion Pen, these are the serums I reach for, and the reasoning behind every choice.

Nano-infusion creates a temporary window of dramatically increased absorption. What you apply during that window, and immediately after it closes, determines how much your skin actually gets from the session. Get the timing right and this device becomes one of the most effective tools in your at-home skincare practice.

For a complete overview of how nano-infusion works and how to use the device correctly, visit the Complete Nano Infusion Pen Guide.

Why Serum Timing Is Everything

Here is the core rule: use barrier-supporting, hydrating serums during infusion. Apply regenerative serums immediately after, while channels are still open.

Nano-infusion creates thousands of microscopic channels in the skin's surface. Those channels close within minutes. During that window, the skin absorbs ingredients far more efficiently than it would through intact skin.

Some serums are built for this moment: lightweight, smooth-gliding formulas that keep the skin comfortable during treatment while delivering actives through channels as they open. Others, particularly regenerative nano needling serums like growth factors, exosomes, and stem cell conditioned media, belong immediately after. Their biological complexity makes them dramatically more effective when layered onto freshly treated skin rather than run through the device itself.

The right serum at the right moment is what separates a good nano-infusion session from a genuinely transformative one.

What Serums to Avoid During Nano Infusion

Before covering what to use, it is worth being clear about what to skip. Do not use the following during the infusion step:

Retinoids and active exfoliants. AHAs, BHAs, and retinol concentrations can cause significant irritation when driven through open channels. These belong in your routine on non-treatment days.

Fragrance and alcohol-based formulas. Both can irritate open channels and compromise the skin's barrier response during treatment.

Growth factors, exosomes, and stem cell conditioned media. This is the most important rule. These regenerative serums are not infused through the device. Their molecular complexity and biological activity make them most effective applied directly to the skin surface after treatment, where they reach the dermal environment and go to work where repair actually happens. Infusing them through the cartridge is unnecessary and reduces their efficacy.

Thick oils and occlusive formulas. These can clog the cartridge tip and create uneven glide. Save them for the final step of your routine.

During Infusion: The Best Serums for Your Nano Pen

The serum you use during nano-infusion serves two purposes: it keeps the skin slippery so the cartridge glides comfortably, and it delivers active ingredients through channels as they open in real time. The right nano-infusion serum should be lightweight, free of anything that could compromise the cartridge or irritate open channels, and formulated to absorb efficiently without residue.

These are the three serums we recommend at Art of Skin Care.

Epicutis Lipid Serum — Best Overall for Nano Infusion

Epicutis Lipid Serum is the best all-around serum for nano infusion because it does two things simultaneously that most serums cannot: it provides the slip the cartridge needs while actively reinforcing the skin's barrier as channels open. Built around a bioidentical lipid complex that mirrors the skin's natural barrier composition, it is uniquely suited to the demands of the treatment step.

Beyond glide, the Lipid Serum delivers meaningful skin benefits through every pass: improved barrier integrity, reduced transepidermal water loss, and a calm, conditioned surface that responds better to the regenerative ingredients applied after. For most skin types, this is the only serum needed during the infusion step, and it is the serum powering the CellRenew Regenerative Infusion Facial protocol from start to finish.

Senté Hydration+ Serum — Best for Deep Hydration and Matrix Support

Senté Hydration+ Serum is the best choice during nano infusion when deep hydration and extracellular matrix support are the focus of the session. Senté's signature ingredient is heparan sulfate analog (HSA), a molecule that mirrors the structure of naturally occurring heparan sulfate proteoglycans in the skin's dermal matrix. HSA supports cellular communication, helps regulate growth factor activity in the skin, and plays a direct role in maintaining the structural environment where collagen and elastin are produced.

Because HSA is a smaller molecule, it absorbs efficiently through nano channels, making this serum particularly well-matched to the during-infusion window. The result is hydration that works at a deeper level than hyaluronic acid alone, combined with meaningful support for the skin's underlying architecture. It can be used on its own or alongside the Epicutis Lipid Serum depending on the goals of the session.

Le Mieux Hyaluronic Serum — Best for Dehydration and Fine Lines

Le Mieux Hyaluronic Serum is the best nano pen serum when plumping, smoothing, and surface hydration are the primary goals of the session. It delivers multiple molecular weights of hyaluronic acid, allowing hydration to work at different depths of the skin simultaneously. The texture is ideal for nano-infusion: lightweight, smooth-gliding, and residue-free.

This is a strong option for dry or dehydrated skin types, or for anyone focusing their session on fine lines and surface texture rather than deep regenerative repair.

After Infusion: Regenerative Serums Applied to Open Channels

This is where the real transformation happens.

Immediately after nano-infusion, while channels are still open and absorption is at its peak, apply your regenerative serums directly to the skin surface. Growth factors, exosomes, and stem cell conditioned media penetrate far deeper post-infusion than they would through intact skin, reaching the dermal environment where collagen production, cellular repair, and long-term skin behavior actually change.

These two serums are our recommendations for post-infusion regeneration.

( plated )™ Skin Science Intense Serum — Best for Regenerative Results

( plated )™ Skin Science Intense Serum is the best post-nano-infusion serum for visible, lasting regenerative results. It is formulated around Renewosome technology, a concentrated exosome-derived complex that delivers growth factors, proteins, and microRNA directly into skin cells. Exosomes are the precision delivery vehicles that cells use to communicate with one another, and when applied immediately after nano-infusion, their penetration and efficacy are dramatically amplified.

The results are measurable over time: improved collagen and elastin production, reduced inflammation, better tone and texture, and faster recovery. This is the post-infusion serum powering the Maxine results featured in the CellRenew Regenerative Infusion Facial protocol.

For the full science on exosomes and how they differ from growth factors and stem cell conditioned media, read: Regenerative Skincare: How Growth Factors, Stem Cells & Exosomes Are Changing the Future of Skin Health →

NeoGenesis Recovery Serum — Best for Repair and Barrier Recovery

NeoGenesis Recovery Serum is the best post-infusion serum for skin that is sensitized, barrier-compromised, or in active recovery from damage, whether from sun exposure, inflammation, or prior aggressive treatments. It is built on S²RM technology, stem cell released molecules that support the skin's natural repair processes at the cellular level, accelerating recovery and reducing reactivity over time.

Where ( plated )™ leads with regenerative activation, NeoGenesis leads with repair and calming. For skin that needs both, they layer well together: apply ( plated )™ first onto open channels, then NeoGenesis immediately after as the skin begins to settle. Both are carried and curated at Art of Skin Care as part of our regenerative skincare collection.

A Simple Framework to Remember

During infusion: barrier-supporting, hydrating, lightweight serums that keep the skin comfortable and receptive.

After infusion: regenerative serums applied immediately to open channels for maximum penetration and biological impact.

Avoid during infusion: retinoids, active exfoliants, fragrance, alcohol, growth factors, exosomes, and stem cell conditioned media.

Get the timing right and your nano infusion pen stops being just a device. It becomes the delivery system your regenerative serums have been waiting for.

Ready to build the right protocol for your skin? Start a complimentary consultation.