What Sebium Serum Does
Sebium Serum works on the spots, the marks they leave behind and the open pores that come with oily, blemish-prone skin, in a few drops morning and evening.
It is the concentrated step in Bioderma’s Sebium range, which is the line they make for oily and blemish-prone skin — a different range from Sensibio, which is their sensitive-skin line. The serum is light, absorbs quickly and sits happily under make-up, and Bioderma intend it to be used at the first sign of spots rather than kept for a flare-up. It is made for adults.
What Is in It and What Each Part Is For
Bioderma name four active parts, and it is worth knowing which does what rather than taking the list on trust.
Salicylic acid. The exfoliating part. It loosens the dead cells that block a pore, which is why it is the ingredient most associated with blemish-prone skin. Bioderma do not publish the percentage in this serum, and in European cosmetic rules salicylic acid is capped at 2% in a leave-on face product, so whatever is in it sits at or below that.
Acetyl glucosamine. The part Bioderma attach to marks and to early fine lines.
Hyaluronic acid. The part that holds water in the skin. Bioderma claim 8 hours of hydration from it.
Fluidactiv, which is Bioderma’s own patented complex. They describe it as acting on the quality of sebum rather than simply stripping it, and it is the thing that distinguishes the Sebium range from a general exfoliating serum.
And what is left out: no parabens, no alcohol and no silicone. On an oily-skin product the absence of alcohol matters more than it sounds, because alcohol-heavy serums give a short-lived matte feel and often leave skin producing more oil afterwards.
What Bioderma’s Own Figures Say
Here is the part your page leaves out, and it is more persuasive than anything currently on it.
Bioderma report 41% fewer spots and 15% fewer fine lines after 28 days, and say efficacy was seen from 7 days on spots, marks, dilated pores and fine lines.
Two honest notes to read alongside those figures. Bioderma publish no sample size, no method and no statistics with them, so treat them as the maker’s own measurements rather than independent trial results — which is how we would describe them at the counter. And 28 days is the point the figures are measured at, so a 30 ml bottle used morning and evening is roughly one full course. Give it the month before deciding.
How to Use Sebium Serum
A few drops morning and evening, on the face and neck, after cleansing. Massage it in gently until it absorbs, then carry on with your moisturiser or your make-up — it is designed to work as a base.
Start at the first sign of spots rather than waiting. That is Bioderma’s own instruction and it is the opposite of how most people use a product like this.
Introduce it slowly if your skin is new to an exfoliating acid. Every other evening for the first week, then build up. Our pharmacist will set that out with you, and will tell you what else in your routine to pause while you start it.
And wear sunscreen in the daytime. Any exfoliating acid leaves fresh skin at the surface, and in Nairobi sun that is worth taking seriously. Ask us and we will show you a sunscreen that suits oily skin rather than one that undoes the serum.
Which Bioderma Line Is Yours
We stock two Bioderma lines and they are made for opposite problems, so it is worth being clear about which is which before you buy.
Sebium, including this serum, is for oily and blemish-prone skin. Spots, shine, visible pores, marks left behind.
Sensibio is for sensitive, reactive skin. Tightness, stinging, redness after washing. A soap-free foaming cleanser from that range is gentle enough to use before this serum if your skin is both oily and easily irritated, which many people’s is, and the 500 ml size of the same cleanser is far better value per millilitre if you settle on it.
Bioderma themselves pair this serum with a Sebium cleanser. Ask our pharmacist — if the Sebium wash is what your skin wants, we will tell you honestly and look into getting it in for you.
Looking After Skin From the Inside
A serum works at the surface. A couple of nutrients carry recognised benefits for skin itself.
Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin. An effervescent vitamin C at 1,000 mg clears the amount that benefit is set at several times over.
Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal skin, which is a recognised benefit in its own right. A collagen powder carrying zinc and biotin is the one people ask us about, and our pharmacist will say plainly which part of it carries an approved benefit.
Is Sebium Serum Right for You?
- Adults, and please ask us before buying it for a teenager. Bioderma label it for adults, and spots arrive long before adulthood does, so this is a conversation worth having at the counter rather than a guess. Our pharmacist will suggest what suits a younger skin.
- Keep it well away from children. European cosmetic rules say salicylic acid preparations are not to be used for children under 3 years at all, and that applies to this one.
- If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, speak to our pharmacist or our doctor first. Salicylic acid is the ingredient people ask us about most in pregnancy and the answer deserves a proper conversation rather than a label.
- If you are already using a prescribed acne treatment, bring it in. Retinoids, benzoyl peroxide and antibiotic creams all change what else your skin should be getting, and layering an exfoliating acid on top is exactly the thing to check first. Keep using what you have been prescribed.
- If your skin is deeply or painfully affected, see our doctor as well as buying a serum. A cosmetic cares for blemish-prone skin; it is not a treatment, and scarring is far easier to prevent than to undo.
Where to Buy Bioderma Sebium Serum 30 ml in Kenya
Order online and we deliver countrywide, or collect from our pharmacy at Kahawa Sukari Shopping Center, Nairobi. We send orders to Nairobi and every neighbourhood around it — the CBD, Westlands, Parklands, Gigiri, Muthaiga, Runda, Rosslyn, Kitisuru, Lower Kabete, Lavington, Kileleshwa, Kilimani, Karen, Langata, South B, South C, Eastleigh, Buruburu, Donholm, Embakasi, Ngong Road, Kasarani, Roysambu, Zimmerman, Githurai, Ruaka, Banana Hill, Two Rivers, Village Market and Pride Lands — and across Kiambu, Thika, Juja, Ruiru, Kikuyu, Limuru and Ngong.
Beyond the capital we deliver to Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos, Athi River, Kitengela, Kajiado, Naivasha, Narok, Kericho, Bomet, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Siaya, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Vihiga, Webuye, Kitale, Nandi Hills, Iten, Kapenguria, Embu, Meru, Chuka, Kerugoya, Murang’a, Othaya, Nyahururu, Nanyuki, Maralal, Isiolo, Marsabit, Moyale, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Lodwar, Kitui, Mwingi, Makueni, Emali, Kibwezi, Voi, Taveta, Wundanyi, Mariakani, Diani, Ukunda, Kilifi, Watamu, Malindi, Lamu and Hola. At a few drops morning and evening a pack runs for a known length of time, so tell us the pack size you want and we will work out how many months that covers before you order.
Across Africa, ask us before you order. We have sent orders to Uganda, Tanzania, Somaliland and as far as Malawi, and we will quote for Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the rest of the continent. Tell us the destination and we will confirm any import paperwork before the parcel leaves us.
Living abroad? Order from wherever you are and we deliver to your family here in Kenya. Kenyans in the UK, the United States, Canada, South Africa and the Gulf order from us regularly for parents and relatives at home. A daily serum like this one taken steadily month after month does far more than a single pack, so tell us who it is for and how many months you want covered and we will set up the repeat.
Why Buy Your Bioderma Sebium Serum 30 ml from HealthAlone Kenya?
HealthAlone is a pharmacist-led health ecosystem licensed by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, and our stock is original, sealed and correctly stored. Kahawa Sukari is a real counter with real pharmacists behind it.
Our pharmacists will check it against any acne treatment you have been prescribed, settle the age question if it is for a teenager, and show you a sunscreen that suits oily skin. Our doctor is here too if you would rather have the whole question looked at properly.
It is one more step in our vision: building Africa’s most trusted health ecosystem, accessible to everyone, everywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Sebium Serum do?
It works on the spots, the marks they leave behind, the open pores and the shine that come with oily, blemish-prone skin. Bioderma report 41% fewer spots and 15% fewer fine lines after 28 days, with effects seen from 7 days. Those are the maker’s own figures, published without a sample size, so read them as measurements Bioderma took rather than an independent trial.
Is this the same as an acne treatment?
No, and we would rather say so plainly. This is a cosmetic serum for blemish-prone skin, not a medicine for acne. If your skin is deeply or painfully affected, or you are already scarring, please see our doctor as well — scarring is far easier to prevent than to undo, and a serum is not the tool for it.
How do I use it?
A few drops morning and evening on the face and neck after cleansing, massaged in until absorbed. It works under moisturiser and under make-up. Bioderma say to start at the first sign of spots rather than waiting for a flare-up.
What is actually in it?
Salicylic acid to loosen what blocks a pore, acetyl glucosamine for marks and early fine lines, hyaluronic acid for hydration that Bioderma put at 8 hours, and their own Fluidactiv complex, which they describe as acting on the quality of sebum rather than stripping it. No parabens, no alcohol and no silicone.
How much salicylic acid is in it?
Bioderma do not publish the percentage and we are not going to invent one. What we can tell you is the ceiling: European cosmetic rules cap salicylic acid at 2% in a leave-on face product, so whatever is in this bottle sits at or below that.
Can my teenager use it?
Please ask our pharmacist first. Bioderma label this one for adults, and spots arrive long before adulthood does, so it is worth two minutes at the counter rather than a guess. We will suggest what suits a younger skin.
Can I use it in pregnancy?
Speak to our pharmacist or our doctor before you start. Salicylic acid is the ingredient we are asked about most in pregnancy, and it deserves a proper conversation rather than a line on a label.
Can I use it with my prescribed acne treatment?
Bring the prescription in first. Retinoids, benzoyl peroxide and antibiotic creams all change what else your skin should be getting, and putting an exfoliating acid on top is exactly the thing to check. Keep taking or applying what you have been prescribed.
Will it make my skin peel or sting at first?
It can if your skin is new to an exfoliating acid. Use it every other evening for the first week and build up from there. If stinging or peeling carries on past the first fortnight, stop and come and talk to us rather than pushing through it.
Do I need sunscreen with it?
Yes, and this is the step people skip. Any exfoliating acid leaves fresh skin at the surface, and Nairobi sun is unforgiving. Ask us for a sunscreen made for oily skin rather than one that undoes the serum.
How long does a 30 ml bottle last?
At a few drops twice a day, roughly a month to six weeks — which lines up neatly with the 28 days Bioderma measured their results at. Give it the full bottle before you judge it.
Which Bioderma range is right for me?
Sebium, including this serum, is for oily and blemish-prone skin. Sensibio is for sensitive, reactive skin that stings or feels tight after washing. If yours is both oily and easily irritated, which is commoner than people think, the soap-free Sensibio cleanser is gentle enough to use before this serum. Our pharmacist will work out the combination with you.
Where can I buy Bioderma Sebium Serum 30 ml in Kenya, and what does it cost?
From HealthAlone, online for delivery countrywide or over the counter at Kahawa Sukari Shopping Center, Nairobi. The current price is shown at the top of this listing. We deliver across Nairobi — the CBD, Westlands, Parklands, Gigiri, Muthaiga, Runda, Kitisuru, Lavington, Kilimani, Karen, Langata, South B, South C, Eastleigh, Kasarani, Roysambu, Githurai, Ruaka and Banana Hill — and to Kiambu, Thika, Juja, Ruiru, Kikuyu, Limuru, Ngong, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos, Kitengela, Naivasha, Narok, Kericho, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Kitale, Embu, Meru, Nanyuki, Nyahururu, Isiolo, Marsabit, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Lodwar, Kitui, Makueni, Voi, Taveta, Mariakani, Diani, Ukunda, Kilifi, Watamu, Malindi and Lamu. Outside Kenya we have delivered to Uganda, Tanzania, Somaliland and Malawi, and we quote for Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the rest of Africa on request. At a few drops twice a day a 30 ml bottle covers about a month, which matches the 28 days Bioderma measured their results at, so tell us how long you want covered and we will set up the repeat.
