7 Skin Products that will Save your Skin

The weather has changed, time for some heavy hitters.

As of today, I can confidently say that winter is coming. The air hit that frigid point that made me shiver and feel cold in the way only an east coast winter can. And while it is lovely, and I’m a fan of layering the cute sweaters and coats, my skin needs a whole regimen to keep her in tact. I was fortunate enough to get a delightful facial with my even more delightful facialist, Lika at Alania Aesthetics so I could get a “glow” in time for Turkey Day. And as she massaged my face, slathered me with lotions, I quizzed her about the products she loves (both high AND low) and asked her if there was one thing we all needed to layer into our skincare during these cold dry months, what would it be? Without hesitating she said, “It’s important to focus on hydrating serums in the winter. Year round we focus on antioxidant serums which are very important, but we need to layer in hydrating serums when it’s colder.” Below are the products that will keep our skin looking plump and hydrated till summer 2024 rolls around.

La Roche Posay, according to Lika and several dermatologists and skin experts, is one of the best “drugstore” brands you can buy. The OG French Pharmacy find, you can also find it at Walgreens, CVS, etc. Lika told me that their Hyaluronic Serum is a GREAT option and under $40. There are a lot of other options on the market but there are a lot of crap options, so choose wisely here. Also - a key tip for application: Keep your skin slightly damp - it allows the serum to absorb better and deeper.

I love a tan. I am fine admitting that. Not like a tanning bed tan, but a nice year-round glow. I feel like everything looks better when I have a bit of color on my face. And there is only so much work a bronzer can do if the canvas is stark white. So I have been a big fan of the Tan-Luxe Illuminating Self-Tan face drops for years. It’s been a constant re-purchase for me, so you know it works. I add 1-2 drops every other night in my serum. Boom, I’m tan by the morning. And again - not too tan, just a weekend away glow.

No. I’m not telling you I like this product because Molly is my BFF. I’m telling you this because I love it. It’s so important to remember SPF on our face year round, and I love a multi-tasking product. The Yse Skin Glow is the perfect glowy base to put under your makeup or just mix with your concealer. It just makes my skin look better and feel better and in the winter especially, I feel like my skin loses its luster. This helps. As we say on the podcast, “I’m obsessed.”

As we get older, I personally believe that we use less face makeup. Or rather, we embrace a more natural makeup because most of us realize that the heavier the hand, the older the face looks. I pride myself on being a true tinted moisturizer expert. Like, I could sit on panels and eloquently speak to the finish and quality of about 99.9% of the products on the market, so I feel like this qualifies me as a self-appointed expert. The queen of sheen, Tina Craig, launched The Super Tinted Hydrator and like all her other products, shocker - it’s a 10. It’s also in her Black Friday sale this week so try it out 20% off. You won’t regret it. I am shade 5 which is the perfect light/medium golden shade. It’s gorgeous. The trick in the winter is to do all we can to make our skin LOOK dewy, even when it feels like it may fall off. This manages to do it all thanks to the SIREN capsule technology that Tina has in her products that deliver the ingredients exactly where they need to go.

If anyone suffers from alligator-like skin on their legs and dry elbows, you’ll love me for this recommendation. True story: I thought I had bruised my left elbow one day. It was borderline purple looking. Upon closer inspection, I realized, sadly, that it was just really dry elbows that were almost black. Ew. I got this bottle Monika Blunder body oil in the mail and I knew the secret to body oils was to apply it fresh out of the shower, while the skin is still damp. As soon as it touched my skin the oil almost turned milky and it just was the most beautiful yummy layer of hydration my body could ask for during these cold, dry months. My elbows now feel like my baby’s, and my legs have that sheen on them that I thought people only had when they had makeup artists apply stuff on them (in all fairness, Monika IS a makeup artist so she is wisely making products she needs and uses). It also smells like a yummy fresh fragrance - not overpowering, just something you want to get more of. I am already panicking and stocking up because I can’t live without this one.

Water can be drying. Cleansers can be even more drying. That’s where Bioderma Micellar Water is a skinsaver. It removes makeup without compromising your skins PH balance. It used to be the holy water from the French Pharmacy, but now you can get it just about anywhere. I always have 2 in my cabinets as back up because I can’t live without this product and have used it religiously for over 14 years now.

Once we hydrate the skin with the hyaluronic serum, it’s important to lock in the moisture. I have used the Furtuna Skin Biphase Moisturizing Oil off and on for years - and you know something is really good when you just keep coming back to it. It’s like the reliable boyfriend - you know he will deliver and make you happy. That’s this guy. Many people are afraid of an oil - don’t be. All skin types can handle it. And this biphase one is extra special, the olive oil works to repair the skins barrier (which we all need to repair by the way). It also leaves your skin glowing in a way that you don’t need much else. I recommend letting this absorb on your skin for a few minutes (i.e. brush your teeth, floss, do your hair) and then apply your makeup on top. I put my Yse primer on top of this and it’s perfect.

And there you have it - some of my most used and favorite products to keep us looking plump, dewy and hydrated when we feel gross, dry and dehydrated. With that said - feel nothing but fabulous over the holidays and eat to your hearts content. The diet can start Monday, let’s enjoy the time with our loved ones. We all have plenty to be thankful for, I know I do. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. xx Emese