When I was younger, I was way invested in fashion and makeup, but not so much skincare. I changed up both my fashion and makeup wardrobe with the season—you know, berry lips for fall, bright shades for spring, coats and scarves in the winter. But now, it’s the reverse. I wear loungewear a vast majority of the time and focus on switching up my skincare routines for the season. It’s a vibe, tbh.

At the first bit of chill (which has just happened in GA where I live), switch over to my fall/winter  routine. Some people have elaborate closets, I have a coordinated skincare “bookshelf” that I organize by type of product and where it fits into my routine. First, I have makeup removers, then cleansers, essences, serums, moisturizers, oils and finally, all my wash-off and sheet masks. This helps me tremendously when the seasons change—all I do is move all of my coordinating skincare to the front of my shelf, and boom—my seasonal skincare change is complete! I don’t know about you, but my skin is not a fan of cold, windy, and dry weather. My eczema starts to flare up and my skin gets all dry and flaky. But thankfully, I’ve added three new moisturizers into my winter skincare rotation that have been showing up for me heavy. Want to know more about them? Read on!

CosRX Balancium Comfort Ceramide Cream

I’m going to let y’all know that just the name of this cream had me swooning out of the gate. Ceramides are my BFF and who doesn’t want comfort during the winter? We all do. This new cream from CosRX is perfect for people with sensitive skin, irritation from the cold/dry heat in an office, or anyone who just wants to show their skin some extra TLC. I like to use it after my weekly chemical exfoliating treatments, when I know my skin is a little more susceptible to dryness and irritation. It’s also really good to use after my skin is super dry after a hard, sweaty workout.

The two star ingredients of this cream are centella asiatica and a blend of three skin-strengthening ceramides. Medical grade centella asiatica is actually the very first ingredient, which improves your skin’s elasticity and strengthens your moisture barrier, two very important benefits when winter is right around the corner. The ceramides also strengthen and repair your delicate barrier and lock in much needed moisture to keep your skin soft and smooth all winter long.

But what makes this cream so special is that it’s incredibly moisturizing and hydrating without a greasy feel. It literally melts into the skin on contact—kind of like a hug for the skin. I’ve used it in the AM and PM and it wears wonderfully under makeup too. And I also gotta give it bonus points for the chic tube packaging.

Mamonde Hibiscus Ceramide Light Cream

If your skin is still on the oily side during winter and you still want something lightweight, but super effective at hydrating and moisturizing, this cream is going to be your new bestie. It’s formulated with hibiscus flower extract that creates a protective moisture barrier on top of your skin that not only hydrates and moisturizes your skin, but keeps all that yummy moisture in to strengthen our moisture barrier. Barrier health is incredibly important during the winter. Why? Well, our skin loves moisture. And cold, dry, air is the opposite of moisturizing. And not only that, the warm heat in our homes also creates another drying environment for our skin. This combination creates the perfect storm for dry, flaky skin, but thankfully, this cream will get your skin to-ge-ther, honey. It also contains Mamonde’s exclusive Ceramide PC-104 ingredient, which is designed to improve and protect the health and appearance of your skin’s moisture barrier. 

I’ve used this cream both day and night, and since my skin is on the normal to dry side, I prefer using it during the day under makeup, and I opt for something a tad heavier at night. It sinks into the skin beautifully and leaves a slight, glowy sheen, something I can appreciate while sitting in front of my computer for Zoom calls and meetings.

It has a silky, gel-cream texture that glides super smooth onto the skin. Shea butter gives it that slightly creamy texture, while squalane hydrates and plumps the skin. I also really like the scent—it’s a soft, clean floral that reminds of the Before Times when we could go to spas.

Pyunkang Yul Moisture Cream

I want to write a love sonnet to this cream because it’s just that perfect. I don’t know how a cream somehow perfectly balances my combination, dry, oily, normal skin, but this does. And for that, we have to stan.

This cream is one that I can see staying in my rotation for months (and years) to come. Why? Well, first of all, the texture is absolutely divine—it has the thick creaminess of a moisturizer meant for drier skin types, but a lightweight feel that makes it a dream to apply. The lightweight texture also means that it absorbs into the skin almost immediately and leaves you with a soft, satiny finish that wears really well under makeup. I’ve been loving this one at night mixed with a little oil for an extra dose of moisturization. 

Second, the ingredient list is simple, yet effective. The first ingredient is Coptis Japonica Root Extract, an ingredient known for itsskin firming properties. There’s also shea butter that softens the skin and barberry root extract which protects your skin from damaging external factors like sun, cold, and wind. And it’s fragrance free, so my sensitive skin babes are welcome to use this! 

I hope you’re a bit more prepared now to upgrade your winter skincare wardrobe. Taking care of ourselves (and our skin) this winter is super important for overall mental and physical health. I’ve been taking the extra time each night and morning to really focus on nourishing my skin, and as a result, I feel like I glow from the outside in.