#021: Ins and outs of my skincare routine for the winter

What's in and out of my rotation as we welcome cooler, dryer weather :(

I just got back from Seoul & Tokyo, where, in the former city, I visited my esthetician and was told that my skin looks manly (?????) and I really should consider getting Thermage laser the next time I’m back. Seoul, the undisputed beauty capital of the world right now, never ceases to make me feel like I need to shell out thousands of dollars on new procedures and facials and lasers to keep up with the pretenses that looking good is really just so easy! It is, if you have copious amounts of money to spend. It’s been a fun time because I’m once again reminded that the most approachable way forward in your self upkeep is to just switch up the products in your skincare routine, to jolt your system with new ingredients and systems to target all your current skin woes. For me, like many of you I’m sure, it’s dryness.

If being in Asia inherently makes me feel haggard, by way of everyone’s conspicuous displays of self-care, then being back in New York makes me feel like I have all the secrets and superpowers to make myself look and feel good because, as I’ve witnessed firsthand, these Koreans are onto something!!1! Said secrets and superpowers are listed below, in my skincare switch-up: what I’m swapping out and replacing for this upcoming winter season.

An important note: the items in my “Out” list are not out because I no longer like them. In fact, I love them! They are just out for the season as I welcome in different products that serve a bigger purpose in hydration, nourishment and elasticity.

I’ve also compiled the below products in this easy-to-shop gallery on my ShopMy.

FACE WASH

Out: Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel. This is my year-round cleanser I’ve been using since my hormonal teenage acne days. I have spoken about it countless times over. It’s a tried and true staple that has never led me astray but it’s not the most hydrating. It’s not stripping at all, but in the winter, I’m looking for a cleanser that will leave my skin feeling plump and prepped.

In: Symbiome The Renewal Cleanser. Currently 25% off with the code JOY. This is a cool gel-to-milk cleanser I recently discovered that also works as a makeup remover. The milky texture almost feels like a cream cleanser without going full-on cream cleanser, you know?

TONER

Out: Caudalie Beauty Elixir. I LOVE THIS STUFF, DON’T GET ME WRONG. I still travel with a mini size of it in my purse, giving myself a little spritz in between hours to make sure my skin is ~alive~. But as a toner, it’s not the most hydrating in this terribly dry weather. My skin requires a liquid toner that will leave a little residue on the surface as a layer.

In: Son & Park Beauty Water. Currently 20% off. My skin drinks this stuff up!!!!! Made by legendary Korean makeup artists, it’s one of those staples you’ll find in the kit of many artists. I’ve been using this in my rotation for a few years now and I keep coming back to it in the colder months — a gently exfoliating toner that refreshes and hydrates, leaving my skin immediately soothed and plump right after sweeping it on with a cotton pad. Sometime, I’ll just soak cotton pads with it and leave them on my face for ~15 minutes as a mask. It smells delicious, the bottle size is very generous for the price and does wonders in prepping my face for the next steps in my routine.

SERUM

Out: Any vitamin C serum. I give my skin a break from vitamin C during the winter, when I feel like the sun is constantly hanging low in my face and I (even if it’s just mental lol) can just sense the constant sun exposure and impending sun damage. Do not underestimate the winter sun.

In: Obagi Elastiderm Facial Serum. 25% OFF WITH CODE JOY. This is one of those wonder products I want to keep to myself, but that’s not what we’re here for.